22 Month Sleep Regression

If your twenty two month old is stalling at bedtime, waking scared at night, or suddenly refusing the nap they used to love, you are not doing anything wrong.

What is the 22 month sleep regression?

The 22 month sleep regression is a temporary stretch of disrupted sleep that some toddlers experience just before their second birthday. It is not a formal, universal milestone. It is a common bump that appears as several developmental leaps overlap and the 2 year regression begins to come into view.

By twenty two months most toddlers are on one nap with fairly settled nights, so a sudden wave of bedtime battles, night wakings, or new fears feels like a big change. It is a departure from a stable baseline rather than a return to newborn nights, and it usually passes within one to two weeks when you keep things steady.

Why it happens

At twenty two months sleep gets disrupted because so much is developing at once. The usual drivers are:

• A surge in language, with longer sentences and constant narration that keeps the brain busy at bedtime.
• Rich pretend play and imagination, which often bring first real fears and early bad dreams.
• Canine teeth, which frequently erupt near two and can be uncomfortable at night.
• A strong drive for autonomy, with more testing, more me do it, and a lot of no.
• Occasional nap resistance, even though a twenty two month old still needs the single nap.

Signs your toddler is in the 22 month sleep regression

Every toddler is different, but the twenty two month regression usually appears as a cluster of these changes together after a calmer stretch:

• Bedtime stalling, negotiating, or refusal after weeks of easier nights.
• Waking at night, sometimes upset or frightened.
• Fighting or shortening the midday nap.
• Early morning waking.
• New separation upset and bigger emotions around sleep.

What our data shows

Frequent night waking is most common earlier in the first year and eases with age. In our State of Baby Sleep research, the share of children waking several times a night keeps declining through the second year, so by twenty two months many toddlers sleep through most nights. That is exactly why a fresh run of wakings stands out. A few patterns hold across the families we hear from:

• The families who recovered fastest kept the schedule and bedtime routine steady rather than changing everything in week one.
• Parents who dropped the nap at the first hint of resistance often traded a short regression for a longer overtired stretch. At twenty two months the single nap is still needed.
• Toddlers who settled quickest had calm, predictable boundaries, so bedtime testing had nothing to push against.
• Most parents who called it never ending were describing a week or two of hard nights stretched long by exhaustion.

“Just before two, sleep can wobble because imagination and independence are both surging. The toddlers who settle fastest are the ones whose parents stay warm, consistent, and patient.”

What actually helps

The goal during the twenty two month regression is to stay steady and reassuring without adding habits you will have to unwind later. These five moves help most:

• Protect the single nap and a steady schedule. At twenty two months almost all toddlers still need one solid midday nap and a consistent wake time. Dropping the nap under pressure usually turns a short regression into a longer overtired stretch.
• Keep a calm, predictable bedtime routine. A short, unchanging sequence of a few steps before bed signals safety and helps a busy toddler wind down. Predictability does more than any new tactic during a regression.
• Meet fears, bad dreams, and teething with brief, warm reassurance. First real fears and canine discomfort are common now. Reassure warmly and briefly without turning on lights, starting long talks, or creating a new habit you will not want to keep.
• Hold bedtime boundaries with kindness. Testing peaks as toddlers near two. Decide your limits ahead of time, then keep them calm and consistent. One extra hug, then the same warm goodnight, every night.
• Protect your own sleep and take shifts. If two adults are available, split the night so one gets a solid block of rest. A rested parent handles a testing toddler far better, and the regression is short.

What does not help this week

Some understandable responses tend to stretch the regression out. Skip these this week:

• Dropping the nap. At twenty two months this almost always leads to a more overtired, harder to settle toddler.
• Adding new sleep crutches such as rocking or feeding all the way to sleep, which can outlast the regression.
• Moving bedtime much later. Overtired toddlers usually resist sleep more.
• Overhauling the whole schedule before you know it is really a regression.

When it is not just the regression

Not every hard stretch is a regression. Check with your pediatrician if the disruption is severe or lingers, or if you notice:

• Signs of illness such as fever, painful ear pulling, or congestion.
• Sleep that does not improve at all after three to four weeks.
• Snoring, gasping, or breathing pauses during sleep.
• Feeding, growth, or development concerns alongside the sleep changes.

A note on sleep training during the regression

If your toddler already sleeps reasonably well, a regression is not the time to start a brand new formal sleep training program. Keep your current approach consistent. If independent sleep was never established and nights feel chaotic, it is usually kinder to wait for the regression to pass and then build gentle, consistent skills from a calmer baseline. Our guide to common sleep training methods can help you choose an approach when the time is right.

Frequently asked questions

Key takeaway

The twenty two month sleep regression is a short developmental bump right before the second birthday, driven by language, imagination, first fears, teething, and a strong push for independence. Your toddler still needs the nap and a steady bedtime. Hold the schedule and boundaries with warmth, protect your own rest, and it usually passes within a week or two. For what comes next, see our 2 year sleep regression guide and your toddler’s 22 month old sleep schedule.