A guide to 8 month old wake windows
Having an 8 month old baby is such an exciting time; they’re learning so much! In order to learn and grow, they still need lots of sleep but also enough time to be awake. This article is your guide to 8 month old wake windows.
Please remember you should contact a qualified baby sleep consultant if you become worried about your baby’s sleep schedule or development. They can provide you with advice and guidance.
This article includes:
- Your baby at 8 months old
- How much sleep does an 8 month old need?
- How much daytime sleep for an 8 month old?
- 8 month old sleep schedule
- 8 month sleep regression
- Can you sleep train an 8 month old baby?
- 8 month old wake windows
- 8 month old awake time
Your baby at 8 months old
Watching your little one grow and learn is so exciting. We’re sure you’re keeping up with every developmental milestone they meet.
It’s common for babies to start crawling at around 9 months old, but some may have started early. At 6 months, you may have noticed your baby start rocking back and forth; this was them preparing to crawl.
You might also have noticed your baby using all of their strength to pull themselves up onto furniture. This is all in preparation for your baby starting to walk; how exciting! Soon enough, you’ll be chasing around after them.
Your baby probably spends a fair bit of time babbling away to themselves and to you. At 8 months old, your baby may start trying to copy your sound patterns. This means that you may be able to recognise more words they’re saying. Teaching your baby new words is very rewarding; what will be next?!
Babies learn fine motor skills, which allow them to grip items. By 8 months old, you may notice that your baby can pass items from one hand to another more accurately. They also may start trying to point at objects of interest.
How much sleep does an 8 month old need?
Looking after an 8 month old is tiring! When they’re asleep, you’ll have more time to catch up on jobs and hopefully relax! 8 month old babies still require between 12 and 16 hours of sleep daily. This includes nighttime sleep at around 9 – 12 hours per night.
Some babies need lots of sleep, while others can be just fine with less. As long as your baby isn’t sleeping much more or less than the average, there’s usually no need to worry. You’ll already have an idea how much sleep your baby needs, even from months ago during the newborn wake windows.
How much daytime sleep for an 8 month old?
Every baby is different, and while some may be fine with shorter naps, others will need longer naps. At 8 months old, your baby will likely have just two naps daily. These naps may be shorter or last up to 2 hours.
You should try to avoid naps that go too far over a couple of hours, as these can impact night sleep. If your baby is napping for longer, you may need to introduce more nighttime sleep. It’s important that your baby has enough awake time to develop skills.
8 month old sleep schedule
Most babies at this age have just two naps per day. Some babies may still have 3 naps, two naps and one short nap.
After the one-year mark, it may be appropriate to drop this to just one nap per day. You will know when it’s time for the next nap transition. There’s lots of information available regarding nap transitions, so don’t worry.
Establishing the perfect baby sleep schedule is hard; after all, they change very often at this stage. We would recommend working with your baby to find a routine that works for your family. Here is a sample night sleep schedule & 2 nap schedule for an 8 month old, with 8 month old wake windows:
- 7:00 am: Awake
- 9:30 am: First nap (morning nap)
- 11:30 am: Awake time
- 2:00 pm: Second nap
- 3:30 pm: Wake time
- 7:00 pm: Begin the bedtime routine
- 7:30 pm: Time for bed
This sample may not work for everyone, so feel free to adapt it to suit your baby’s sleep needs. You’ll know your baby well by this point, so you can see when they’re sleepy or not interested in napping. If your baby is staying awake or not falling asleep at nap time, you may need to alter their awake times.
All babies have different sleep schedules, so try not to compare your baby with another. Sometimes babies can struggle to stay awake. If this happens, you could introduce a slightly earlier bedtime or a short nap towards the end of the day. This last nap should be around 30 minutes so they can still get a good sleep at night.
8 month sleep regression
Sleep regressions are often seen as a negative, and we can understand why. Your baby isn’t sleeping, so you won’t be either. However, sleep regressions are usually associated with your baby meeting developmental milestones!
If your baby has learnt a new skill, like moving around or babbling, they’ll be practising it at all hours! This can lead to them waking themselves up. Some sleep regressions are common, such as the 6 month sleep regression.
An 8 month sleep regression can occur. An 8 month old sleep regression will mean longer 8 month old wake windows and shorter sleeping periods. You will usually be able to recognise this due to difficulty sleeping, more nighttime waking or early morning wake-ups. Some babies may already be sleeping through the night, which can make night wakings more difficult.
Teething
Teething is another reason why your baby may experience an 8 month sleep regression. Signs of teething include: red cheeks, increased saliva, and being harder to calm.
