The 8-9-10 month sleep regression can be a very frustrating and exhausting period of time when your baby starts to have trouble falling asleep, wakes up at night, and takes shorter naps. It starts around 8 months old and lasts 3 to 6 weeks so it is known as the “8-month sleep regression”, “9-month sleep regression”, and/or the “10-month sleep regression”. In this article, you will learn all about this sleep regression and 10 tips for surviving based on our experience of over 15 years working with families just like yours.
8-Month Sleep Regression: What It Is and Why Does It Happen?
If you suspect your baby might be hitting the 8-month sleep regression, you’re not alone! Thousands of parents research this regression each month and your entire sleep routine can be turned on its head.
Maybe your sleep problems are new after your baby was sleeping through the night. Or, maybe you feel like you never quite recovered from the 4-month sleep regression. Regardless of how they were sleeping before this, you might be struggling now.
The primary cause of the 8-month sleep regression is due to rapid growth and brain development. Your baby may be crawling, scooting, sitting up, pulling up, and/or cruising. It can be even more challenging when your baby starts standing in the crib and won’t sleep!
Aside from physical skills, your baby is also absorbing your language and beginning to put things into categories. For example, they are learning something is a cat, regardless of color or size. This is also connected to Mental Leap 6 if you follow the Wonder Weeks.
When your brain is busy, it can be very difficult to sleep, of course!
Here are the reasons this sleep regression happens with more details below:
- Schedule Change – Your 8 Month Old Baby Schedule might be changing. Your baby could be dropping their third catnap which can be brutal. Be sure to put them on a 2-nap schedule such as our sample 9-month old schedule or 10-month old schedule.
- Developmental Milestones – As described above, your baby’s newfound mobility and mental leaps can make sleep very difficult.
- Separation Anxiety – When your baby goes through a lot of changes, they tend to like to be close to you to help them through it.
- Teething – This is a common age for one or more teeth to cut through the gums which can be uncomfortable.
Signs of the 8 Month Sleep Regression
Signs your baby is going through this regression could include your baby starts having trouble falling asleep at night, waking up at night, taking shorter naps, separation anxiety, irritability, and clinginess. Many weeks when a baby is having trouble sleeping can be exhausting for your entire family and shorter naps mean less time for you to do things during the day and that can be frustrating!
On top of the developmental milestones, many 8-month old babies are also getting their first teeth or more teeth. Babies get teeth on and off for a good two years!
And, even more than developmental leaps and teeth, many 8-month old babies are transitioning from three naps to two naps. An 8 month old schedule often includes three naps but not always. The 9 month old sleep schedule has just two naps.
And, when your baby is going through a lot of changes, you can bet they don’t want to be apart from you very much. Some changes can feel exciting yet possibly a little unnerving! So, we see separation anxiety peak around this time, too.
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When Does the 8 Month Sleep Regression Start and End?
The 8-month sleep regression starts at 8 months old and lasts 3 to 6 weeks, on average. This sleep regression can start early at 7 months old though it’s not as common. At 7 months old, we see separation anxiety begins, though. Of course, this can start to feel like your baby is going through a never-ending sleep regression from 7 to 10 months old!
Can This Sleep Regression Start Early?
Yes, in some cases, we see the 8 month sleep regression start at 7 months old though it’s not as common. Parents may be searching for a 7-month sleep regression. All babies develop on their unique timetable so if your baby is experiencing a 7-month sleep regression, it’s likely the 8-month one simply started early.
What Is The 9 Month Sleep Regression?
The 9 month old sleep regression is really a continuation of the 8 month sleep regression when your baby is learning so many new skills. All babies develop at their own rate so it’s possible this regression doesn’t start until 9 months old, but it’s really the same. Since sleep regressions last 3 to 6 weeks, on average, this particular sleep regression can span over the 9th month and sometimes the 10th month depending on when it started.
What else can be happening with your 9 month old?
If your baby didn’t transition to two naps by 8 months, they most certainly have at 9 months. In addition, your more mobile baby likely needs to add another solid meal into their daytime schedule as they are burning through calories at a more rapid pace. We sometimes see babies increase their night feedings again around this age so you’ll want to make some adjustments to your daytime schedule.
