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One of the most common questions we get here at The Baby Sleep Site is… “How do I get my 6, 7 (or 8) month old to sleep?” and that’s the question we are answering today!
While some babies can be challenging sleepers from birth, many will go through periods where they sleep well, only to regress. What’s a sleepy parent to do!? Let’s take a look at the 6 steps to help your 6, 7, or 8 month old baby sleep.
As soon as you get your 4 or 5 month old through the dreaded 4 month regression and sleeping peacefully in longer stretches at night, your 6 or 7 month old may start waking frequently again and taking short naps. What’s up with that?! 6 to 8 month olds are going through a rapid period of development and their brain and bodies are fundamentally changing and growing.
Your 6 month old will likely go through a growth spurt and start trying some real foods – where did that tiny baby go? And they may also begin experiencing separation anxiety as they develop object permanence. As if all this wasn’t enough, your 7 to 8 month old might start practicing new feats of athleticism, and even be on the move! This can make bedtime and naps more challenging, and your baby may even begin waking more frequently during the night. We call this the 8-9-10 Month Sleep Regression.
How To Get My 6, 7, or 8 Month Old To Sleep At-a-Glance
- Develop a consistent sleep routine
- Review your baby’s schedule
- Consider gentle sleep coaching/training
- Create a sleep plan for your family
- Gather support from your village
- Prepare for the next sleep speedbump
And, now for a few details…
1. Develop or strengthen the sleep routine for your 6, 7, or 8 month old
Setting the environment for sleep is crucial and part of cueing your baby it’s time for sleep is to have a consistent set of steps you do each sleep period, at night and at nap times. For those parents who aren’t that thrilled about strict routines, have no fear, the sleep routine does NOT have to be long. For instance, you can shut the curtains or blinds, change your baby’s diaper, read a short book (even just looking at pictures or practicing flipping pages is great fun at this age!), feed the baby (if appropriate), cuddle the baby for a few minutes, and then lay your baby down for sleep while saying a key phrase (e.g. “Sleepy time for baby. I love you. Night night.”).
Around this age is a great time to start having a very distinctive end to your routine, too. Something that is not necessarily dependent on you doing something. Turning on a crib aquarium or a musical toy that plays for a few minutes, for example, can be very helpful as they grow and try to “delay” going to sleep.
2. Review your 6, 7, or 8 month old’s schedule
For some 6, 7, or 8 month old babies, their sleep schedule is fundamental to helping them sleep well. Some babies are more adaptable or less sensitive and do not need a very regimented schedule, though, for a lot of parents, it’s a sanity saver! Babies this age are increasing their awake time, and may even be more ready for a “by the clock” schedule. If you are experiencing sleep issues, I strongly recommend developing or adjusting your baby’s schedule to see what type of impact it may or may not have on your baby’s sleep. For all you know, that’s all you have to do! Some families, depending on their situation, can’t stick to a precise schedule as well as others, but just do your best. What type of schedule you ask? Check out our sample schedules here or make your own custom schedule!
3. Consider sleep training (or coaching) for your 6, 7, or 8 month old
If the previous steps haven’t significantly improved your 6, 7, or 8 month old’s sleep and you’ve downloaded our free e-Book, 5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep Through the Night, it’s likely your baby has sleep associations that need to be resolved with sleep training. Ideally, you’d get a professional assessment of your baby’s sleep challenges, but if you feel certain dependence on parental help is part of the issue, then you may want to consider sleep coaching your 6, 7, or 8 month old. This essentially involves helping your baby learn to fall asleep on their own, without as much help from you. You know you need to change some sleep habits but are not sure how to go about it.
Not sure which sleep coaching method may be best for you and your baby? Be sure to listen to my VIP audio course all about sleep training strategies.
4. Create a plan for your 6, 7 or 8 month old
If you’re considering sleep training, you need to figure out what to do next. Some of us are planners and others simply “wing it.” If you’re not a planner, you can certainly skip this step! If you’ve been trying to help your 6, 7, or 8 month old sleep for a while now, you’ve developed and strengthened your routine, reviewed the schedule, and plugging along without a set strategy isn’t working out so well, maybe a plan is just what you’re missing. After all, it’s hard to know how to get to where you’re going without a travel plan. Make the plan as detailed as you want it, but having a step-by-step plan helps you stay on track, committed, and consistent.
Not sure where to begin or need help creating your baby’s sleep plan? Consider making your own sleep plan or letting us create a Personalized Sleep Plan® for you and your baby.
5. Get support for your 6, 7, or 8 month old’s parents (you!)
We hear everywhere that “it takes a village” to raise a child. But gone seems to be the days where we have a lot of help nurturing our babies. I don’t know about you, but half of my family is spread across the country, and our close-by relatives are busy with their own busy schedules. My husband and I were largely on our own while raising our boys. No Aunts to regularly hold or play with the baby while I took a nap or enjoyed a (hopefully hot) meal. So, getting through these sleep issues can be tough without support. We sometimes have to recruit our own village. Consider hiring a sleep consultant or asking your partner, friends, or family members to help you implement your sleep plan. Having a support system in place can make all the difference in the world in reaching your sleep goals!
6. Prepare for your 6, 7, or 8 month old’s next speedbump
Now that you learned how to get your 6, 7, or 8 month old to sleep, what happens next? Do you ride off into the sunset with a happy sleeper forever and ever? We certainly hope so! For some of you, yes! But many of you will get your baby sleeping well, only to hit another speed bump in a few weeks or months. Babies grow and change a lot in the first few years, so be prepared and make sure you plan ahead. Have a game plan in place, before the next sleep regression or speedbump emerges.
Babies start teething, crawling, walking, talking, getting a cold, etc, and this can often affect sleep. In a few months, your 6, 7, or 8 month old may take their first steps, say their first words, and it might affect their sleep. What will you do when your baby starts waking at night, again, or won’t nap, or both? The #1 rule is NOT to revert back to old habits as if you had never made progress in the first place. As easy as it is for babies to fall back to old habits, it’s often way too easy for us parents to do so as well. So, don’t let that happen! 🙂
