Your baby is 8 months old, crawling or scooting everywhere, and suddenly naps are a battle and bedtime ends with a baby standing at the crib rail. If you’ve searched 8 month old sleep schedule, you probably want to know what a normal day looks like now and why sleep feels harder just as your baby gets more capable. Short answer: most 8-month-olds do well on 2 naps with about 2.5 to 3.5 hours awake between sleeps, and the bumps you’re seeing usually come from new skills, not from something you did wrong. Below you’ll find a sample day, a nap troubleshooter, and the signs that mean it’s worth calling your pediatrician.
This page is part of our baby sleep schedule by age guide. Looking for an earlier month? See the 7 month old sleep schedule or the 6 month old sleep schedule.
Quick answer: 8 month old sleep schedule
- Total sleep: the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends 12 to 16 hours of sleep in 24 hours for babies 4 to 12 months old, including naps.
- Naps: most 8-month-olds take 2 naps, a morning nap and an early-afternoon nap. A few still need a short third nap on some days.
- Wake windows: about 2.5 to 3.5 hours is a common rough guide, usually shortest before the first nap and longest before bedtime. Wake windows are not an official AAP measure.
- What’s new: getting into sitting alone, crawling or scooting, pulling up, and reacting when you leave the room. All of these can show up at nap time and bedtime.
- Short naps or early wake-ups: often a sign the wake windows need a small tweak, not that your baby needs fewer naps. See the nap troubleshooter below.
- Safety: on the back to start every sleep, on a firm, flat surface, with nothing soft in the crib (AAP). Set the crib mattress at the height your crib’s instructions give once your baby can sit or pull up.
What changes at 8 months, and how it shows up in sleep
Eight months sits just before the CDC’s 9-month milestone checklist. By 9 months, the CDC lists skills like getting into a sitting position alone, sitting without support, being shy or clingy around strangers, and reacting when a parent leaves (looking, reaching for you or crying). Crawling isn’t on the CDC checklist: babies get moving in different ways, including scooting and rolling. Each of these new skills can change how your baby falls asleep.
| New at this age | What you may see at sleep time | What can help |
|---|---|---|
| Crawling, scooting, rolling across the room | Your baby rolls or crawls around the crib instead of settling, or ends up in a corner | Plenty of floor time during the day to practice. It’s fine if your baby settles in a different spot in the crib, as long as the crib is bare. |
| Pulling up to stand | Standing at the rail and crying because they can’t get down | Practice bending knees and sitting down from standing during play. Lay them down once, calmly, then give them a moment. |
| Clinginess and reacting when you leave | Crying as soon as you walk out, more calls for you at night | A short, predictable goodbye. Play peek-a-boo and “be right back” games in the daytime so leaving and coming back becomes familiar. |
| Longer awake time | A third nap that never happens, or a later bedtime | A steady 2-nap day (sample below) |
| More solid foods in the day (if started) | Meals and milk feeds start to shape the day | Offer meals after waking, not right before a nap |
For everything else happening this month, see our 8-month milestones guide, and our guide to stranger anxiety in babies if your baby has become shy around new people.
Sample 8 month old sleep schedule with 2 naps
This is an example, not a rule. If your baby wakes at 6 a.m. or 8 a.m., shift the whole day earlier or later by the same amount.
| Time | What happens | Awake time before this sleep |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 a.m. | Wake up, milk feed, diaper change | |
| 8:00 a.m. | Breakfast (if eating solids), floor play | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Nap 1 (often about 1 to 1.5 hours) | About 2.5 hours |
| 11:00 a.m. | Milk feed, lunch, play, time outside | |
| 2:00 p.m. | Nap 2 (often about 1 to 1.5 hours) | About 3 hours |
| 3:30 p.m. | Milk feed, play | |
| 5:30 p.m. | Dinner (if eating solids) | |
| 6:30 p.m. | Bedtime routine: bath or wipe-down, pajamas, sleep sack, milk feed, book | |
| 7:00 p.m. | Asleep for the night | About 3.5 hours |
On a short-nap day
If both naps are short (around 30 to 45 minutes), the afternoon gets long. You have two simple options: an earlier bedtime that evening, or a short catnap of 20 to 30 minutes in the late afternoon. Either is fine for a day or two. If your baby dozes off in the stroller or car seat, move them to a firm, flat surface on their back when you can (AAP).
For how much milk and food babies typically take at this age, see our baby feeding schedule by age and our month-by-month guide to introducing solid foods.
Wake windows for an 8 month old
| Part of the day | Common rough guide | Signs it may be too short | Signs it may be too long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake-up to nap 1 | About 2.5 to 3 hours | Your baby plays happily through the start of the nap | Rubbing eyes and fussing well before nap time |
| Nap 1 to nap 2 | About 3 hours | A long time to fall asleep, then a short nap | A quick crash, then a short nap |
| Nap 2 to bedtime | About 3 to 3.5 hours | Bedtime turns into playtime | A meltdown at dinner, more night waking |
These are ranges from common practice, not an official AAP measure. Your baby’s tired signs come first. Our guide to baby cues shows what to look for.
