Sleep continues to play an important role in development for an eight-month-old baby. Parents are beginning to get used to the fact that the grown-up baby can already do a lot and continues to learn new skills. Sleep, both at night and during the day, still helps your baby remain cheerful and joyful throughout an eventful day.
Child 8 months stands and smiles, shows his tongue
Norms of sleep and wakefulness
According to average standards, an eight-month-old child should sleep at least 17.5 hours a day. No one can definitely say how many hours a child needs for daytime sleep. Everything here is individual, since there are children for whom it will be enough to sleep twice for an hour, and they will again be full of strength and energy. There are kids who like to sleep more, especially in the afternoon, and also take a nap in the evening for about forty minutes or an hour. It is not recommended to transfer your baby to two naps a day if he himself is not yet ready for this.
As a rule, an eight-month-old baby needs about 4-5 hours of daytime sleep. Of these: morning sleep - 40-60 minutes, afternoon sleep - 2.5-3 hours and evening sleep (if necessary) - about one hour.
Also, how much an 8 month old baby should sleep during the day will depend on when he wakes up in the morning. If the baby wakes up at 6-7 o'clock in the morning, then it will be normal for him if he sleeps three times a day. If the baby wakes up at 9-10 o'clock in the morning, then sleeping twice a day will be enough for him. Sleeping once a day is also considered an option for the norm, as long as the child has enough time.
Despite the fact that each child is individual, there are average statistical data on the norms of sleep and wakefulness, how much sleep an 8-month-old baby should sleep. Based on them, every mother will be able to understand whether her child is sleeping enough or not. Even a few hours of lack of sleep can lead to a bad mood, fatigue and moodiness, as well as possible health problems.
Table of sleep and wakefulness norms
| Age | Daytime sleep schedule | Night sleep mode | Wake mode |
| 8 months | 2-3 times for 1.5-3 hours | 11-12 o'clock | 4 times for 2.5-3 hours |
Additional Information. At night, an 8-month-old baby sleeps for about 11-12 hours. In this case, the baby can sleep all night and not wake up or wake up several times during the night. It all depends on the child’s well-being and the type of feeding.
The child is sleeping in a crib, he has a pacifier in his mouth
How to make your baby sleep peacefully
A six-month-old baby can sleep peacefully according to a certain schedule. To do this, you need to provide him with optimal conditions for this and accustom him to the regime.
You can prepare your baby for rest in the following ways:
- Read books, sing songs. This will help you switch from an active wakefulness mode to a calm one. The baby will relax and go to sleep faster. At the age of six months, children can already look at pictures. Illustrations should be bright and legible. It is advisable to have enough books to alternate between.
- Body massage. It should be done 1-1.5 hours before going to bed. In addition to the health benefits, massage will allow your child to relax and improve his mood.
- Swimming in warm water. Not all children like water treatments. If your baby enjoys soaking in the bath, you can bathe him 30 minutes before feeding, which precedes bedtime. If the child does not like to bathe, then the procedure must be carried out earlier. The water should be warm. You can pour a little chamomile decoction into the bath. The plant has a calming, relaxing effect.
- Walking before bed. Many children benefit from evening walks. The body is saturated with oxygen, which helps you calm down and fall asleep quickly. Some mothers practice falling asleep on the street and putting the baby into bed immediately after returning home.
- Singing a lullaby. Children react favorably to their mother's gentle voice. It becomes calm, the baby feels a connection with his mother.
- Listening to soothing music. You can turn on the recording of a calm melody or sounds of nature.
Before bedtime, you should not amuse your baby. There is no point in expecting that the more tired your child is, the better and more soundly he will sleep. It is difficult for an overexcited body to immediately switch to a calm pace. Therefore, games while awake should be measured.
The regimen of children at 6 months should be as close as possible to the established standards. Despite the individuality of children, parents should maintain a daily routine. Excessive activity and lack of sleep negatively affect not only the emotional state of the baby, but also physical health.
Sleep duration for an eight month old baby
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At eight months, a baby's sleep becomes very similar to the sleep of adults. An eight-month-old baby's sleep has two phases: superficial and deep. A child in a deep sleep phase should not react to any external noise, which greatly improves the quality of daytime sleep.
As for night sleep, this period becomes very productive, since brain activity decreases significantly, and complete calm and restoration of strength occur.
Daytime nap
Daytime sleep, as before, is necessary for an eight-month-old baby in order to replenish spent energy, give rest to his body, and relax the nervous, musculoskeletal and muscular systems.
The structure of sleep, compared to seven months, remains virtually unchanged:
- The duration of sleep is reduced, now 2.5-3 hours are enough for the child to regain strength;
- You need to put your child to bed for daytime rest at least twice; if there is a need for a third nap, then you should take into account the peculiarities of a small organism;
- If the baby wakes up very early, around 6-7 am, then it is better to put him to bed at 8-9 am for the first day's rest. The duration of sleep at this time can be about 1.5-2 hours;
- For an afternoon nap, the best time is considered to be from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm.
The mother should closely monitor the child so that he does not become overtired during the waking period. Lack of sleep for more than 3-3.5 hours can cause severe fatigue, poor sleep and restless sleep for the baby.
Child sleeps and hugs a toy
Night sleep
At eight months, a child needs nighttime sleep not only for rest. It is at night that the process of active release of growth hormone and the formation of immune cells occurs. During the period of night sleep, the child remembers and analyzes all the information that he received during the day. In order for a night's rest to bring only benefits to the baby, you need to take the right approach to its organization:
- The evening time from 19-30 to 21 hours is considered the most suitable time to put your child to bed for the night;
- Half an hour before falling asleep, it is necessary to carry out traditional rituals that will help the baby fall asleep faster: bathing, light massage, putting on pajamas, reading a book and feeding;
- Night rest should last at least 11-12 hours;
- The mother should strive to ensure that the child sleeps as long as possible, without interruption for feeding, since there is no longer a physiological need for this.
