8-10 month sleep regression - does it just end?

[nutmegandginger]

DD (just turned 11 months) used to be a brilliant sleeper, and between the ages of 3 and 8 months she would sleep from about 7.30-7.30. Once she hit 8 months, things started to go downhill though, so I'm assuming this is the dreaded sleep regression.

Her latest thing seems to be to go to bed without much trouble at 7.30, and sleep really well until some time between 11 and midnight, and then be very reluctant to settle again, crying when put in her cot and throwing her dummy away because she knows it makes her sleepy. This is completely new behaviour - she was always really good at resettling at night, even when she was tiny. She's also started waking up at least once and often twice during the night, which again is a new thing. A couple of times recently we've managed unbroken stretches of 7.30-12, and then 12-6, but this is the exception (just to get my hopes up!).

When she wakes up, she often seems really hungry and will feed quite vigorously, not just as though she's in the habit of wanting the breast for comfort. I think it isn't helping that she is going through a phase of being off her food as well (she will start out eating quite well, but then just get bored and decide after a few spoons she doesn't want it any more) so I'm wondering if she is genuinely hungrier at night.

So my question is: if she was a good sleeper before the sleep regression, is it just a matter of riding it out? Or do we need to be doing something different? When she's not eating that much in the day, I can't see any way round feeding her at night

She was a good sleeper for a significant chunk of time and shows all the right signs for a good sleeper - able to settle to sleep easily, resettling at night etc.

So this means that there is something wrong. Something is causing her to wake up and you need to figure out what it is.

IMO doing nothing and just waiting will not solve anything so wont help the situation.

I think you are spot on in identifying hunger as the reason for the wake ups. If she's not eating well during the daytime, she needs to catch up on her calorific need and so this will mean night feeds. I believe the hunger is genuine and shouldn't be ignored or denied.

In the short term I would feed at night. In the long term work on her weaning and diet through the daytime. If she is distracted when spoonfeeding, what about moving to finger foods?

Thank you, that is really helpful. She has a tendency to enjoy finger foods for a bit and then lose interest and start playing with them or throwing them on the floor - not sure how much gets swallowed! But maybe I can find a combination that tops her up in the day. I'll try tracking what she eats against how she sleeps and see if it correlates.

Sometimes she won't resettle at midnight even after a feed and gets very clingy, crying even when she appears to be asleep if I it her down. She recently started nursery and she has been more anxious about strangers since. Could anxious nights be connected? Or am I overthinking it?