The 8-month nap troubleshooter
Pick the problem that matches your week, try one change for 5 to 7 days, and then look again. Changing several things at once makes it hard to see what helped.
| What’s happening | A common reason | One thing to try |
|---|---|---|
| Your baby fights the morning nap | The first wake window may now be too short | Push nap 1 later by 15 minutes every few days |
| Nap 2 gets skipped or is very short | Nap 1 runs long and eats into the afternoon | Gently wake your baby from nap 1 after about 1.5 hours and see if nap 2 improves |
| Your baby stands up in the crib at every nap | A brand-new skill they want to practice | More standing and sitting-down practice during play. Lay them down once, then give them time. |
| Crying the moment you leave | Reacting when a parent leaves, which the CDC lists for this age | Keep the same short goodbye every time. A brief check-in is fine. |
| Waking at 5 a.m. ready for the day | Bedtime too early or too late, or light in the room | See baby wakes up at 5am |
| Night waking that came back | New skills, a cold, teething or a big change in the day | Keep night visits dim, quiet and brief. See sleep regression at 4, 6 and 8 months. |
How much should an 8 month old sleep?
| Sleep | Typical at 8 months | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Total in 24 hours | 12 to 16 hours, including naps | AAP recommendation for 4 to 12 months |
| Naps a day | Usually 2 | Common pattern, not an official measure |
| Wake windows | About 2.5 to 3.5 hours | Rough guide, not an official measure |
| Night feeds | Some babies still feed at night, others don’t | Varies. Ask your pediatrician what fits your baby. |
A baby who is mostly content when awake, feeds well and is growing as expected is usually getting enough sleep, even at the lower end of the range.
Helping your 8 month old settle
- Put your baby down drowsy but awake. The AAP notes that babies who are held or rocked to sleep may struggle to go back to sleep when they wake in the night.
- Keep the same few steps before every nap and bedtime, so the routine itself tells your baby what comes next. Our baby bedtime routine guide has a simple version.
- Give lots of daytime movement and floor play. Practicing new skills in the day can mean less practicing in the crib.
- If you’re thinking about sleep training, compare the approaches in our sleep training methods guide and talk to your pediatrician first.
Safe sleep at 8 months
- Place your baby on their back for every sleep. If they roll over on their own and can roll both ways, the AAP says you don’t need to turn them back.
- Keep the crib bare: no blankets, pillows, bumpers or stuffed toys (AAP). A wearable blanket keeps your baby warm. See our sleep sack TOG chart and how to dress a baby for sleep in winter.
- Remove any hanging crib toy once your baby begins to push up on hands and knees, or at 5 months, whichever comes first (AAP).
- Check that the mattress is at the height your crib’s instructions give for a baby who can sit and pull up.
See our full safe sleep practices guide.
When to talk to your doctor
- Your baby is unusually sleepy, hard to wake or too sleepy to feed.
- You notice loud snoring, gasping or pauses in breathing during sleep.
- Sleep changes come with fever, poor feeding, fewer wet diapers or slow weight gain.
- Your baby has lost skills they used to have, or you’re worried about how they move, see, hear or respond to you.
- You’d like advice on dropping night feeds or on sleep training for your baby.
- You feel exhausted or low and it’s hard to cope. Your pediatrician can help or point you to support.
- Call 911 if your baby stops breathing, turns blue or gray, or can’t be woken.
Frequently asked questions
How many naps should an 8 month old take?
Most take 2. A short third catnap on days with short naps is fine. There’s no official age for dropping to 2 naps, so follow your baby’s days rather than the calendar.
How long should an 8 month old be awake before bed?
The last wake window of the day is usually the longest, often around 3 to 3.5 hours. If bedtime turns into play, try a little later. If your baby melts down at dinner, try a little earlier.
Is there an 8 month sleep regression?
Regression isn’t a medical term, but many families notice a few rough weeks around this age as babies crawl, pull up and react more when a parent leaves. It usually settles as the new skill becomes routine. Our sleep regression guide covers what helps.
My 8 month old only wants to sleep on their stomach. Is that OK?
Always place your baby on their back to start. If they roll onto their tummy on their own and can roll both ways, the AAP says you can leave them that way, as long as there’s nothing soft in the crib.
Can my 8 month old go down to 1 nap?
That would be unusually early for most babies. Many keep 2 naps until after their first birthday. If your baby refuses the second nap, try the troubleshooter above before dropping it, and ask your pediatrician if you’re unsure.
Should I wake my 8 month old from a nap?
Some parents cap a long morning nap so the afternoon nap and bedtime still work. If your baby naps long, sleeps well at night and is happy, there’s no need to change anything.
The clocks just changed. What now?
Move naps and bedtime in small steps over a few days. Our daylight saving time baby sleep plan walks you through it.
Browse more sleep guides on our baby sleep page.
Free printables: get our Safe Sleep Checklist, Feeding & Diaper Log and Hospital Bag Checklist, plus one short tip email a week. Join Babypino Weekly.
Sources
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP): Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need?
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP): Getting Your Baby to Sleep
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP): How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP): How to Buy Safe Toys
- CDC: Important Milestones: Your Baby By Nine Months
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you’re worried about your baby, call your pediatrician, or 911 in an emergency.