8 month sleep regression - causes, signs and tips

What is the 8-month sleep regression?

Between 7-10 months old, babies go through intense physical and mental development. During these periods of rapid growth, when your baby is learning new things, it's common for sleep to be disrupted. At this stage, their sleep needs also change, which might cause them to outgrow routines that previously worked well. Plus, their understanding of their environment and how they can influence it is growing.

As a result, new sleep challenges may arise that weren’t there before, such as resisting bedtime, only being able to sleep while being held, taking shorter naps, or waking up more frequently at night.

Signs of the 8-month sleep regression

Sleep regressions can manifest in different ways depending on a baby’s age and temperament but symptoms may include:

• Waking up more often at night

• Resisting sleep by becoming upset or refusing to go to bed

• Going from longer naps to shorter naps

• Refusing to take naps despite being tired

• Suddenly starting to wake up very early in the morning

• Getting fussy around bedtime/naps and only wants to sleep close to a parent

Why does a sleep regression happen at 8 months?

An 8-month sleep regression can be caused by several factors related to a baby’s physical and mental development. These include:

Coordination & motor skills

At around 7-10 months old, your baby has developed better coordination and grown strong enough to start mastering bigger movements, like rolling over, sitting up steadily, and even crawling. As they practice these skills, both their body and brain are working hard, which can lead to more restless sleep.

Changed sleep needs

During this time, your baby's sleep needs also change, and they may need longer wake windows to be tired enough for naps and bedtime. It’s also common for them to be ready to transition from 3 to 2 naps or even fewer.

To keep up with these changes and prevent sleep problems, you can use Napper. Napper constantly adapts and helps you identify if your baby’s sleep time needs adjusting or if it’s time to make the transition from 3 to 2 naps

Exercising their will

During this time, your baby starts to better understand that they can influence their surroundings. This can lead to them exploring how to exercise their will in different ways.

While this is an important skill, it also means that parents need to start distinguishing between what is a preference or a want and what is an actual need. For example, your baby might want to play even though they’re tired and may protest at bedtime. To make things more complicated, as mentioned earlier, protests can also happen if your baby isn’t actually tired because they’ve outgrown their previous sleep routine and really need to stay awake longer to feel tired.

Teething

Most babies don’t experience much discomfort when teething, but in some cases, they may feel mild discomfort, which can disrupt sleep. When teething bothers your baby, routines might change, and they may need extra support and help with sleep. It’s a good idea to plan on returning to the usual routines after a few days. If your baby does experience discomfort, it’s usually worst 1-3 days before the tooth breaks through.

When does the 8-month sleep regression start?

It usually happens between 7-10 months, but the timing and whether you experience sleep problems during this period can vary a lot. Factors like your baby’s personality, temperament, and sleep habits often play a role. Some parents may not experience any sleep problems at all during this time.

How long does the 8-month sleep regression last?

It can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, with a lot of variation between babies. How your sleep routines are affected by the regression can also play a role in how long the effects last.

Tips for managing the 8-Month sleep regression

Experiencing a setback in sleep can be tough, but fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to help get back to good sleep habits. Here are our best tips:

Keep up with the development of your baby’s sleep needs

This graph shows how your baby’s sleep needs change over time. The exact timing for when your baby is ready to stay awake a little longer, sleep a little less, or transition from 3 to 2 naps (or 4 to 3 for some babies) is always unique to them.

By logging your baby’s sleep in Napper, you’ll receive tailored recommendations on how much and when they should sleep, depending on the phase they’re in, every day.

Ensure that naps happen

Even if your baby would rather keep playing, it’s important to stay consistent with naps. They need daytime rest to avoid becoming overtired. Contrary to what some might think, overtiredness doesn’t lead to better nighttime sleep—it actually negatively impacts sleep quality and can cause more restless sleep and night wakings.

Stick to the nap and bedtime schedule

Not missing naps or bedtime can become more challenging during this period. By keeping track of when your baby should sleep, you can start winding down ahead of time and step away from stimulating environments or social situations that are too exciting for your baby to relax and fall asleep.

Focus on relaxation first

Remember, relaxation always comes before sleep for babies (and really, for everyone). When naps and bedtime are challenging, focus first on helping your baby relax before you start the actual "putting to bed." For example, you can begin by phasing out playtime and carrying your baby around while you calmly go about tasks. This helps them wind down and become more passive before you move on to feeding and rocking them in a quiet room.

White noise or other soft, calming sleep sounds can also help with relaxation. You’ll find 35+ proven sleep sounds in Napper.

Explore during the day

During the 8-month regression, one thing that can help is making sure to play and practice skills together during the day. This can satisfy your baby’s curiosity so they’re not as eager to play and explore during naps and bedtime.

Take some extra time to play and practice things like stacking blocks or exploring wooden spoons and bowls together. Follow your baby’s lead—let them focus on what interests them. Try not to interrupt or draw attention when they’re concentrating, and give them the time they need. Even babbling is a way of exploring sounds and their own voice—babble along or play mimicry games.

If you’re feeling tired, it can be helpful to set a timer for 30 minutes and decide to be fully present in the play during that time.

Don’t let go of your routines

As with all sleep regressions, it’s important not to throw all your routines out the window. The goal is to stick to them as much as possible—and if that’s not doable, try to get back to them when things start to settle down.

Q&A

Q: Is there an 8-month sleep regression?

When babies’ sleep is affected, it’s very individual. However, many parents notice a setback in their baby’s sleep around 7-10 months. Since every child is different and develops at their own pace, your child might not go through a sleep regression at this time.

Around 7-10 months, babies go through significant development, and it’s common for them to outgrow their previous sleep routines. They might also be more eager to play instead of sleep and are starting to learn how to assert their will. This can lead to more challenging bedtimes, nap refusals, shorter naps, or increased night wakings.

When does the 8-month sleep regression end?

The end varies from baby to baby. Sleep regressions usually last a short time, anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. However, depending on how routines are affected, the effects can sometimes last longer.