When do sleep regressions actually end?

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My toddler is almost 2.5 years old. We've had all the typical sleep regressions. Outside the regressions, he's a great sleeper 🤞🏼 We've been so lucky, but this is what makes regressions harder for us because we're used to having good sleep!
We're now going through the 2.5 year sleep regression and I'm losing my mind over the constant in and out of regressions... Just as you get over a regression and start feeling good about sleep again, A REGRESSION IS BACK!
I was up for over an hour last night trying to reassure him. He was shaking, asking for another cuddle...
I find broken sleep really hard, it triggers my anxiety as I'm a big sleeper (my nickname is sleepy sloth for a reason)
Sleep is the biggest reason I choose not to have any more children, because I'm not equipped for broken sleep.

When does it end? When do they sleep like normal human beings? Please don't say 18 😭 I just want some consistency...
Thank you ❤️

I think sleep regressions are a myth, there seems to be one for any point in a child’s life - “oh no it is the 4 month sleep regression come early/late”.

Kids don’t develop in a linear way, and sometimes they are little buggers when it comes to sleep/keeping us on our toes.

At some point you’ll be able to get an (almost) guaranteed full nights sleep, right before they start staying out after your bedtime so you can lie wake fretting 😂

It is horrible as I also can’t stand sleep interruptions, but you’ve just got to get through it, there’s no magic point that it will stop (eg by age 10 they’ll likely be sleeping reliably, but not if they have a cough or a particularly bad nightmare).

Never. 🥲

I’ve never really believed in these as a thing TBH.

I think it’s more linked to changes in their development or environment. In the same way our adult sleep is affected by change. Like when you’re more stressed, tired or jet lagged. So I think for a lot of kids they will differ.

for my kids sleep felt better once they were in school and they were cognitively challenged with good routines.

but we had bad sleepers so never have great sleep as little ones. So I guess maybe the regressions (if they exist) weren’t as noticeable ?!

I agree with previous posters - I don't think sleep regressions at set ages are a thing.

I think they just have random periods where they struggle and it's different for every child.

Sorry not very helpful I know - I do hope it improves for you very soon!!

That tallies with my experience too. I don’t think the notion of ‘sleep regression’ was in vogue in the early 90s when my daughter was an infant. She was never a ‘good sleeper’ in early childhood so count yourself lucky OP that you have intermittent disturbances rather than it being your norm!

However mine totally turned around by the time she was in secondary school with an early start for the bus - self-disciplined about getting to bed at a sensible time and telling us off if we didn’t.😂 Teens aren’t all overtired night owls.

I would say by 3 we reliably got a full nights sleep, although bedtime then got harder.

The 4 months sleep regression is the only ome that has scientific backing. It's something to do with hormones and sleep cycle maturing. The rest is just....small kids being kids.

I needed my mum to sleep with me until I was 7....

Our first was a shit sleeper until age 2 and then was fab. Although he had been so shit, my definition of "fab" might be different, I didn't mind the sickness bugs and ocasional 3am wake ups. Our second is just turned 2 and he started sleeping well at 18 months. But there are still "regressions" when they're sick, etc.

I also have a condition that causes a tremendous amount of pain and lack of sleep makes it all 1000 times worse. So I sympathize, lack of sleep has made me a monster for the last 5 years. I'm slowly becoming a nicer, happier person.