8/9 month regression?

[jb1305uk]

I think I know the answer but is there a regression around 8/9 months?

8.5 month old LO has always slept pretty well, last few months going 8-5, quick feed then sleep til half 7. Over the last few weeks it's stretched 8-6, sometimes 8-7 which is great. The last few nights however LO has been very disrupted and unsettled during the night.

LO sleeps in a large sleepyhead in a cot in our room still. At bedtime I put LO down awake and within a few minutes they go to sleep on their own with dummy, so I don't think it's a settling issue. They have been waking several times and I've found them rolling over or rocking on all fours. I turn them onto their back, give them their dummy and they go back to sleep.

Last night LO woke at 10pm hysterical. I offered milk as they'd not taken much before bed, wasn't interested. Top teeth are cutting so offered calpol but again didn't settle them. Eventually put sleepyhead on the bed beside me and spent almost an hour comforting them to sleep. LO then slept til half 6, with a quick resettle around 4.

LO is trying to crawl and pull up, so I understand there's a lot going on developmentally.

I don't want to create bad habits so we feel it's right to keep putting LO into their cot at the start of each night. But what else do we do? Is this a phase, will it pass?

[chloechloe]

DD1 was a nightmare at 8 months too. I think that often it's related to the development in their gross motor skills, as they are desperate to master pulling up and crawling and their brain doesn't switch off at night and wants to keep practising!

I would try to stick to your routine as much as possible (e.g. Starting off in the cot with the bedtime routine) but then doing whatever you have to to survive (e.g. Co-sleeping in the middle of the night).

I think everybody is better off if you do whatever you have to to maximize sleep. When the phase is over you can go back to your regular routine, they should slip back into it if you have kept some elements of it consistent.

I hope it's over soon- I'm currently in horror land with 6 month old DD2.

[CluelessMummy]

Yes there is a regression around this time - babies practice the skills they are learning during wake time during sleep time, hence the rolling around you have noticed! The regression can hit between 8 and 10 months depending on when they acquire the skills.

We are just entering this now and have been advised that, yes, it's a phase and, yes, it does pass! That's not much help when you're hardly sleeping I know, but hang in there.

In the meantime just make sure she's getting plenty of quality nap time during the day as overtiredness may make the problem worse.

[jb1305uk]

Thanks- it's nice to know we aren't alone! I think the worst part is seeing LO so unsettled and upset at times. Been rolling for months but never in sleep, so makes sense that it's developmental.

I think we'll just keep going as we are and resort to co-sleeping (and husband in the spare room!) if LO doesn't settle during any night wakes.

We actually managed to get a decent sleep last night thankfully.

[CluelessMummy]

Good to hear! Yes our DD has been rolling during the day for a while now too but the sleep rolling is new!

I think she finds it distressing when she wakes up like that and she's not so good at flipping back over in a sleeping bag so I've just been giving her loads of practice during the day. Fingers crossed!