Is There an 8-Month Sleep Regression?

There’s a 4-month sleep regression, and 18-month sleep regression, a 3-year sleep regression…and basically a sleep regression for any age you google.

The truth is - those 3 listed above are the only ones that I count as actual sleep regressions. However, a regression means to unlearn something that you already know - or go back to a former or less developed space. And that’s actually not what’s happening when your baby starts struggling with sleep.

So what’s up with sleep getting weird around the 8-10 month mark?

One of the things that genuinely interferes with good healthy sleep patterns, are developmental milestones.

Two of the major developmental milestones that occur between the 8-10 month age range, are crawling, and pulling up to stand. The thing with developmental milestones is that babies feel like they need to practice their new skill to a certain extent before taking a break from their practice. Furthermore, the majority of their practice happens in the crib!

You may have noticed that instead of sleeping, your baby is standing in their crib, walking along the perimeter of their bed while holding onto the crib rails. Or maybe they’re just crawling around the crib, with no sleep in sight. One of the things that is tricky about when a baby pulls up to stand, is that sometimes - they can’t remember how they got there, so getting down feels really tricky to them!

They might cry out for help and when you go to rescue them, they may just pop right back up and stand again.

What I recommend is that during your child’s awake time, PRACTICE sitting down from standing. Help them bend their legs and eventually sit. The repetition of this will be crucial in helping your child master this skill.

So while it may seem like your baby is going through yet another sleep regression, think of it more as a sleep hiccup. Because once your baby has mastered their crawling and pulling up to stand, they will go back to sleeping well as long as you have stayed consistent with them.

If things have never been consistent with your baby’s sleep and you just need help - I have a Baby Sleep Course that covers everything you need to know to get your baby sleeping through the night!