Changes around 8 months
Your baby knows precisely who you are now — and objects when you walk away. The AAP calls stranger anxiety one of the earliest emotional milestones and says separation anxiety begins at about the same point, generally peaking between 10 and 18 months. The CDC’s milestones by 9 months include acting shy, clingy or fearful around strangers, and reacting to your departure by looking, reaching or crying.
Physically, lots of babies are working on sitting, crawling and their first tries at standing. The AAP and MedlinePlus say the crib mattress should be on its lowest setting before your baby is able to stand.
| Safe sleep beyond 8 months | What’s different | What stays the same |
|---|---|---|
| SIDS risk | NICHD: SIDS is less common after 8 months | Safe sleep practices carry on until the first birthday |
| Position | If your baby rolls in both directions, you don’t need to turn them back | Always lay them on the back to start |
| Mattress | On the lowest setting before your baby can stand | Firm, flat, snug-fitting |
| What’s in the crib | Nothing new for now | No pillows, blankets, bumpers or soft toys before age 1 |
Separation anxiety frequently stops sleep advice that worked last month from working now. What it calls for is warmth and predictability, not a method that leaves a baby on their own. Actually Sleeping works with families at precisely this age, with a parent present and responsive and a plan written for your baby by Dr. Sam. It is not cry it out, and it is not wait it out.
Nightmares can happen as well. The AAP says they may begin as early as 6 months and usually come in the second half of the night. A baby who wakes up scared and calms quickly once you’re there is behaving normally. Studies of babies aged 7 to 11 months recorded roughly one night waking on average, with up to about three still counted as normal.
What parents struggle with most
- Tears the instant you step out of the room. The AAP notes that children cope with separation more easily when it’s part of a predictable routine.
- Waking up and calling for a parent. According to the AAP, a child with separation anxiety may need reassuring several times, night after night.
- Practising crawling or standing in the crib rather than sleeping.
- Moving from 3 naps to 2. Studies of babies 6 to 11 months found an average of roughly 2 naps a day; as a common pattern, most 8 month olds are taking two.
About night feeds
Separation anxiety can masquerade as hunger: a baby who wants you may also want to feed. If anything about feeding or growth worries you, bring it up with your pediatrician. How night feeds are handled depends on your baby’s age and is set in your custom plan.
When to speak to your pediatrician
- Waking with a fever, ear pain, vomiting, or a cough that gets worse when lying down.
- Frequent snoring, breathing through the mouth, or pauses in breathing overnight.
- Your baby doesn’t appear to recognize familiar people, or isn’t responding to their name by 9 months.
- Anxiety intense enough to make daytime life very difficult, or that shows no sign of easing over months.
Next steps
Separation anxiety is a reason to be warm and predictable at bedtime — not a reason to abandon better sleep. What warm and predictable means depends on your baby, and that’s what Dr. Sam writes into the plan, supported by daily 1:1 check-ins. We guarantee that your baby will sleep 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days of consistent, correct implementation of your sleep plan. Other parents talk about their experience in our 7 to 9 month reviews. See also: separation anxiety at bedtime, the 8 to 10 month sleep regression, and the 8-month schedule. To get started, book a free consultation.
Ready to solve this for your baby?
Actually Sleeping offers 1:1 coaching: Dr. Sam writes a sleep plan for your baby, we coach you bootcamp-style before the first night, and we check in daily until it is working. We’ve coached 700+ families, collected 129 video reviews, and back it all with a written guarantee: 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days, or a full refund.
Common questions
Why does my 8 month old start crying the second I leave the room at bedtime?
Most often it’s separation anxiety, which is a normal stage. The AAP says it frequently starts in the second half of the first year and usually peaks between 10 and 18 months. A predictable routine helps children accept separation, and Actually Sleeping builds that routine around your baby.
Does SIDS remain a risk at 8 months?
It’s lower, but not zero. The NICHD says SIDS is less common after 8 months and that safe sleep practices should carry on until the first birthday. Keep laying your baby on their back to start, on a firm, flat, empty surface.
When should the crib mattress go down to its lowest setting?
Before your baby can stand. MedlinePlus and the AAP advise having the mattress in its lowest position before your child learns to stand. Many 8 month olds are nearly there, so it’s safer to lower it now.
References
- Paruthi S, et al. Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. J Clin Sleep Med. 2016;12(6):785–786.
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP). Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need?
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP). Emotional and Social Development: 8 to 12 Months.
- CDC. Milestones by 9 Months.
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP). Separation Anxiety & Sleeping Trouble in Young Children.
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP). Nightmares, Night Terrors & Sleepwalking in Children.
- NICHD Safe to Sleep campaign. SIDS by Baby's Age (text alternative).
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP). A Parent's Guide to Safe Sleep.
- MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Crib safety tips.
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP). Make Baby's Room Safe: Parent Checklist.
- Galland BC, Taylor BJ, Elder DE, Herbison P. Normal sleep patterns in infants and children: a systematic review of observational studies. Sleep Med Rev. 2012;16(3):213–222.