Planning for Sleep to Go Off Track

It happens all the time with sleep. You get a few days, or even a few weeks, of good sleep under your belt and think, “We’ve made it.” And then suddenly, you’re up all night again.

That’s the thing about sleep. We never really “make it.” Sleep is constantly changing, and different stages of life or routine shifts can quickly throw things off track.

Today on the blog, we’re talking about five common times when sleep tends to go off the rails a how planning for them ahead of time can help keeps things on track.

Illness

When kids are sick or dealing with any type of medical issue, we of course want them to get as much sleep as they can, however they can get it. This might mean sleeping late in the morning, taking long afternoon naps, or sleeping in bed with parents.

The challenge is that these habits often try to stick around long after the child is back to feeling 100%. It can help to have an “illness plan” for when things should return to normal. For example, you might decide that after they’ve been fever-free for 48 hours, everyone goes back to sleeping in their own bed. Having a plan can help prevent a few nights of sickness from turning into months of disrupted sleep habits.

Vacation

When kids, and adults for that matter, are sleeping somewhere new, sleep can become more difficult.

The routine changes, people may be sharing rooms or beds, and there are unfamiliar lights and noises that can be hard to predict.

One helpful strategy is to bring familiar pieces of the home routine on vacation. This could be a favorite stuffed animal, a portable sound machine, the same bedtime books, or even the same bedtime phrases you use at home. Small pieces of familiarity can go a long way in helping sleep feel more secure.

Breaks From School

Even if you don’t travel anywhere, breaks from school can easily throw off routines and, in turn, sleep. It’s completely normal to have nights where kids stay up later or sleep in a bit more.

If it’s a short break with only a few days off, try to keep wake-up times within about an hour of the usual schedule so the transition back to school isn’t too rough. If it’s a longer break, like summer vacation, it can help to reassess what schedule works best for your family during that season. Later bedtimes and wake times are perfectly fine if they’re consistent and still allow for enough sleep overall.

Routine Changes

Even routine changes that seem incredibly minor can disrupt sleep. One of my mentors, Emily Varon, once had a case where a child struggled to sleep for a full week after getting a new bus driver!

When possible, prepare children ahead of time for changes you know are coming. For example, if mom usually handles bedtime but dad will be taking over because of a work schedule change, it may help to have both parents do bedtime together for a few nights first or use a social story to prepare for the transition. Small steps can help reduce anxiety and make changes feel less abrupt.

Getting Older

Another major cause of sleep disruptions is simply getting older. You may have been cruising along with an 8:00 bedtime, and then suddenly it’s taking your child an hour to fall asleep every night.

Often, this is a sign that they’ve reached an age where a slightly later bedtime is more appropriate.

As children move into adolescence, bedtimes naturally tend to shift later and later. As long as they’re still getting the recommended amount of sleep for their age, this change is completely normal. Adjusting bedtime gradually over time can reduce bedtime battles and make evenings feel much smoother if your child simply isn’t tired yet.

Final Thoughts

Sleep is rarely a straight line. There will almost always be seasons where things feel smooth and easy, followed by times when sleep suddenly falls apart again. That doesn’t mean you’ve failed or that all of your progress is gone. More often than not, it just means something has changed and sleep needs a small adjustment too.

The goal isn’t perfect sleep all the time. The goal is learning how to adapt when those inevitable bumps in the road show up.

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