Rather than sleep most of the day away like she did just a few months ago, your bubbly, curious 8-month-old is likely staying awake for much longer stretches and snoozing for longer at night. But she still needs to log a lot of sleep overall, otherwise she’ll end up overtired and cranky.
While no single nap and bedtime routine works for every baby, most 8-month-olds have fairly similar sleep needs overall. The 8- to 10-month period is also a time when sleep disruptions can strike, even for little ones who are normally pretty solid snoozers.
So, what kind of sleep schedule works best for an 8-month-old, and what can you do when a sleep disturbance sends her routine off course? Here’s everything you need to know.
How much should an 8-month-old sleep?
At 8 months, your baby is probably awake for much longer stretches compared to her newborn days. But she still needs quite a bit of shut-eye. Most 8-month-olds sleep for around 14 hours within a 24-hour period, though anything between 12 to 16 hours is considered normal.
Usually, babies this age can snooze for nine to 12 hours at night and three to four hours during the day. Daytime sleep is usually broken up into a morning and an afternoon nap.
Sample sleep schedule for an 8-month-old
Most babies have established a fairly solid sleep schedule by 8 months. Though different schedules work better for different babies (and their families!), most 8-month-olds tend to take both a mid-morning and mid-afternoon nap, and sleep for nine to 11 hours overnight.
However, another sleep regression can occur this month (more on that below), which can interfere with your baby's routine.
Wondering what your 8-month-old’s day should look like? Here's a sample schedule for naps and nighttime sleep, assuming your little one takes two naps a day that are between one and two hours long.
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- 7:00 a.m.: Awake
- 9:30 a.m.: Nap
- 11:30 a.m.: Awake
- 2:00 p.m.: Nap
- 3:30 p.m.: Awake
- 7:00 p.m.: Bedtime routine
- 7:30 p.m.: Bedtime
What is the 8-month sleep regression?
At this point in your parenting journey, you might already be familiar with sleep regressions — temporary blips in your baby's routine where she wakes up more frequently during the night or has a harder time settling down to sleep.
Sleep regressions can strike when a baby is mastering a big developmental milestone. Learning a new skill — and constantly wanting to practice it! — can leave your little one restless.
The first big sleep regression tends to hit around 4 months, but regressions can also occur at 6 months and between 8 and 10 months as older babies get the hang of crawling or pulling up, or even work on saying their first word.
The good news is that this new pattern won’t last. Your baby’s sleep should get back to normal once she gets a handle on her new skill, provided you stay consistent with her sleep routine and don’t introduce new habits when she wakes throughout the night (like rocking her back to sleep).
Can you sleep train an 8-month-old?
By 8 months, babies are generally capable of sleeping through the night without eating or being soothed in other ways. (But of course, it’s normal for babies to need some extra nighttime nurturing when they’re sick or teething, and you should check with your pediatrician before night weaning.)
If your little one isn’t quite there yet and you’re ready for both of you to start getting some more sleep, you might consider sleep training.
Pediatricians will usually give you the green light to try sleep training once a baby is between 4 and 6 months, when she’s developmentally capable of going through the night without eating and can handle the crying that comes with learning to self-soothe.
Of course, it’s perfectly okay to sleep train when your baby is 8 months or older. Just keep in mind that training might be harder and take a little longer these days.
By now, your little one has likely come to really love her midnight snacks and snuggles, and she might protest more when it’s time to give them up. But as long as you stay consistent with your sleep training plan (there are a few different methods you can try, such as cry it out and Ferber), she’ll eventually get the hang of it.
8-month-old sleep tips
Even though your 8-month-old needs plenty of sleep, getting her to settle down can be tough. These strategies may help.
- Have a predictable bedtime routine. Your 8-month-old's bedtime routine might include a final feeding, bath and relaxing activities like reading, snuggling or singing a song together. The point is to help her wind down and send the signal that it's time to get ready for sleep.
- Make sure she's getting enough sleep overall. Overtired babies have a harder time settling down and are more likely to wake throughout the night. Make sure your baby’s bedtime is early enough for her to log the shut-eye she needs each night. If you’re dealing with a regression and she’s waking often or not napping as well, try to make up for the lost sleep by putting her to bed a little earlier or offering more daytime sleep.
- But don’t let her sleep too much. Babies need a lot of sleep, but it’s possible to overdo it. Capping your little one’s daytime sleep at four hours might help her sleep better at night.
- Try to limit on-the-go naps. Your baby will nap better if she has a comfy, consistent place to rest — and getting enough sleep during the day will help her sleep better at night. It’s fine for the occasional nap to happen in the stroller, but try not to make it a habit.
- Above all, be consistent. Your 8-month-old is prone to sleep disturbances. It’s fine to respond to your little one’s wake-ups with a quick verbal reassurance or rub on the back, if you’d like. But avoid doing anything she might come to see as a fun new nighttime activity, like rocking her or taking her out of her crib to play. Those kinds of habits can be tough to break.
8-month-old sleep problems
Even though 8-month-olds are capable of snoozing through the night, it's completely normal to hit an occasional rough patch. Some common sleep snags include:
- The 8- to 10-month sleep regression. Babies in the 8- to 10-month range are prone to sleep regressions as they master new skills like crawling, pulling up and saying their first words. Separation anxiety can also factor in here.
- Teething. An emerging pearly white can trigger discomfort and night wakings, along with other symptoms like drooling, rashes on the cheeks or chin, irritability and ear pulling or cheek rubbing. If teething rings don't seem to help, ask your pediatrician about offering infant acetaminophen or infant ibuprofen (which you can give after 6 months).
- Not falling asleep on her own. At this point, your little one doesn’t need you to rock or feed her to sleep, but old habits can die hard, especially if she’s in the throes of separation anxiety. Your baby might protest when you put her down drowsy but awake, but over time, she’ll learn how to self-soothe.
- Wanting a midnight snack. Even though 8-month-olds don’t have to eat in the middle of the night, a baby who is used to a 3 a.m. feeding might not want to give it up on her own. If she’s not quite ready to put a stop to the wee-hour snacking but you are (and she isn't truly hungry), sleep training might be in order.
- Waking up at the crack of dawn. Babies are naturally early risers. But if your 8-month-old is regularly up before dawn, some adjustments might be in order, like tweaking her schedule or making her room more light- or sound-proof.
- Other temporary disruptions. Illnesses, travel and big changes to your family's routine (like going back to work) can all impact your baby’s sleep. But once life gets back to normal, her snoozing should too.
Make an effort to stick with a predictable nap and bedtime schedule, even when the inevitable sleep disruptions pop up. It’ll help your little one get the rest she needs to feel her best during the day — so you can both snooze soundly at night.
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