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What Is The 10 Month Sleep Regression?
The 10-month-old sleep regression is the culmination of the 8-month and 9-month sleep regressions when your baby has finished this developmental leap. Your baby is likely much more adept at moving their body and being mobile. Before they complete the sleep regression, they may find it irresistible to stand up in their crib.
How Long Do These Sleep Regressions Last?
Again, most sleep regressions last 3 to 6 weeks, on average.
I know all too well how 6 weeks can feel like an eternity when you aren’t sleeping! With the 4-month sleep regression, your baby permanently changed how exactly she sleeps. The 8 month sleep regression isn’t a permanent change to how your baby sleeps. Luckily, it’s temporary. That doesn’t make it any less exhausting, of course!
How Much Sleep Do 8, 9, and 10 Month Olds Need?
8-month-old, 9-month-old, and 10-month-old babies all still need 11-12 hours of sleep at night and 2-3 hours during the day. As with all developmental milestones, night sleep can be disrupted while your baby is going through this developmental leap. Either they are too busy practicing their new skills (either by choice or impulsively) or their brain is just too wired to settle down. Ever have a big meeting, graduation, wedding, or event the next day and can’t sleep? You can relate.
Your 8 or 9-month-old is also likely going through a nap transition and losing the third catnap. As with most nap transitions, this makes your baby overtired and often even fussier than usual during this sleep regression. Finding a new age-appropriate baby nap schedule can be even more challenging during this sleep regression not only because of the nap transition but also due to the fact that the sleep regression can disrupt naps just like night sleep.
Is he not napping because you are trying naps at the wrong time or is it because he is too busy practicing his new skill?
Doubts can mount during this time and you might lose confidence in your parenting ability. Your baby might be clingier and fussier because she’s tired and these new changes can make her feel more insecure. Have no fear, there is likely nothing wrong with your parenting or your baby!
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Can You Do Sleep Training During This Regression?
Yes, although it’s not an ideal time for sleep training, if you don’t try to avoid long-term habits, both you and the baby can lose a lot of sleep during this time period. Sleep training during the 8 month sleep regression can take a lot of patience but can be very successful.
10 Tips to Handle The 8 Month Sleep Regression
Here are a few tips based on our experience working with families for over 15 years. (These are in no particular order.)
- Put your baby on the right 8 month schedule, 9 month schedule, or 10 month schedule. Although the right schedule is only one piece of the puzzle, it can make a huge difference in better sleep! Not sure how many naps? Use our Baby Nap Chart.
- Make sure your baby’s room is conducive to sleep including using a white noise machine, room-darkening blinds or curtains, and a comfortable room temperature.
- Get medical advice from your baby’s doctor. Occasionally, sleep can unravel for a medical reason such as an ear infection.
- Assuming your baby is healthy, don’t assume everything is due to the 8 month sleep regression – If your baby had sleep problems at 5 months, 6 months, or 7 months, then it’s unlikely that it’s this sleep regression at the root of your sleep problems, now. You likely have a lingering problem that needs to be addressed.
- Don’t assume everything is teething for similar reasons.
- If sleep problems are new to you, be careful about making a new long-term habit such as co-sleeping if that’s not what you want. As I mentioned above, this could be as short as a 3-week phase, but new habits or routines can last for months, or even years. Consistency is still important.
- Be patient – Your baby will only go through this particular developmental leap once (thankfully), so try to help her through it as best you can. Keep in mind that we can’t always remove our baby’s discomfort, but we can be there for support.
- Offer support to your 8 month old, 9 month old, or 10 month old, but try to continue with your sleep coaching as much as feels right to you. That means offer extra support just like you may help your baby solve a puzzle, but do let them do some of it on their own, so they can continue learning.
- If you never did cry it out before, this is probably not the time to try it. Instead, I recommend reviewing all the various sleep training methods.
- Have a teething protocol to follow in case your baby is cutting tooth after tooth.
