You may find your 8 Month Old baby sleep schedule consolidating by now. Your baby is awake for longer hours in the day and sleeps for a longer stretch at night. They are growing and need to login good sleep patterns. Most parents try to keep their baby active and awake during the day with the hope that they will sleep better at night. But you must remember that being active and awake during the day might make babies more tired and crankier. An overtired and cranky baby finds it challenging to settle in the night.
Though the sleep schedule and patterns differ from baby to baby, most of the 8 month old follow an identical pattern. You need to understand which sleep patterns might work for your little one. In this article, we shall discuss more the sleep schedule of an 8 Month Old.
In This Article
- How Much Should an 8 Month Old Sleep?
- Can You Sleep Train an 8 Month Old Baby?
- 8 Month Old Baby Sample Sleep Schedule
- What is 8 Month Sleep Regression?
- Top Sleep Problems Expected From an 8 Month Old Baby
- Top 5 Tips to Help Your Eight Month Old Baby Sleep
- When Should You Consider Calling a Doctor?
- FAQ’s
How Much Should an 8 Month Old Sleep?
By the 8th month, most babies might have transitioned from three to two naps daily. 14 hours of sleep in a 24 hour day is ideal for your little one. However, anywhere between 12 to 16 hours are regular.
Your 8 Month old may sleep for 14 hours stretch at night. The daytime naps shall be one morning and one afternoon nap of 30 minutes to two hours.
Can You Sleep Train an 8 Month Old Baby?
You may find that your 8 Month Old baby can now sleep for 12 hours at a stretch during the night without waking up for feeding. But, if you feel your little one is not settling well to sleep, you may try sleep training your little one.
Check with your pediatrician before the sleep training to ensure they are developmentally capable enough to accept the training. Most doctors suggest sleep training from 4 to 6 months, allowing the babies to learn to self-soothe in the early days.
If you are new to sleep training, it is still possible to sleep train the babies. But it might take a little longer for the babies to settle. There are several sleep training methods that can come to your rescue including Cry it out and Ferber methods. Choose the one that best suits your little one and the family.
[Read : Sleep Training a Baby]
8 Month Old Baby Sample Sleep Schedule
By the 8th month, most babies would have learned to sleep overnight, and they may take two naps in the daytime and sleep for 12 hours at night. Beware of the 8th month sleep regression. Here is the sample sleep schedule of an 8 month old.
| Sample Time | Awake/Nap/Bedtime |
| 07:00 AM | Stays Awake |
| 09:30 AM | Nap Time |
| 11:30 AM | Stays Awake |
| 02:00 PM | Nap Time |
| 03:30 PM | Stays Awake |
| 07:00 PM | Bedtime Routine |
| 07:30 PM | Bedtime |
Please note that the above sample assumes that the baby is on two naps during the daytime, which lasts from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
What is 8 Month Sleep Regression?
By this time, most of the parents would have experienced sleep regressions in their babies. Sleep regression is a sudden change or disturbance in the sleep pattern of babies where they find it challenging to settle down to sleep at night.
When your little one is mastering the new developmental milestones, you may find that they are having difficulty settling down to sleep. That is why most of the most significant regressions happen in the 4th month, 6th month, 8th month, and 10th month when your child develops rapidly both physically and mentally.
Though sleep regression could be frustrating, the good news is that it won’t last long. It is just a phase and shall pass on quickly. Make sure you continue to encourage your child to sleep well. Do not develop any new activities when your child wakes up at night. Stick to the sleep routine.
Top Sleep Problems Expected From an 8 Month Old Baby
It is normal for the 8 month old to sleep continuously through the night. But you may also notice some hindrances coming along the way. The following are some of the sleep problems that you can expect from your 8 month old baby.
1. Sleep Regressions
The 8th to 10th month sleep regressions could be hitting your baby harder than you think. When the babies try to master the skill of crawling, walking, and speaking their first words, they tend to sleep less. Separation anxiety could also contribute more to it.
2. Teething
Teething can create discomfort and wake little ones in the night. Rashes, drooling, ear pulling, and cheek rubbing are possible. If the teething ring is not helping you well enough, reach out to the ped and get them to prescribe some medications.
3. Separation Anxiety
If your baby is not cooperating with sleep training and separation anxiety hits them hard, they might find it difficult to fall asleep.
[Read : Separation Anxiety]
4. Midnight Hunger Pangs
Feeling hungry and craving for midnight snack could keep your baby awake. The babies do not require the midnight snack, but what if a baby used to feed in the wee hours does not want to give up the habit. That is where sleep training could give a helping hand.
4. Discomfort
If you find that your 8 Month old is waking up earlier than they should, you should check for the sleep environment and make the necessary changes, including the light and soundproofing of the room.
5. Changes in Routine
If you are on a trip, any significant changes in the family can bring in a drastic change in the sleep pattern of your little one. Illness could also contribute to less sleep.
Top 5 Tips to Help Your Eight Month Old Baby Sleep
Though your babies might suffer from various sleep problems, you can always lend them a helping hand and bring them out of it. Here is how you can do that.
- Ensure that you consistently follow the bedtime routine. From giving a bath, dressing up in pyjamas, singing lullabies, reading a book to good night brushing, follow everything even if your little one is not ready for the routine. Make them understand that it’s time to sleep.
- An overtired baby becomes cranky and finds it a great challenge to sleep. Make sure your baby is sleeping for appropriate hours for a day to calm them down. If your baby is going through sleep regressions, try to put them early to bed to compensate for lost sleep hours.
- Don’t let your baby sleep for longer hours during the day, which may affect their night’s sleep.
- If your baby wants to sleep during the day, it is ok to let them sleep. Having a good sleep during the day will help them sleep better. Also, ensure that the sleeping place is consistent and comfortable for them.
- When you find that your little one is consistently waking up at night, make sure not to develop any new habits or activities that could be fun for your little one. A small verbal assurance or a pat on their back will calm them down.
[Read : Establishing a Bedtime Routine For Babies]
When Should You Consider Calling a Doctor?
When your little one finds it challenging to settle down no matter what, you can reach out to your doctor and get their suggestions.
If you have a baby, you probably know the difficulty of getting them to sleep and staying asleep. Achieving a healthy 8 month old baby sleep schedule is about understanding what your little one needs. Once you are able to get a grip on what they and their body need, you should be able to get them into a routine and help them sleep well.
FAQ’s
1. What Should the Number of Naps and Nap Duration For an 8 Month Old Baby be?
An 8 Month Old baby can sleep for 14 hours a day, and it may also range between 12 to 16 hours of sleep. The nap duration may be divided into 12 hours of sleep at night and four hours during the day. The daytime nap may range between 30 minutes to 2 hours.
2. What Are the Average Daytime Sleep Hours For an 8 Month Old Baby?
The Average daytime sleep for an 8 month old baby shall be two naps of 30 minutes to two hours.
3. What Are the Average Nighttime Sleep Hours For an 8 Month Old Baby?
The Average nighttime sleep hours for an 8 month old baby shall be 12 hours.
4. At a Stretch, How Much Should an 8 Month Old Baby Sleep at Night?
At a stretch, an 8 month old can sleep for 11 hours.
5. What Are the Average Total Sleep Hours Per Day For an 8 Month Old Baby?
An 8 month old baby requires an average of 14 hours of sleep ranging from 12 to 16 hours of sleep in a time period of 24 hours.
Read Also: 9 Month Old Baby Sleep Schedule – Sample Schedule, Problems and Tips