It won't be easy to wean your baby off night food; first you need to reduce the duration of feeding. If the baby is on the willow, you should gradually reduce the volume of the mixture in the bottle. There is no doubt that you should get up at night when your baby wakes up, but you should not immediately offer him food. To start:
- It is necessary to approach the child and try to make him fall asleep again, for example, rock him. At the same time, you should not turn on a bright light; it is better to use a dim night light;
- The mother should not immediately change the baby’s diaper - this is done only in case of emergency;
- The mother can pat the baby on the back; the legs, arms and head should not be touched, because this can completely wake up the baby;
- If the baby cannot calm down, you need to offer him a bottle of plain water. Most likely, he will toss and turn a little and fall asleep again.
A well-known pediatrician, Evgeniy Komarovsky, does not recommend that mother and baby sleep in the same bed, especially if the child is still fed mother’s milk. The smell of milk coming from the mother will encourage the baby to wake up again and again, even if he is not at all hungry.
A child sleeps in his mother's arms in a rocking chair
How to put your baby to sleep quickly
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To avoid problems with putting your baby to sleep, you must follow the following recommendations:
- It is very important to ensure normal temperature (+18-20 degrees) and humidity in the room where the baby sleeps. Be sure to ventilate the room before going to bed. In winter, it is a good idea to turn on a humidifier;
- The room should be extremely quiet and fairly dark;
- You should put your baby to bed at the first signs of fatigue. Don't wait until your child gets over it and becomes overexcited;
- Certain rituals must be observed. Before napping, be sure to take a walk in the fresh air. Before bedtime, gymnastics, massage and bathing will help calm your baby;
- Mom should put the baby in the crib, stroke his back, tell him a fairy tale, read a book, sing a song.
8 month crisis and sleep disturbance
Plasma cells in the blood of a child according to the results of the analysis
At eight months, the baby is experiencing another age crisis:
- Becomes overly restless, moody, whiny and irritable;
- He loses his appetite;
- Gets nervous and cries when mom leaves;
- The whole day requires increased attention;
- Stops obeying;
- Doesn't want to fall asleep, often wakes up, cries and calls his mother.
Note! When the baby reaches the eighth month, he begins to understand that his mother can leave and leave him alone. This is the problem with falling asleep - both boys and girls are afraid of falling asleep and losing their mother. When they wake up and don’t see their mother next to them, they start crying loudly.
The child is standing in the crib and crying a lot
What can affect sleep
There are many reasons that can affect sleep:
- To begin with, these could be problems with the baby’s health: colic, teething or serious neurological disorders that prevent the baby from sleeping soundly and make him cry in pain;
- Lack of calcium in the body. The baby becomes irritable and restless;
- Reaction to extraneous noise;
- Insufficient amount of sleep hormone due to exposure to external conditions (very light outside) or the individual characteristics of the child’s body;
- At this age, the child masters new motor skills, which he continues to practice even during sleep. In this case, the baby wakes up from its own sudden movements.
Important! If your child does not sleep due to poor health, you should immediately consult a doctor.
The child stands leaning on the sofa
How to overcome sleep problems
The mother’s duty is to instill confidence in the baby that under no circumstances will he be left alone, that she will not disappear forever, even if she is lost from sight, she will definitely return to him again.
- You should not go away for a long time in secret from the baby. Otherwise, he will control every step and be in constant nervous tension;
- A mother should say goodbye to her baby, even if she leaves for two minutes;
- It is necessary to explain to the child that mother will come soon, and to return as soon as she is free;
- It is necessary to play hide and seek with the baby. The baby will understand that objects that he does not see do not disappear and appear again after a certain time;
- The mother should stay close to the baby all the time until he falls asleep;
- At night, when your child wakes up, you need to approach him, pat him on the back and quietly lull him to sleep.
Small deviations (within an hour) from the norm for how long an eight-month-old baby sleeps are possible. The main thing is that sleep for the child is not just time that he spends in the crib, but a way to recuperate for new achievements and discoveries.
How to calm your baby down if he doesn't sleep well at night
Children's tea is selected based on the child's age and purchased at the pharmacy. It is prepared according to the recipe on the package. You can also brew your own herbal tea. It is recommended to use lemon balm, linden flowers and chamomile as ingredients. These herbs are brewed like traditional tea: after steaming, the tea is strained and water is added. Give your baby something to drink warm.
When a child sleeps poorly at night, restlessly, often wakes up and cries, give him tea with a calming effect in the evening before bed. If your baby is overly excitable, offer this drink during the day.
Tea with a calming effect has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, normalizes sleep, reduces excitability and moodiness, and also helps in case of stress.
Some types of herbal teas can be given to a child as both a therapeutic and a prophylactic agent. They help a lot if the baby has trouble sleeping at night or has hysteria.
The use of medications without a doctor’s prescription in cases where the baby wakes up at night, often cries and sleeps poorly is unacceptable.
In this case, it is the parents who can best reassure the child. During times of anxiety, it is necessary to give him more attention, affection, talk to him, pick him up, hug him. Not the least role in this case is played by the microclimate in the family and the relationship between parents and the baby. A peaceful and calm home atmosphere contributes to a sound and healthy sleep for the child.
Read further:
Long sleep for a baby when sick
When does a child stop waking up at night?
One-year-old baby crying at night
