8 MONTH SLEEP REGRESSION
Was your 7 to 10 month old sleeping nice long stretches and now all of a sudden waking more frequently throughout the night, rising early or taking shorts naps? If so, it sounds to me like they have hit the 8 month sleep regression!
Why is this happening?! Babies go through so much cognitively and physically at this age, which is what leads to this regression. Your baby might be learning things such as sitting up, crawling, pulling up, babbling, stacking, and more. He might also be learning the important idea of object permanence. Object permanence is the understanding that things exist when we can’t see them, which can lead to a surge of separation anxiety. It is all developmentally normal, but can cause some sleep setbacks.
This regression can last 2-6 weeks (on average, it's 4) and it happens on average between 7&9 months. You can feel rest-assured that it's all for good reason! While it is a sleep REgression, it is a developmental PROgression! Not only are they learning all of those physical milestones right now, but they are also absorbing language. Because of this, their brains are very wired right now and they have a tough time settling down due to all of the excitement!
So how can we help our little ones get through this?
Make sure you are giving your baby lots of floor time during the day to practice their new skills. The more they practice during the day, the less exciting those skills seem when your baby is trying to catch those Zzz's.
Bedtime and naps can be a moving target during this time. If your baby is waking early or taking shorter naps, we want to adust with an earlier bedtime to prevent them getting overtired. Overtiredness can trigger night wakings, early rising and short naps.
Stay consistent! You’ll want to avoid starting any bad habits like feeding to sleep, rocking to sleep, co-sleeping, etc. Stick to your plan and find a consistent method to handle those early mornings, short nap and/or night wakings.
Remember, this too shall pass and it simply tells you that your baby is growing and developing just as he should be!
Written by: Rachel Donovan