Surviving the 8-Month Sleep Regression (Without Losing Your Mind)

The 8-month sleep regression can feel like a storm, but it doesn't have to derail everything. In this episode, we break down the causes and share our best strategies for surviving it.

Sally Woods & Bec Maher
May 06, 2025

Hi Nappers 👋

This week on Nap Trapped, we’re tackling one of the biggest sleep challenges for parents of babies around 8 months: the 8-month sleep regression.

If your little one is suddenly waking more frequently at night, resisting naps, or you’re seeing more separation anxiety, this episode is for you.

We’re breaking down what’s happening developmentally during this time, how to manage it, and most importantly, how to get your baby (and yourself!) back on track without throwing everything out the window.

👇 Listen to Episode 10 Now
✅ Spotify
✅ Apple Podcasts
✅ YouTube

🎙️ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✔️ The main causes of the 8-month sleep regression
✔️ Why the 3-to-2 nap transition can make sleep harder (and when to make the switch)
✔️ How teething and mobility milestones impact sleep
✔️ What to do when separation anxiety peaks
✔️ Practical tips to keep your baby’s sleep foundation strong

READ ON BELOW FOR THE BASE SCHEDULES WE RECOMMEND TO COMBAT THE 8 MONTH SLEEP REGRESSION 🔽

👀 Next Up: Does Sleep Training Start at Nap Time or Bedtime?

In our next episode, we’ll walk you through when to start making change with your baby’s sleep and why.

✨ Coming next Tuesday!

We’re sharing more and more of our resources we discuss on the episodes as a way to help our wonderful (almost 3000!) subscribers!

Here’s the suggested schedule options from this latest episode:

💤 8–10 Month Sleep Schedule Options (on 2 Naps)

Time	Schedule Option 1	Schedule Option 2
6:45–7:00am	Up + Milk	Up + Milk
8:00am	Breakfast	Breakfast
9:30–11:00am	Nap 1	Nap 1 (shorter) – 9:30–10:30am
12:00pm	Big lunch (carb + protein – e.g. chicken casserole + rice/pasta)	—
11:45am	—	Big lunch (carb + protein – e.g. chicken casserole + rice/pasta)
1:30pm	Milk	Milk (1:00pm)
2:00–3:30pm	Nap 2	Nap 2 – 1:30–3:00pm
5:00pm	Dinner	Dinner (earlier) – 4:30pm
5:30pm	Bath	Bath
6:00pm	Rough and tumble play	Rough and tumble play
6:30pm	Milk	Milk (or 6:30pm for 10mo+)
7:00pm	Bedtime (7:30pm if baby is 10mo – shift milk to 7pm)	Bedtime: 6:30pm (8–9mo) or 7:00pm (10mo+)

🔥 Ep09 Recap: The Bedtime Routine We Swear By

Last week, we shared the science behind a bedtime routine that works. If you missed it, don’t worry! You can catch up right here:

💡 Missed it? Catch up here: Listen to Ep09

💬 How’s Your Baby Handling the 8-Month Sleep Regression?

We’d love to hear how your baby is navigating this stage! Drop a comment where you listen to the pod or reply to this email with your thoughts and questions.

💤 Sally & Bec
💌 The Nap Trapped Podcast

P.S. Know a parent struggling with sleep regression? Forward this email to them. Help is on the way!

📸 Follow Sally & Bec for daily baby sleep tips:

Sally (The Sleep Concierge): TikTok | Instagram
Bec (The Sleep Centre): Instagram

_{If you're in Australia and need support, you can contact}_{PANDA’s National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline}_at_{1300 726 306}_{. If you're listening from another country, please reach out to a postpartum support service in your area. You're never alone, and there’s always help available.}

Until next time,

💤 Sally & Bec
💌 The Nap Trapped Podcast