It’s important to remember that any sleep regression isn’t going to last forever. They can last different times but are generally over by 6 weeks. If your baby wakes up crying, try to check on them secretly. This gives you peace of mind and means you’re not giving in to separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety
Separation anxiety can occur after the 6 month mark. This may be characterised by:
- Crying when you leave the room
- Being more clingy
- Needing a parent nearby when sleeping
- Waking and crying in the night
Separation anxiety can occur in children up to 3 years, but most children do grow out of it. Contact your doctor if you are worried about separation anxiety in your child.
Can you sleep train an 8 month old baby?
Sleep training is typically for babies around the 4 to 6 month mark. However, you can still sleep-train an 8 month old baby if necessary according to specific 8 month old wake windows and sleep windows. Sleep training involves teaching your baby that they can fall asleep without you.
There are a few sleep training methods you can use. These can include:
- Leaving your baby to cry
- Sitting on a chair and gradually moving it out the room
- Baby starts crying, pick them up to soothe and then put them back down
There is no set time for your baby to be sleep trained. It all depends on the method you use and how well your baby reacts to the change. Speak to a sleep specialist if you are worried about your baby’s sleep. They can provide sleep tips and build your child’s schedule.
8 month old wake windows
8 month old wake windows are the perfect time to get to know your little one and teach them new skills. There are so many fun activities that you can do together. As your baby gets older, you move away from the eat-sleep routine and even have time to play!
Meal times
At 8 months old, your baby should be eating more solid food. It’s a great idea to carry finger foods around, such as rice cakes. During your baby’s wake windows, you’ll need to ensure there’s enough time to fit eating in. You also need to change them during wake windows.
Despite your baby starting to eat solid foods, they should continue having milk as the main meal. This is the case for both babies fed by breast milk and formula-fed babies. Milk should be given after the solid foods so your baby has a chance to learn. If bottle feeding, be aware that your baby may be too full to finish the milk.
8 month old wake window
How much awake time does your baby need? Your baby’s wake windows will be around 2.5 to 3.5 hours long. That’s quite a big difference compared to 7 month wake windows. The last wake window is the longest so that your baby can prepare for bedtime and a good night’s sleep.
These awake windows are the perfect time to play games or head outdoors. Anything that allows your baby to learn during an awake window is highly encouraged. Be sure to stick to age-appropriate awake windows so your baby doesn’t get over-tired. Find out more about wake windows by age.
8 month old awake time
So, now that your baby is 8 months old, what can you do together during wake windows?
Head outdoors
Going outside for a walk or even in the garden will do wonders for your little one during awake time. They’re currently learning to point and talk, so this gives them lots of opportunities to identify new objects. It’s important to interact with your child when they’re showing you something, as this gives them a lot of encouragement.
Heading outside is exciting for your child as it is a new environment. It’s also a great idea to support your mental and physical well-being.
Get a walker
If you haven’t already purchased a walker for your baby, then now is the perfect time! Your baby will try to figure out how they can get moving, and walkers are great for encouragement. Walkers are great even for smaller babies due to their sensory benefits.
Games
Playing games with your little one during awake time is so much fun. By 8 months old, they’ve probably started sitting up. This means you can play games such as rolling a ball to one another. This can also help to encourage your baby to get on the move.
Play some music
Your baby is currently finding their voice and will likely enjoy listening to some music. Music allows your baby to learn new rhythms and words. It might even give them a chance to have a little dance.
If you want to enhance the experience even further, why not introduce their own musical instrument? Babies love rattles, xylophones, drums and anything else that makes a cool noise! Giving them an instrument means they can play along to their favourite songs. This is a great way to release some energy during awake windows.
Reading
Reading is such a valuable skill and one that babies really enjoy learning. Soon enough, they’ll have a favourite book! Books can help to introduce your baby to new words, sounds and phrases. Your baby may like to help you turn the page, which can help build their fine motor skills. Reading is also a great activity to introduce into the bedtime routine.
We hope that this guide to 8 month old wake windows has been useful. We bet you can’t wait to see your little one grow and learn all of these fantastic new skills!
Hey there, I’m Abigail!
In 2022, I graduated with a First Class Degree in Marketing and since then, I have been working as a blogger and Marketing Assistant. Before heading to university, I also achieved a BTEC in Children’s Play, Learning and Development.
I have been blogging for over four years and have covered many topics during this time. My focus has been on pregnancy, babies, sleep and baby name ideas.
I am passionate about learning new things and helping others. I hope that you find my blogs useful and informative. See you in the next article!