I hope this post gives you a glimpse of what your 8, 9, or 10 month old is going through. I still believe that a baby can learn how to sleep better during this time, but keep in mind it might not be perfect, and that is okay. You can still start to lay the foundation, create new routines, and build confidence in her abilities. Getting more sleep will help her cope with the changes and likely help with any additional fussiness, too. If she can’t nap well, but she’s sleeping well at night, that will help bridge the gap. The vice versa is also true if she’s having trouble sleeping at night, but napping better.
Adding more sleep deprivation will usually only make this phase more difficult for all of you, so I don’t always recommend waiting it out. If it’s been months of sleep deprivation leading up to this point and can possibly be 6 more weeks and beyond. There is always something!
In my 15+ years of experience as a sleep consultant, I get e-mails every day from parents of babies of all ages and some parents of toddlers are still “waiting it out.” Don’t wait until the next toddler sleep regression to make a change. Just like it’s never a perfect time to have a baby, it’s never a perfect time to make a change in sleep habits!
8 Month Sleep Regression Case Study
Want more information about how to help your 8 month old sleep well? Check out our detailed case study about Carrie, Ben, and their 8 month old Elliot.
Read how they helped Elliot sleep through the night and take better naps – and how they helped to change those sleep associations that were keeping him awake! Just join our VIP Members Area, and access the case study instantly. And that’s not all – our VIP Members Area is packed with additional premium content and resources: e-Books, assessments, more case studies, live chats with a sleep consultant, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately!
For more guidance on handling the 8-10 month sleep regression, check out our special members-only resources in our VIP Members Area:
- The 8-10 Month Sleep Regression Survival Guide [EXPANDED MEMBERS-ONLY EDITION]
- 8 Month Sleep Regression Case Study (With Breastfeeding Associations, Napping Problems, and Medical Concerns)
- Sleep Regressions audio course
- The 3-Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep e-book
How Do You Know When the 8 Month Sleep Regression Is Over?
Well, you don’t really. If you have developed some new sleep habits you’re not fond of, you may need to change those habits. Keep in mind that we have the wisdom your 8 month old baby may not have. It’s one thing for the entire family to lose sleep for one week, but week after week it’s not healthy for anyone. I work with families every day who start sleep coaching during this time period.
Hello, my baby is 9 and half months and about 2 weeks ago she started to be awake during the night sometimes for 4 hours. I tried to hold her, put her in the bed which made it even worst, started to climb everywhere, when standing in her crib, put her down so many time but nothing worked. I ended up putting her in her stroller, but sometime takes me 2 hours for her to fall asleep again. She sleeps very well during the day, morning 1,5 hours and afternoon usually for 2 hours or less. This is insane and don’t know what else to do. Any advise?
Thank you
Radka
@Radka – Thank you for reading and for sharing with us. We feel your pain – this sleep regression can be a tough one for sure. You may be dealing with some sleep associations here, so if you haven’t started any formal sleep coaching or plan to help her sleep more independently, that would be a good first step after ruling out any medical reasons that could be keeping her awake and addressing those. If you have worked on her sleep before, though it’s hard, staying the course so as not to develop new “bad” habits is always a great idea. Doing the best you can is all you can do sometimes, though, which we understand completely. If you find you would like or need more support to help her sleep better and more independently, please be sure to check out our sleep consultants who would welcome the opportunity to serve your family and get you all the sleep you deserve. You can read more about our wonderful team here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/about/ Hang in there, Radka!
I am so desperate my son wakes up crying every night since 3.5 months I can’t do this anymore it is so hard I can’t do this and I’m a full time mother ?
Someone help me please I need REAL advice no bull reading possibilities.
My son is now 9 months and I’m going crazy. Is it my fault for feeding him formula what am I doing wrong????
Please someone help! My relationship is hurting drastically because of this and to top it off he is a commercial truck driver so he needs to sleep.
Help me please I know I’m not the only une si un just asking for your real advice!
