Free Printable Sleep Regression Chart (4 to 24 Months)
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A printable sleep regression chart covering 4 to 24 months. What is driving each one, roughly how long it lasts, and the single thing that helps most. Free, nothing to sign up for. Print it and put it inside a cupboard door — that is where it is actually useful at 3am.
Last updated: 1 August 2026 · Free to use, print and share. Health visitors, midwives, NCT groups and antenatal classes are welcome to print and distribute this.
The chart
| Age | What is driving it | Typical length | What helps most |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 months | Sleep architecture matures. Full arousals now sit between every cycle. | Permanent change; 2–6 weeks to settle | Practice falling asleep in the cot rather than being put down asleep |
| 6 months | Rolling, sitting, and the 3-to-2 nap transition | 1–3 weeks | Drop the third nap and recheck the wake windows |
| 8–10 months | Crawling, pulling to stand, object permanence, separation anxiety | 2–6 weeks | Plenty of floor practice by day; pause before going in at night |
| 12 months | Cruising and walking, first words. Often mistaken for 2-to-1 nap readiness. | 1–3 weeks | Hold both naps. Bring bedtime forward instead. |
| 18 months | The genuine 2-to-1 nap transition, peak separation anxiety, molars, language burst | 2–6 weeks | Alternate one-nap and two-nap days; bedtime 30–60 min earlier |
| 24 months | Cot-to-bed moves, potty training, imagination and new fears | 2–4 weeks | Keep boundaries identical every night; add a comfort object |
Five things to know before using it
- The ages are approximate and the ranges overlap. A baby who crawls at six months usually meets the eight-month pattern early.
- Not every baby has one. Large-scale sleep data shows wide variation, and many babies show no clear dip at any of these ages.
- "Regression" is a badly chosen word. Sleep improves across the first year overall. These are rough patches that happen to land near developmental leaps, not a slide backwards.
- The four-month one is different. The change to sleep cycles is permanent, so it improves as your baby learns to resettle rather than by passing.
- Check the timing before you change anything else. Most sleep that looks like a regression is a wake window that has quietly outgrown the schedule.
The two rules that cover most of it
Do not change the system on night three. Habits form fast. If a rough week turns into a new routine, the routine is what persists long after the leap has passed. Stay the course, whatever your course is.
Wait two consistent weeks before dropping a nap. Dropping early causes overtiredness, which causes shorter naps and earlier waking, which looks like more evidence the nap should go. That loop is hard to climb out of.
When it is not a regression
Speak to your paediatrician or health visitor if disrupted sleep comes with any of these:
- Fever, ear-pulling, or waking with a distinct pained cry
- Snoring, mouth breathing, gasping or pauses in breathing during sleep
- Feeding refusal, or a drop off the growth curve
- Loss of a skill your child previously had
- Disruption running well past six weeks with no improvement at all
Safe sleep, every time
Follow current American Academy of Pediatrics guidance: baby on their back, on a firm flat surface, in their own clear sleep space, with no pillows, bumpers, loose blankets or soft toys. Room-sharing without bed-sharing is recommended for at least the first six months.
Want the fuller version?
This chart is free and always will be. If you want the reasoning behind each age and what to actually do about it, read The Sleep Regression Calendar: 4, 8, 12 and 18 Months.
For the timing system underneath all of it, that is our Baby Sleep Guide: Wake Windows & Nap Timing. Mid nap-drop right now? See the Nap Transition Guide. Deciding whether to sleep train once things settle? The Gentle Sleep Training Guide covers the no-cry-it-out approaches. Or browse all baby sleep guides.
Related printables: the free wake windows chart, the free babyproofing checklist, and the free first foods and allergen tracker.
This chart is educational and is not a substitute for advice from your paediatrician or health visitor. If you have concerns about your child's sleep, breathing, feeding or growth, speak to a clinician.