8 - month sleep regression if you know me or have followed me for some time you'll know
that I really don't like the word regression why because it's not really a regression just
because sleep becomes difficult or hindered doesn't mean they're actually regressing your
tongues never regressing they're moving forwards they're actually progressing and because of their
progress and because of the progressions I'm going to talk about in a minute and it can cause
disruption to sleep especially if you're not ahead of the game and aware of what they need and what
they need you to help them with and then your sleep can be hindered during this progression
as progressive leaps that they're taking so I really don't like the word regression it's so
negative and not really true and so let's have a look at what's going on at this age and why we
see an impact sometimes on sleep at this age which gives everyone this phrase about the eight-month
sleep regression first of all I really want to urge you to not preempt it expect it and look
for it because actually you can get so hung up on it that you start to think yeah that's what
it is that's what's going on and then you label it and it's almost like an excuse and don't expect it
don't preempt it don't assume it will hit you and just take what happening work through it and don't
read more into it than there really is so what is happening okay first of all their daytime sleep is
going to be shifting around this time so if you've had little one from sort of six months that's been
having three good naps a day and you've gone into good nap routine and things are looking
good and then you get this eight month thing going on and you're like napping is becoming a nightmare
well maybe you never did get it off to a great start maybe it's always been a nightmare um it's
important to know that eight months things are starting to shift a bit their sleep needs in the
day are starting to shift a bit and like I said if we on top of that and if we are not meeting
those needs and accommodating that sleep when it's needed you can end up with the repercussion which
is disturbed night sleep so-called regression and so it's being aware of that daytime sleep
how much does your child need when do they need it and are you meeting that need for them they will
not automatically just tell you when they need it and not off to sleep brilliantly as you know by
now so I have a look at that now what's happening at eight months is that that night somebody that
daytime sleep is gonna become gradually gonna move towards a drop down to two naps over the next
couple of months so that eight months you start to see a shift whatever you do don't do an immediate
drop don't go oh okay we were doing three nuts well now do two that's it it's not that cut and
dry it's a transition it takes time and it will usually be over that eight to ten month period
that this starts to happen and you might take two steps forward and three steps back and it might be
a bit stop and start for a while so take each day as it comes some days your child might need three
naps some day - some days - in an early bed or you know if there's all sorts going on there well
that's another episode but have a look at that and also bear in mind that they're wakeful windows so
that's the period of time that they can manage to be awake in one stretch that's also growing
and you may already be overestimating it many parents do overestimate how long their little
one can be awake in one stretch before they need to sleep why do we overestimate it because the
little ones give us the impression that they're fine and they don't start yawning and I rubbing
and fussing until they're already overtired or on the brink of being overtired so don't wait for
those signs don't wait for that before you pick [ __ ] down and just because a child appears to
be fine or a baby appears to be fine and not in need of a sleep yet doesn't mean it's true and
as I say you need one eye on the baby and one eye on the time and then you'll probably hit it just
right and find that magic window where settling is a lot easier for them so their wake for window
will begin to stretch the amount of sleep they need in the day it's not so much that it's gonna
come down rapidly but it's gonna shift in how it's spaced out so instead of three naps they'll start
to move towards two but those two will be longer quite a bit more solid stable naps rather than
perhaps having the sort of a cat nap or shorter ones so things are on the shift and that is what's
gonna affect the night's sleep if you're not meeting those daytime sleep needs if your child
is tired from lack of day sleep or maybe they're getting enough but it's in one chunk or you know
there's a period whether I wait too long anything like that will impact the night's sleep which is
why people think they get a regression so the next thing I want to share with you is that habits are
sticking now where before six months you know if you were doing something you could you could sort
of slightly shift that habit steer that into a new direction things now are starting to stick
and become more of a thing for instance the dummy dummy that you may have been able to get rid of
before they're gonna become a lot more clingy to it now they're gonna become a lot more reliant
on these things that are habits because they're becoming more aware wiser you know developing
little personalities and starting to hang on to things that they get used to that give them
comfort and if those things are good conducive comforters brilliant great carry on there's no
problem there you know a little love a cuddle lead how do you think silky things like something like
that that they have control of that's absolutely fine enjoy but if it's something that you know is