[email protected]
Hi Maria – Thanks for writing and I’m so sorry to hear that you’re struggling so much with your 9 month old’s sleep! Please hang in there, and don’t blame yourself or your formula feeding! Babies wake up for SO many reasons! It’d be too hard to say what’s going on with your baby without a sleep consultant taking an in-depth look at your son’s full sleep history. To start though, you may want to think about “how” your baby falls to sleep, and if he cannot yet fall asleep on his own, start there – with teaching him that he can fall asleep and back to sleep without your help. Since you’re so overwhelmed, and your relationship is trained, I’d recommend getting some one on one help to get things on track!
You can read about all of our sleep consultation packages and purchase directly online here:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/
Hang in there Maria!!
Hi,
My little girl has just turned 9 months, and for the last 4 weeks, she has been waking up 4-6 times a night. My wife is breast feeding, and this is the only way for her to go back to sleep but, after and hour she will be up again. This will happen though out the night. She will have 2 naps in the day, that usually last 30min-1 hour. We not sure what is happening, and we are going crazy. PLEASE HELP!
Hi @Craig – Thanks for writing, and I’m sorry that you are struggling with your baby’s sleep! it sounds like your little one needs some help learning to fall asleep and back to sleep on her own without breastfeeding or other help. Here is a link to an article about sleep associations that should help:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/sleep-association/
We know how tough this can be and how crazy it can make us parents feel, so hang in there, and please contact us if you’d like some help getting on track with her sleep! : )
Hi
I m father of 8 months son .my wife struggling hard with son as from beginning he has sleeping issues every time he sleeps for 15 to 20 mints and wakes up kindly share any tips or ideas to improve this issue as by health he is fit .
@Fida – Thank you for reading and for sharing. We’re so sorry to hear that your son’s sleep has been such a challenge for you all for so long. We know how exhausting this must be. You don’t say if you all have done any type of sleep coaching for your son. If not, I would suggest giving this some thought to help him sleep longer and better. If you haven’t already, please consider downloading our free e-guide, 5 Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through the Night, which has many helpful tips for getting your baby more sleep. You can read more about it here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-through-night-free-ebook/ Hang in there, Fida!
Thanks for the recommendation. My little one used to sleep through the night since he was 3-month-old. We gave him a dream feeding before our bedtime and no more than 2 more feedings throughout the night. Ever since he got sick when he was 7 months, he didn’t sleep through the night anymore (if I feed him, he’ll fall asleep right away, otherwise we’d find him sitting up awake). Now he’d need 3-5 feeds during the night… He’s almost 10-months now, how can I fix this..
@Yiran – Thank you for reading and for sharing with us. So many night wakings for feedings can definitely be exhausting! We’ve found that most babies your son’s age can go with 1 or no night feedings if they are getting enough to eat during the day and have no medical reasons to feed so frequently during the evening. It could be that your little guy has developed a sleep association with feeding that needs to be phased out. If you haven’t considered a formal approach to helping break this association with some form of sleep coaching, that could be a great next step. Having a plan you can stick to consistently to help phase out the night feedings so he can sleep independently again may be all that you need to get him back on track! If you’d like support throughout that process, you should consider our Express Sleep Plan or connecting with one of our sleep consultants who would welcome the opportunity to serve your family. Hang in there, Yiran!
My baby just turned 9 months old yesterday she started sleeping all night after 6 months till now shevwas good sleeper before 2-3 days suddenly started waking up every 1 hour and takes a lil bf and sleeps again she repeats everytime help me …
Hi Sakina,
Thank you for visiting The Baby Sleep Site! I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling with the 9 month sleep regression. I know it can be really tough, so please hang in there! We have another article on this regression to help you here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-patterns/8-9-10-month-old-baby-sleep-regression/
And we have a sample 9 month-old schedule here (a good schedule can help reduce night waking): https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/9-month-old-baby-schedule/
Most babies will have regression symptoms for 2-4 weeks. If the regression lasts longer than that, please get in touch, as you may be dealing with a sleep association, scheduling issue, or some other problem with sleep. Good luck!
