As a team, we have been working with lots of parents talking about the 8 month sleep regression (or 9 month regression, or 10 month regression - there is a big range here!) lately and I think it's because this is a sneaky regression. It doesn't look the same as the 4 month sleep regression and is often marked by your baby being up in the middle of the night playing happily in their crib (or your arms) rather than sleeping. On top of that, this regression can be combined with teething and that becomes a guessing game wondering what exactly is keeping your baby awake.

Why is this so different? This regression is typically caused by physical growth and development rather than mental. And, sometimes, the sleep issues arise before your baby is really showing outward signs of that development.

So what exactly happens at this regression? First off, this is typically brought on by developmental milestones or leaps. Think about it, your baby is starting to sit up, pull up, crawl, maybe even walk and are building more of the foundation of their language skills. All of these can cause disruption in sleep and the hallmark of the 8 month sleep regression is finding your baby awake at 3 am practicing crawling around in their crib! Usually baby is happy and ready to party, but not sleepy!

What does all of this mean? Your baby’s brain is working so hard on their new skills that they have a hard time settling down to sleep at night, even though they are tired. This leads to those middle of the night crib parties and why, when we try to rock baby back to sleep, it often doesn’t work. Their sleep pressure is so depleted after several hours of sleep that they think we are in there to play!

What. do you do when the 8 month regression hits? Give your baby lots.of time during the day to practice their skills. The more time the better! Once they have perfected these new skills, they will be able to get back to sleeping all night. Another good thing to do is to give baby lots of time to wind down with quiet activities in the evening and keep their bedtime routine calm and relaxing. This way they are ready to sleep!

Our team loves to work with families as they teach their baby how to sleep independently through the month regression and many others. We’d love to talk with you about how we can help! Send us an email today to set up your free 15 minute phone call to learn more!

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