not really a good sustainable useful thing and they're clinging on to it then you really want
to start thinking about getting rid of that moving on to something else that actually you
can use for the long term so habits are starting to stick make sure they are good ones and other
things that are in there sort of habits things that you want to stick the good ones are things
like having a really nice bedtime routine having those steps you do in the lead-up to bed I'm those
same steps in the same order every single night habits like having a setting process at bedtime
so the things you do you've got your routine and then it's night-night and then you pick your baby
down and the way you say goodnight and put your baby down and that's that's a habit and it's a
good one you want you won't have a good one there so that they aren't being put down already asleep
and they are practicing putting themself to sleep maybe with your assistance and that's fine that's
okay but have something that you're doing it's it's getting them on the right path and so you'd
have it your night response so when you know when your baby wakes in the night make sure that you
know what the response looks like that you don't go in with something different every time you know
one minute it's a feed the next minute is a cuddle and you refuse the feed and the next thing you're
going into a full-on circus show is a rig and this happens make sure you know what your night
response looks like it might be there oh okay well at this point I go in and I feed but the
other wake-ups I go in and I give a cuddle or a pat and a reassuring just your shirt or whatever
it looks like for you but make sure you know what that is and that you the other caregivers
in in your child's life whoever goes that the the baby gets the same thing every time and that's so
important not only sit for their learning and for their development and for their ability to go back
to sleep but and it also it's kinder it's kind of so they know what to expect and they're not
confused and going wrong well last time you today so no I want that if you're consistent they know
where they stand which is actually kinda on them but also for their security it gives them a real
sense of security knowing where they stand and knowing what to expect and knowing that they're
gonna get that steady hand from you they're gonna get a consistent steady response they might not
always like it wait till your children are older you know they might not always like what you tell
them but if they can rely on you to always be consistent with your response and not float and
waver in the wind with your response this it might not they'll certainly feel safe and secure which
is really important for their secure attachment and general security and so the third thing I
want to share with you is that at this age around this eight-month period another thing that can
impact things is their awareness for where they are and where they're not where you are and where
you're not is also really coming together so they start to know when you're there and when you're
not there when you're in the room when you leave the room when you you know they're becoming a lot
more aware of this and this is why again at this age you can see it a bit of clinginess like well
wait don't go stay with me and that's all very natural it's all fine and and sometimes the the
slightest sign of a baby uttering any kind of new just happiness or unhappiness with you leaving the
room people think oh my gosh separation anxiety anxiety is a strong word I don't think perhaps
know just getting used to something more curious nor aware it doesn't immediately mean separation
anxiety that's a sound so strong so let's not label all these things so harshly come on and
your baby is going to become more aware of when you're there when you're not there and you want
to give them that room to explore to crawl over in a baby group and and you know interact with
another child when they look over their shoulder they can see you're still there they know you're
still close by you don't just disappear you know it's it's really healthy exploration that you
want to encourage and and that reassurance it's okay I'm still here and okay I go I come back I
go I come back you know and you can even play little games like this with them on the floor
and yeah knowing that they have that heightened awareness they're a lot more aware of what's going
on around them at this age as well so lots is going on they're developing they're progressing
and because of all these developments if we're not moving with them and if we're not keeping up
with that and we're trying to keep them on the schedule they were on or they're nothing they
were doing or the whatever before then they end up tired they out of sorts they end up not really
knowing what's going on where they stand and then you get disturbed night sleep and we start to then
look at you know thinking that that's some kind of a regression it's really not a regression at
all I hope this helps you at this eight-month stage it can be really challenging just know
that actually even though right now it feels like it's your life it's not in a matter of weeks it's
all going to change again so try and just keep up with what your baby needs from you right now
and it will all be fine and if you know other moms of the dads other parents caregivers who
are at this stage with their little ones please share this with them you never know there may be
just one little nugget in here that just changes everything for them and we want to help as many
parents navigate this whole thing as smoothly as possible okay subscribe to the YouTube channel
you'll get updates on when we release new episodes and do have a look for the link that will take you
to a nice freebie that you can download you can print that will help you on this topic
you