The 8-10 Month Sleep Regression

Babies are crawling, learning words, pulling up and cruising at this age! It’s an exciting time but these motor developments tend to make sleep go a bit wonky.  Let’s chat through the 8-10 month progression of development and how it affects sleep.

What Is A Sleep Regression?

This is where our child’s typical patterns of sleep will be temporarily “off” and disrupted. They are marked by huge leaps cognitively, physically, and emotionally.

It can show up as increased night wakings, early morning wakes, short or skipped naps, difficulty falling asleep independently or bedtime protests. Even babies who previously slept consistently at night and for naps can struggle during this phase. The typical sleep regressions are 4 months, 8-10 months, 12 months, 18 months and 2 years.

Why the 8 to 10 Month Sleep Regression Happens

1. Major Cognitive Development

Between 8 and 10 months, object permanence is emerging, which means your baby now understands that people and things exist even when they can’t see them which means when you leave the room, baby knows you’re gone. Babies also start recognizing routines more clearly, which can be a double-edged sword. A consistent bedtime routine is helpful, but if falling asleep becomes too dependent on a specific pattern (like rocking or feeding), your baby may struggle to recreate that overnight.

2. Physical Milestones: Crawling, Pulling to Stand, Cruising

This regression is typically tied to motor milestones and when they master it they want to practice…. Constantly! Even at 2am! It’s very common for babies to pop up to standing in the crib and cry because they don’t know how to get back down, roll or crawl around instead of settling and wake fully between sleep cycles.

3. Language Development

Babies start experimenting with sounds, babbling more intentionally, and even saying their first words. This language explosion can temporarily disrupt sleep. You may notice babbling or chatting during night wakings, increased vocal protesting at bedtime and/or short naps because the brain is on overdrive.

4. Separation Anxiety Peaks

Separation anxiety pops up between 8 and 10 months. Your baby has formed strong attachments and now prefers familiar caregivers. Sleep, which requires separation, can feel especially hard. Signs separation anxiety may be affecting sleep: Crying the moment you leave the room, needing extra reassurance at bedtime, waking shortly after being put down and/or difficulty settling with another caregiver

5. Schedule Changes

At this age, most babies have moved from a three nap schedule to a two nap schedule which means wake windows have increased and schedule needs to be adjusted.

How Long Does the 8–10 Month Sleep Regression Last?

For most babies, this regression lasts 2 to 4 weeks. If sleep disruptions stretch beyond four weeks, it’s often less about development and more about learned sleep associations or a schedule mismatch. The good news is that these can be adjusted with consistency and support.

How to Support Your Baby Through the 8–10 Month Sleep Regression

1. Plenty of Practice their new skill during the day

The more we get the motor expenditure out during the day, the less likely they will practice it at night. Lets give lots of opportunity for floor time, encouraging crawling, pulling to stand, sitting independently, and practicing sitting down from standing so they don’t feel “stuck” in the standing position. Recommend even doing at least one practice session in the crib with their new skill (not near a sleep time but when they are fed, not sleepy and happy) which means it less likely they will do it at night.

2. Keep a Consistent, Predictable Routine

Routines provide consistency, are calming, and helps baby know what to expect. A sample routine would go something like this: Bottle/nurse, bath, pajamas, diaper, bottle/nurse, book and lay down into the crib awake Consistency is key. Try not to add unsustainable steps to the routine as it makes it harder long term for them to fall asleep and stay asleep.

3. Support Independent Sleep

If your baby already has some independent sleep skills, stay consistent in your response. Try not to add steps that are unsustainable as these extras become the new pattern of sleep which makes it harder to go back to prior patterns once we move through the regression. That said, support doesn’t mean ignoring your baby. It means responding thoughtfully like using "The Pause" where we wait briefly before intervening to allow self-settling.

4. Respond to Separation Anxiety with Calm Confidence

Your baby needs to know you’re still there but also that sleep is safe. Try to strike a balance between reassurance and consistency. Couple thoughts to help with separation anxiety is sending a few extra minutes connecting before bed, using a consistent phrase or song when you leave and continue letting baby fall asleep in their sleep space consistently. Babies feel our calm energy and if we feel calm your baby feels it too.

When to Get Extra Support

If sleep feels like it’s unraveling completely, or if you’re exhausted and unsure how to move forward, support can make a world of difference. With consistency, a supportive approach, and realistic expectations, we can bring back consistent sleep. If you are looking for 1:1 support with your child’s sleep, lets schedule a no strings attached Discovery Call.

Sleep well!