My baby girl is almost 8 months she use to sleep really good but now she constantly waking up standing in her crib screaming iv tried soothing her til she goes back to bed but an half an hour later she wakes again .. iv tried keep lying her down a million times…. iv gave up and put her in bed with me but I know that’s not good to do but I don’t know what else to do… I have also tried letting her cry it out a bit not for long but nothing is working unless she sleeps with me in bed what else can I do please help I am a tired mommy
Hi @Dawn, I’m sorry to hear you’ve been struggling with your daughter’s sleep. It sounds like you are trying your best to be consistent, so hang in there! That is what we typically recommend for parents during a regression. Here is a link to a free guide with tips that can help your baby sleep through the night: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
You may even consider looking up some gentle sleep training techniques to try to see if she will stay in her crib that way (we have lots of articles about it on our site so you’re bound to find some as you look around). Please let us know if you need more help, and we will gladly send you over more resources. You can contact us directly anytime at [email protected]
I hope things improve for you soon!
Hello,
My 8 and a half month old daughter has never slept through the night once! She naps 2 times a day and is very active! But recently she has started waking up in the night for periods of 4-5 hours and refuses to go back to sleep we have tried everything!!! Any advice
@Sophie, thanks for writing to us. I’m so sorry that your daughter has been struggling so much with sleep, we would love to help. First off, here is a link to a free guide with tips to help your child sleep through the night: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
Hopefully it will give you some idea to what could be causing the issue.
If you need help with this though, I’d recommend working with one of our sleep consultants who can look at your daughter’s full sleep history and help you achieve your goals in a way you feel comfortable. For more information here is a link to our different packages we offer: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/
Please let us know if you have any other questions, we are here to help!
Hello. I have two 8 month old twin girls. Nevaeh and Serenity. Serenity is up all night long every night screaming and crying and my wife is at her wit’s end. We tried giving her formula or water. Sometimes we take off her onesy because she may be feeling hot. We’ve tried singing songs to her, playing with her, and I even sit up with her and watch Barney on my Android phone to keep her calm so Serenity can sleep. This has been going on every night and my wife never gets any sleep and feels very irritated and sometimes Impatient and so do I. We’ve tried everything and we are running out of ideas. Any advice?
@Jesse Brian Jackson – Thank you for writing to us. I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been struggling with Serenity’s sleep, I’m sure this is causing a lot of stress to you and your wife, and we would love to help. Here is a link to a free guide with tips to help your baby sleep through the night that may give you an idea for something you haven’t tried yet: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
If you still need help, I would highly suggest considering working with one of our sleep consultants especially since you are all so exhausted. We have very often worked with families of multiples and would love to work with yours as well. If you want to read more about our personalized consultations you can learn more here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/ and if you have any questions about our packages or other services we offer please email us directly at [email protected]
Hang in there! I hope you see a positive change soon.
My baby has been sleeping on her own for 3 months she’s just turned 10 months, for a week she has been crying non stop tugging on to me won’t sleep till I walk around with her then she will nod off on my shoulder and I will put her down
Hi @Poonam, thanks for writing! You certainly could be going through that regression then since she was sleeping so well before. Hang in there! Our advise is to try to keep things as consistent as you’re able to. This is a tricky age because often teething can be playing a big part as well as the developmental milestones. Hopefully once she’s down she stays down for you. Let us know if you need more help!
My boy is 8.5months old and, since 3months, has slept through the night peacefully with 2-3 naps a day. We took his dummy away around then as he was waking when it fell out and it’s made a huge difference. The last week though! He’s been waking moaning in his sleep throughout the night, and naptime has turned into proper screaming where he either eventually falls over, or I give in for a cuddle and he’s wide awake. I’ve ruled out everything else and certain he’s in the middle of this phase!
We’ve always let him ‘cry it out’ for sleeps and as he doesn’t use a dummy or any other form of soother, he usually lasts 1-2mins and then he’s peaceful. I’m finding listening to screaming for 10minutes ridiculously hard of late ?
@Marianne – Thank you for reading and for sharing. We feel your pain – this regression is no joke! Channel your patience and remember it’s 100% okay to be there for your little guy as he goes through this. You just want to be careful about creating any new habits that you don’t particularly want to stick around longer than this regression! 🙂 Hang in there, Marianne!