When will the 8 month sleep regression end? (Hopefully soon!)

Has your child recently turned 8 months old or maybe is in between 9 and 10 months old? If yes, and sleep time has again turned into a challenge of epic proportions, you might be in the middle of another age-related sleep regression.  Have no fear – if you’re in the middle of this regression, grab a bottle of wine because you just might need it because seriously, when will the 8-month sleep regression end?

Typically a sleep regression consists of your child not sleeping through the night, fussing before falling asleep, short naps, wanting to play, or resisting sleep altogether.

All this makes for long nights and small battles with your 8-month-old. But there are some things you can easily implement to curb sleep regression and get sleepy time going again for both you and your child.

Below we cover 5 tips and tricks curated from a few sleep consultants and experts on the best ways to curb sleep regression for your 8-month-old.

1. Don’t Alter Routine Sleeping Habits – This sleep regression is a short-lived one according to sleep experts and as such, should not cause a drastic or permanent sleep routine change in your home. Other than as noted below, your sleep routine with your 8-month-old should remain relatively unchanged.
2. Let Your Child “Play & Practice” ’til Tired – A good idea to try during this developmental stage is to have your child practice his newly learned skills such as crawling, scooting, standing, etc. during the day so when nap time or bedtime rolls around, he’s tired out and more ready for sleepy time.
3. Provide Additional Support – This age brings about several physical and mental milestones (also called developmental leaps) that your child will want to practice.  Such changes are standing, crawling and rolling. Help him or her by being there and encouraging the normal learning phase before you. For example, you can try is to help your child learn to sit while in the crib if he’s newly learned how to stand. He or she will need help with these types of movements. You can help by letting him grab objects you place on the floor when your child is outside the crib. Try showing your babe how to bend his or her legs to sit. Simple support like this will enable your 8-month-old to advance in his learning phase and in turn also experience better sleep.
4. Nap Transition Blues – Your 8-month-old might also experience nap transition blues as usually around this time is when he or she is taken off the third daily nap. To compensate for this missing nap time, you might want to make nighttime sleeping a bit earlier or later than usual. This should make up for the loss of nap time from earlier in the day. You’ll have to experiment with what time is best for your baby and your family and plan accordingly. Some families start bedtime at 6:30 pm while others start later at 7:30 pm. I am a huge fan of an early bedtime – so don’t be afraid to try!
5. Don’t Blame Everything On Teeth:  Yep, I am the first to admit that every cranky period was blamed on my daughter’s teething (even when she had no teeth in sight).  If you think teeth are sprouting, the correct dose of pain reliever or teething toys can help.  Just don’t always blame teeth because you will be getting a new one down the road.
6. Focus on Independent Skills:  Your baby can’t stay asleep if he doesn’t know how to stay asleep. So now is the time to teach your baby to fall asleep on his own.  The act of teaching your baby how to sleep on his own is called sleep training.  Sleep training is a very divisive topic because parents automatically think it’s the same as crying-it-out (nope, not true!)  Sleep training can only work when parents are ready and consistent so now is the time to take stock of sleep associations and figure if you’re ready for a sleep plan.  (Don’t worry, I got your back since sleep training is super overwhelming, I have this epic blog post to help:  Sleep Training Made Easy:  The Ultimate Guide or if you’d like to work with me directly, check out my consults here).

When will the 8 Month Sleep Regression End?

The goal here, of course, is better (healthier) sleep for your 8-month-old and your family. This is surely and firmly within your grasp. By preparing yourself for the different milestones and developmental stages in your babies life, you’ll be better equipped to handle the changes that come about. From the 4-month-old regression, the 8-10 month sleep regression and rounded out with the 2 year old sleep regression, you can do this. Mom – you got this!

Hope the tips and tricks in this article have provided a bit of insight and given you some morsels to chew on next time you encounter the dreaded and frustrating age-related sleep regressions. All moms go through these phases, so remember you’re not alone.

But, you’re seeking information and preparing yourself. Your baby is well on his way to more and better sleep because of it. Keep in mind the tips above and know that these are temporary battles that won’t last long. Sleep regressions are real and are a natural and normal part of your baby’s development and simply means he’s growing up. 

Have no fear; you’re equipped to handle that one, too.

Ok mommas, let us know below in the comment area which tips you plan to try and or maybe ideas you HAVE already tried that helped (or didn’t) so we can share with other moms.