8-10 month jump:a different sleep rhythm

It is that time again! Between weeks 33 and week 38 your baby will enter a new phase. Your child learns new skills that suddenly make the world look completely different. The new skills can also cause your child to suddenly have more difficulty sleeping. Your baby will then have to deal with the dreaded 8-month sleep regression. What is happening in your child's head? What can you do as a parent during this difficult period? Read everything about the 8-month jump in this article, including useful tips to help your child sleep!n!

What happens during the 8 month jump?

Around 8 months, your baby develops the ability to recognize categories and realizes that he can divide the world into groups. He suddenly sees that some things look the same, make the same sound, taste, smell or feel the same.

Around the same time, your child will learn a lot of new skills, such as sitting up, waving, feeding himself, crawling and crawling. Early birds even try to stand or take a step. Language is also starting to play a major role. Your baby carefully studies the words you say to him and some babies start to babble a little themselves. Your baby is increasingly aware of the world around him and has a great need to explore.

8 months of sleep regression

All those new things and changes don't make sleeping any easier. Many babies experience the 8-month sleep regression. Some people find it difficult to fall asleep, others are wide awake halfway through the night. This disturbed sleep is caused by several factors:

• Your baby is hangry and crying. Due to the major mental developments, your baby is once again suffering from the 3H's: hangry, tearful and moody. It takes a lot of energy and adaptability to get used to the new view of the world. Because of this droopiness, your baby is also less likely to be satisfied in bed, which makes sleeping less successful.
• Your baby moves more, even at night.. With the new skills, there is a good chance that your baby will also move more at night. Rocking, rolling back and forth, pulling themselves up: some babies go all the way through the bed.  
• Your baby goes from 3 to 2 naps during the day. Now that your baby is older, he may be awake longer. This means that your baby is not always ready for the next nap after 1.5 to 2 hours of being awake. Your baby's rhythm changes and that really takes some getting used to. Your baby is already busy with so many new developments and the new sleep schedule makes it all difficult to process.
• Your baby has separation anxiety. After the 6 month jump your baby suddenly realizes that the distance between you increases when you walk away. This can cause your baby to develop separation anxiety and become very cognizant. This affection takes quite a while, because your baby needs a lot of time to get used to the idea that mom or dad is not always around. He still has to gain the confidence that mom or dad will always come back.

What can I do?

Tips to help your baby get through this phase:

• Take your baby seriously. Understand that your baby has a hard time during such a jump. So don't underestimate this phase and give your baby comfort when necessary.
• Practice the new skills. Help your baby master the new skills by practicing together. If your child is trying to play in the playpen, place your child on a rug and give him plenty of time to try out all kinds of things. Guide your child in his attempts and keep trying again together. The faster your baby has learned the new skills, the sooner this difficult phase will be over..
• Temporarily offer an earlier bedtime. Now that the last nap in the afternoon is no longer offered, it is wise to put your child to bed a little earlier in the beginning. This way you prevent your baby from becoming overtired and the body's stress response system is activated, making it difficult to sleep.
• Pay attention to wake times and fatigue signals. Make sure there is a maximum of 4 hours of waking time between afternoon nap and bedtime. Pay close attention to fatigue signals! If the behavior changes around 5 p.m., your baby is tired and it is better to put him to bed a little earlier.n.
• Provide security in bed. The new skills will cause your child to move more at night, causing poorer or more restless sleep. Putting your child in a sleeping bag makes moving wildly more challenging. It is also possible NUNKI sheet help enormously. The fine pressure helps your child relax and process stimuli, resulting in more rest in bed.

And remember: it's only temporary!