Ah, baby sleep. One minute you're patting yourself on the back for finally getting your little one into a successful sleeping routine and the next, you're scratching your head wondering why she's waking up so much in the middle of the night or taking longer to drift off. What happened to your sweet, slumbering angel?
Stumped? This sudden shift in sleep patterns could be the 8 month sleep regression, a normal developmental phase that can temporarily disrupt a sleep routine. We speak to sleep expert Hannah Love to find out more about baby sleep regression and how to deal with it.
What is the 8-month sleep regression?
If your eight-month-old is kicking up a fuss when it comes to sleep, they may be experiencing sleep regression which, put simply, is when a baby’s sleep pattern is disrupted.
Sleep regression can happen at any time, and both babies and toddlers can go through a sleep regression. It can be caused by anything from teething, illness, even simply a change of environment.
There are however certain periods in a baby’s life when regressions are more common and it tend to happen more frequently between seven and nine months.
Why does the 8-month sleep regression happen?
Sleep regressions around this age are common due to a number of factors. Watch out for these 8 month sleep regression signs:
Transition through naps: This is the age where 'awake' windows increase and babies transition from three to two naps. This can cause issues with settling for naps, not being tired enough or being too tired at bedtime.
Teething and illness: Teething is common at this age therefore, sleep regressions are also common too. Babies also often start nursery, coming home with illness after illness. Teething and illness are things that can cause sleep regressions at any age but they are more common between seven and nine months
Being more mobile: Babies start to sit, stand, cruise and crawl between these ages. All of these exciting baby milestones can cause sleep regressions as your baby may want to practise their new skills at bedtime or in the middle of the night which prevents them from settling to sleep. It is also important to note that babies need less sleep when learning, so if your baby is practising their new skills, you may need to increase their awake windows.
Separation anxiety: Babies often become more aware as they get older and can become more anxious when you leave, this is especially the case if your baby hasn’t learnt to self-settle to sleep yet. Trying to transfer baby into their cot, away from you can get harder and harder (parents often describe their child as knowing when they are being lowered!).
How long does the 8 month sleep regression last?
This very much depends on the reason. If the regression is due to a nap transition, then not very long at all. Once your tot is settled in their new routine then sleep should improve again. If it is due to pain from teething or illness then you can expect it to last as long as the period of illness or teething.
The most crucial factor in tackling sleep regression is your baby’s ability to self-settle to sleep. If your baby is relying on you to go to sleep or return to sleep in any way (milk, rocking, holding, co-sleeping, contact napping), then regressions will be much more common and are likely to last much longer. You should consider trying to get your little one to self-settle to sleep. If done successfully, regressions should be minimal and help you and your little one get back on track.
Similarly, if the sleep regression is due to separation anxiety, then often the regression will last until the baby is taught to self-settle to sleep.
How to handle the 8-month sleep regression
• To get through the 8-month sleep regression, you should aim to teach your baby to go to sleep independently for naps and bedtime, self-settling at naps is especially vital for good overnight sleep.
• Ensure no milk for one hour before naps and 30 mins before bed.
• If the regression is due to pain, give regular painkillers/ teething gel while they are uncomfortable but try and keep this to a minimum.
• If it's due to a change in routine, developmental leap or nap transition, then increase the awake windows and ensure lots of active play leading up to bed and nap times.
• Know this is just a stage and you and your baby will get through it. Eight months is also a perfect time to ‘sleep train.’ babies can confidently eliminate nighttime milk and be encouraged to sleep through.
About the expert
Hannah Love is a baby sleep expert with over 20 years' experience in the field. She is also a paediatric nurse and the Parenting and Sleep Expert at Sleep Well With Hannah and offers a free sleep workshop via her social media accounts.
Emily Gilbert worked across a variety of specialist and lifestyle brands both in print and online. This includes four years on Mother&Baby magazine where she is now the Features and Reviews Editor.