The 8 Month Sleep Regression

Your baby is growing at a rapid pace, and might even be crawling all over your house by now – time to ramp up the baby proofing! You’ve made it through the last sleep regression, and your baby might even have started giving you some longer stretches through the night – but all of a sudden, here we are again.

You know the signs by now:

• Frequent wake ups.
• Fighting naps.
• Overtired cues.
• Clingy behaviours.

Welcome to the 8 month sleep regression!

The good news is that this particular regression typically doesn’t last more than a few weeks. Every baby is different, so you may find you sail through this one easily – or your baby may need some extra TLC to get through this bump in the road.

Your 8 month old is going through many cognitive and physical changes, and their little bodies are constantly on the move. Not only are they continually developing and honing their new found skills, they are very likely teething too, which we know can be very disruptive to sleep.

This age is also notorious for attachment awareness, meaning that your baby may not want Mum or Dad out of their sight! The baby who once fell asleep comfortably on their own, may suddenly need a little more help to get to sleep, and to stay asleep.

Keeping nap and bedtime consistent is still the number one rule for the 8 month sleep regression.

Continue to stick with your chosen safe sleeping routine, ensuring that your baby’s day naps and night time sleeps follow the same patterns. Your little one may resist sleep, take longer to settle, or need additional re-settling, but the key is to keep on persevering.

As your little one grows, it is important that they are using a sleeping bag that is suitable for their age and their new-found skills. Be sure to check out our Sleepy Hugs Original and Hands In & Out sleep suits – they are ideal for this age, as your baby is safely transitioned away from traditional swaddling and learns to self-soothe during their rest times.

Your baby is growing and thriving, and very soon this regression will pass – so hang in there, grab some shut eye when you can, and just remember: you are not alone!

You can read other articles in the sleep regression series here: