Sleep for an 8 month old baby continues to play an important role in development. Parents begin to get used to the fact that the grown-up baby already knows a lot and continues to master new skills. Sleep, both nighttime and daytime, still helps your baby stay cheerful and joyful throughout an eventful day.
Child 8 months. stands and smiles, shows tongue
Sleep and wakefulness rates
According to average standards, an eight-month-old baby should sleep at least 17.5 hours a day. Nobody can say unequivocally how many hours a child needs to sleep during the day. Everything is individual here, since there are children who will only need to sleep twice 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 even take a nap for about forty minutes or an hour in the evening. It is not recommended to transfer the baby to sleep twice 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 naps. Of these: morning sleep - 40-60 minutes, afternoon - 2.5-3 hours and evening (if necessary) - about one hour.
Also, how much a baby should sleep at 8 months in the afternoon 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 am, then two sleep a day will be enough for him. Also, a variant of the norm is sleep once a day, if only this time is enough for the child.
Despite the fact that each child is individual, there are average statistical data on the norms of sleep and wakefulness, how much a baby should sleep at 8 months. Focusing on them, each mother will be able to understand whether her child is sleeping enough or not. Even a few hours of sleep deprivation can lead to bad moods, fatigue and moodiness, as well as possible health problems.
Table of norms of sleep and wakefulness
| Age | Daytime sleep | Night sleep mode | Wakefulness mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 months | 2-3 times for 1.5-3 hours | 11-12 hours | 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 well-being of the child and the type of feeding.
The baby sleeps in the crib, he has a nipple in his mouth
Sleep duration of an eight month old baby
At eight months, a baby's sleep becomes very similar to that of an adult. The sleep of an eight-month-old baby 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 the night's sleep, this interval becomes very productive, since brain activity is significantly reduced, and complete calmness and recuperation occurs.
Daytime sleep
Daytime sleep, as before, is necessary for an eight-month-old baby in order to replenish the spent energy, give rest to his body, relax the nervous, support and muscular systems.
The structure of sleep, compared to seven months, practically does not change:
- The duration of sleep is reduced, now the child will need 2.5-3 hours to recuperate;
- It is necessary to put the child on a day's rest at least twice, if there is a need for a third sleep, then it is worth considering the peculiarity of a small organism;
- If the baby wakes up very early, around 6-7 am, then it is better to put it on the first day's rest at 8-9 am. The duration of sleep at this time can be about 1.5-2 hours;
- For an afternoon nap, the best time is the period from 14-00 to 16-30.
Mom should carefully monitor the child so that he does not overwork during the waking period. Lack of sleep for more than 3-3.5 hours can cause severe fatigue, poor falling asleep and restless sleep of the baby.
Baby sleeps and hugs a toy
Night sleep
At eight months, a child needs a night's 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 night's sleep, the child remembers and analyzes all the information he received during the day. In order for a night's rest to bring only benefits to the baby, you need to correctly treat its organization:
- Evening time from 19-30 to 21 o'clock is considered the most suitable time to put the child to rest at 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;
- Mom should strive to ensure that the child's sleep becomes as long as possible, without a break for feeding, since there is no longer a physiological need for this.
It will not be possible to wean the crumbs from night food very quickly, first you need to reduce the duration of feeding. If the baby is on a willow tree, gradually reduce the volume of the mixture in the bottle. It is necessary to get up at night to the awakened baby without any doubt, but it is not necessary to offer him food right away. To start:
- It is necessary to approach the child and try to make him fall asleep again, for example, to swing. In this case, you should not turn on a bright light, it is better to use a dim night light;
- Mom should not immediately change the baby's diaper - this is done only in case of extreme need;
- Mom can stroke the baby on the back, legs, arms and head should not be touched, because this way you can wake up the baby completely;
- In case the baby cannot calm down in any way, it is necessary to offer him a bottle of plain water. Most likely, he turns a little and falls asleep again.
A well-known pediatrician, Yevgeny Komarovsky, does not recommend that a mother and baby sleep in the same bed, especially if the child is still feeding on mother's milk. The smell of milk that will come from the mother will encourage the baby to wake up again and again, even if he is not hungry at all.
Baby sleeps in mom's arms in a rocking chair
How to quickly put your baby to bed
To avoid problems with putting your baby to sleep, follow these guidelines:
- It is very important to provide a normal temperature (+ 18-20 degrees) and humidity in the room where the baby sleeps. Be sure to ventilate the room before bed. In winter, it will not be superfluous to turn on a humidifier;
- The room should be extremely quiet and dark enough;
- It is worth putting the baby to sleep at the first symptoms of fatigue. Do not wait for the child to endure and become too overexcited;
- Certain rituals must be followed. Before going to bed, be sure to take a walk in the fresh air. Before bedtime, gymnastics, massage and bathing will help calm the baby;
- Mom should put the baby in the crib, stroke his back, tell a fairy tale, read a book, sing a song.
Crisis 8 months and sleep disturbance
At eight months, the baby is going through another age crisis:
- Becomes overly restless, moody, whiny and irritable;
- His appetite disappears;
- Nervous and crying when mom leaves;
- The whole day requires increased attention;
- Stops obeying;
- He does not want to fall asleep, often wakes up, cries and calls for mom.
Note! When the child reaches the eighth month, he begins to understand that his mother can go and leave him alone. This is the problem with falling asleep - both boys and girls are afraid to fall asleep and lose their mother. When they wake up and do not see their mother next to them, they begin to cry loudly.
The child stands in the crib and cries a lot
What can affect sleep
There are many reasons that can affect sleep:
- For a start, these may 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 external conditions (very light outside) or an individual feature of the child's body;
- At this age, the child masters new motor skills, which he continues to work out even during sleep. In this case, the baby wakes up from its own sudden movements.
Important! If the child is not sleeping due to poor health, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Child stands leaning on the sofa
How to overcome sleep problems
The duty of the mother is to instill in the baby the confidence that under no circumstances will he be left alone, that she does not disappear forever, even if she is lost from sight, she will definitely return to him again.
- You should not leave for a long time secretly from the crumbs. Otherwise, he will control every step and be in constant nervous tension;
- Mom should say goodbye to the baby, even if she is away for two minutes;
- It is necessary to explain to the child that the mother will come soon, and return as soon as she is free;
- You need to play hide and seek with your baby. The kid will understand that the objects that he does not see do not disappear and after a certain time appear again;
- Mom should be with the baby all the time until he falls asleep;
- At night, when the child wakes up, you need to go up to him, pat him on the back and quietly lull him to sleep.
Small deviations (within an hour) from the norm, how much an eight-month-old baby sleeps, are possible. The main thing is that sleep for the child is not just the time he spends in the crib, but a way to recuperate for new achievements and discoveries.
