11-14 month old

What to expect at 11-14 months

Why Is My 11-12-Month-Old Fighting Naps?

• Taking longer to fall asleep at nap time
• Not staying asleep as long during naps
• Experiencing more wake-ups during naps
• Completely refusing a nap

• Developmental Progression: All babies develop at their own pace, and some may experience developmental progressions around 12-13 months that disrupt sleep. These are often referred to as sleep regressions.
• Wake Windows Need Adjustment: As babies grow, their wake windows may need to be lengthened. If your baby's wake windows are on the shorter end of the age-appropriate range, gradually increase them to find the right balance without causing overtiredness.
• Avoiding Overtiredness: An overtired baby can have difficulty falling and staying asleep. If your baby is refusing naps after switching to one nap or lengthening wake windows, try shortening their wake windows slightly.
• Increase Active Awake Time: Ensure your baby has plenty of active play during their awake periods to help burn off energy and make naptime more effective.
• Establish a Naptime Routine: A consistent naptime routine helps signal to your baby that it's time to sleep. Simple, predictable activities such as a diaper change, snuggling with a book, turning on a sound machine, and dimming the lights can effectively prepare your baby for naptime.
• For Daycare Parents: I understand that you may not have control over your baby’s nap schedule at daycare. Rest assured, daycare providers are experienced in managing these transitions. Even if your baby is on a one-nap schedule at daycare, try maintaining two naps on non-daycare days to prevent overtiredness.
  

Why Is My Baby Waking Up Too Early?

Why Is My Baby Waking Up at Night Crying?

If your baby is suddenly waking up at night crying, first check for any new physical concerns, such as teething or illness.

If physical discomfort isn’t the issue, consider whether your baby:

• Is learning a new skill.
• Dropped a nap too early. Overtired babies often wake up during the night.
• Needs an adjustment in wake windows or need a little less daytime sleep.
• Their sleep environment needs adjusting.They are dressed comfortably for sleep, room is dark and cool.
• Experiencing separation anxiety. Many babies experience a surge in separation anxiety, especially around 14-months-. This can manifest as crying when entering their room, standing in the crib in protest, or showing a strong preference for one caregiver at bedtime. Here is a guide to help navigate separation anxiety.

Babies might continue to struggle with night wakings and may need assistance to learn to fall back asleep on their own. Check our guide on how to improve frequent night wakes.

Is there a 12-month Sleep Regression?

Yes, many babies experience changes in sleep around this age. At 12 months your child is making significant advancements in physical, cognitive, and emotional development, which can disrupt sleep.

The best advice for handling this sleep regression is to stay consistent. Avoid changing your baby’s sleep habits during this time, as this can turn a temporary issue into a prolonged struggle.

If you’ve been dealing with sleep disruptions for a while, know that we can help with a customizable approach to establish great sleep habits; please contact us at hello@mellow.baby.

Guidelines for better sleep

• Wake-up time: between 6:00-7:00 a.m, typical circadian rhythm
• Average Number of Naps: 2
• Ideal single nap length: 45 mins to max 2 hrs (if taking a single nap ideal length is 2-3 hours)
• Wake Windows: 3-4 hours
• Last nap to end: 4:00-4:30 p.m
• Goal Amount of Daytime Sleep: 2.5-3.5 hours
• Bedtime: 7-8 pm, the sweet spot
• Total night sleep: 10-12 hours at night
• Feedings: About every 2.5 -3.5 hours based on hunger cues.

Daily routines:

• Nap 1: About 3 hours after Wake Time 
• Nap 2: About 3-3.5 hours after the end of Nap 1
• Bedtime: About 3.5-4 hours after the end of Nap 2
  
  

• Nap: About 5-6 hours after Wake Time
• Bedtime: About 4-5 hours after the end of Nap
  

• they are between 13-18 months
• have trouble falling asleep at nap time and/or bedtime
• start to refuse naps regularly
• struggles with short naps
• require a late bedtime in order to fit both naps into the day
• experience frequent night wakings or early morning wakings

• If babies are accustomed to being rocked or fed to sleep, they may wake and need the same conditions to fall back asleep. Gradually and gently teaching your baby to fall asleep independently is crucial to decrease night wakes.

• For most babies, falling asleep for naps and nights can take between 5-20 minutes; for toddlers, it can take 20-30 minutes. If it takes less than 5 minutes, they might be overtired. If it takes more than this range, they might be undertired. Adjust your wake windows as needed based on this, and you will learn your baby's rhythm over time.
• Limit daytime naps to 2 hours (if taking 2 naps)  or 3 hours (if taking 1 nap) in order to prevent disruptions to daytime feeding, total time awake, and to nighttime sleep. It's ok to wake baby up when you need to, to ensure they get enough calories and awake time.
• Establishing a bedtime routine and naptime routine can pave the way for better sleep. 
• Consider starting your day at a consistent time every morning (say 8:00 am, no more than around 12 hours after bedtime). This sets a consistent time to help regulate their rhythm, improves their chance of exposure to daylight, and encourages daytime activity & longer night sleep stretches. 
• Every baby is unique. Learn about your baby's temperament to help them with sleep struggles.
  
  Babies with a tendency towards highly-sensitive or slow-to-warm traits might struggle more with shorter sleep duration, sensitivity to their environment, and night wake ups. Implementing regular and consistent routines, safe and familiar sleep environment, consistency in your responses to their needs, and gently teaching baby to fall asleep independently can help.
  
  In addition, persistent(unfazed by challenges such as grabbing a toy from out of their reach), and non-distractable (continues feeding or playing even with distractions) children need very consistent routines and responses. 

Many pediatricians suggest transitioning away from bottle-feeding around 12 months. However, you don’t need to stop bottle-feeding or breastfeeding at bedtime just because your child reaches their first birthday. The timing of dropping a bedtime feeding is a personal choice and can be tailored to fit your and your baby's needs. When you’re ready to wean your baby off the bedtime bottle or nursing session, begin by gradually moving the feeding time to earlier in the evening, over a week or two, until it's no longer part of the bedtime routine. For example, if you have a 5-step bedtime routine with feeding as the final step, start by making it the 4th step for a couple of days. Then, move it to the 3rd step, and continue this process until feeding is no longer part of the bedtime routine.

Can I Sleep Train my 11-14-month-old?

Some babies might be ready as early as four months. However, most will be ready only when closer to 6 months. It’s important to follow your baby’s development and growth to determine when the time is right. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to when to sleep train for naps and nights. Check out our guide to assess when to sleep train. 

Developmental Milestones

👉🏻 Remember, these milestones are general guidelines, and every child develops at their own pace.

• Mobility:
  • Can stand using furniture for support.
  • They might begin taking a few steps or walking independently.
• Fine Motor Skills:
  • Enhances pincer grasp to pick up small items.
  • Starts stacking toys and enjoys filling and emptying containers.
  • Trying to do things on their own, like self-feeding using a spoon.
• Communication:
  • Speaks a few words like "mama" and "dada."
  • Uses gestures: waving, pointing, and nodding.
• Cognitive:
  • Grasps object permanence: realizes things exist even when unseen.
  • Uses basic problem-solving, like finding hidden toys.
• Social/Emotional:
  • Shows strong attachments to caregivers and may exhibit anxiety around strangers or when separated from primary caregivers
  • Imitates common adult actions, such as pretending to talk on the phone.
    
    

🎈 Check out our post about Playtime: Activities for your 11-14-month-old