By Angelica Videla — Certified Baby and Toddler Sleep Consultant, London | Supporting families across the UK, Europe, US, and Australia
Quick Answer
The 8–10 month sleep regression is triggered by a major developmental leap — your baby is learning to crawl, pull to stand, and understand object permanence. It typically lasts 3 to 6 weeks, but sleep often does not return to baseline without addressing the sleep associations that have developed alongside it.
What is the 8–10 month sleep regression?
Between 8 and 10 months, your baby goes through one of the biggest developmental leaps of their first year. They are learning to crawl, pull themselves to standing, cruise along furniture, and beginning to understand that people and objects still exist when they cannot see them — known as object permanence.
This last point is significant for sleep. Before object permanence develops, when you left the room your baby did not know you still existed. Now they do — and they want you back. This is not manipulation. It is a completely normal neurological development that has a direct and predictable impact on sleep.
At the same time, your baby is so busy practising new physical skills that their brain struggles to switch off at sleep time. Many babies begin waking at night to practise pulling to stand — and then cannot get back down again.
Signs your baby is going through the 8–10 month regression
- Suddenly waking more frequently at night after sleeping well
- Standing in the cot and crying, unable to get back down
- Fighting naps and taking much longer to settle
- Increased separation anxiety — crying when you leave the room
- Wanting more feeds at night despite eating well during the day
- Extreme fussiness and clinginess during the day
How long does the 8–10 month sleep regression last?
Unlike the 4-month regression, the 8–10 month regression is temporary. The developmental leap that drives it typically passes within 3 to 6 weeks.
However — and this is the part most parents are not warned about — sleep often does not return to where it was without some adjustment. The regression period creates and reinforces new sleep associations. A baby who was resettling independently may have spent 4 to 6 weeks being fed or rocked back to sleep every time they woke. By the time the regression passes, that has become the new habit.
This is why many families find that sleep is still difficult weeks after the regression should have resolved. The developmental leap has passed but the sleep associations it created have not.
With a gentle, consistent approach most families see significant improvement within 2 to 3 weeks.
What makes the 8–10 month regression worse
Reinforced night waking. Every time your baby wakes and receives feeding, rocking, or prolonged settling, that response becomes more established. This is not a reason to ignore your baby — it is a reason to have a consistent, intentional response plan rather than reacting differently each night.
Standing in the cot. When babies learn to pull to stand they often do it in the cot at night and then cannot get back down. This becomes a cycle — they stand, they cry, you come in and lay them down, they stand again. The fix is practising getting down from standing during the day until it becomes automatic.
Overtiredness. At 8 to 10 months most babies need 2 naps and a bedtime between 6:30 and 7:30pm. If the schedule has shifted during the regression, overtiredness compounds everything.
Separation anxiety. This peaks around 8 to 10 months. A baby who is anxious during the day is often more unsettled at night. Lots of connection and responsive daytime parenting actually helps night sleep during this phase.
How to handle the 8–10 month sleep regression
1. Check the schedule
At 8 to 10 months most babies need 2 naps totalling 2.5 to 3.5 hours of daytime sleep, with wake windows of around 2.5 to 3.5 hours. See our 8-month sleep schedule and 9-month sleep schedule for detailed timing.
2. Practise standing and sitting back down during the day
If your baby is standing in the cot at night, spend time during the day helping them practise lowering themselves back down from standing. Hold their hands and guide them down repeatedly. Once they can do it independently during the day, they will be able to do it in the cot at night.
3. Keep the sleep environment consistent
Dark room, white noise, and a consistent temperature. At this age babies are more aware of their environment — any changes to the room feel significant.
4. Be consistent in your night response
Having a clear, consistent plan for how you respond to night waking is more important than which specific approach you use. Responding differently each night — sometimes feeding, sometimes not, sometimes coming in quickly, sometimes waiting — teaches your baby that persistence pays off.
5. Address separation anxiety during the day
Peek-a-boo, hide and seek, and activities that demonstrate you always come back help build the trust that reduces separation anxiety at night. Brief, confident goodbyes rather than prolonged drawn-out ones also help.
6. Get support if you need it
If waking has been frequent for more than 3 to 4 weeks and is not improving, a personalised sleep plan can help you identify what is driving it and resolve it gently. This age responds very well to gentle sleep consulting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the 8–10 month sleep regression last?
The developmental leap typically passes within 3 to 6 weeks. However sleep may not return to baseline without addressing the sleep associations that developed during the regression. Many families need a gentle reset after this period.
Why is my baby standing in the cot at night?
Your baby is practising their new physical skill — pulling to stand — and has not yet mastered getting back down. Practise lowering from standing during the day. Within a week or two most babies can manage it independently.
Is the 8-month regression the same as the 9-month regression?
Yes — the regression is often called the 8-month, 9-month, or 8–10 month regression because it can hit at different times within that window depending on when your baby hits the relevant developmental milestones.
Should I drop to one nap during the 8–10 month regression?
No. Most babies are not ready to drop to one nap until 13 to 18 months. Dropping a nap too early during a regression will increase overtiredness and make sleep worse, not better.
My baby was sleeping through the night and now wakes every hour — is this the regression?
A sudden shift from sleeping well to waking very frequently is a classic sign of the 8–10 month regression. Check whether your baby is also showing signs of pulling to stand, increased separation anxiety, or significant motor development. If yes, this is almost certainly the regression.
Will it get better without doing anything?
The developmental leap will pass on its own. But if sleep associations have strengthened during the regression — feeding or rocking to sleep multiple times a night — those habits often need a gentle reset to resolve.
How this might look in real life
At eight months, sleep changes often look like this.
- Baby is suddenly pulling to stand in the cot instead of sleeping
- Separation anxiety has appeared and baby screams when you leave the room
- Naps have become a battle after months of being predictable
- Baby wakes at night and seems anxious rather than hungry
- Crawling or cruising has started and baby seems to practise skills at night