8 month old sleep schedule: Bedtime and nap schedule

At 8 months old, your baby is outgrowing the awake windows for a 3-nap schedule. As a result, many infants will transition to a 2-nap schedule around this time. Expect sleep to be a bit bumpy during these nap transitions as your baby adjusts to staying awake for longer periods.

Try not to worry — this is temporary! Overtiredness is sometimes inevitable during this period, and it’s common to see new or increased sleep difficulties at this age due to the . Maintaining healthy sleep habits will help your baby move past the regression as quickly as possible.

IN THIS ARTICLE:

How much should an 8 month old sleep?

According to the , infants 4 - 12 months of age should get 12 - 16 hours of sleep per 24-hour period. At 8 months, we’ll aim for about 14 hours of total sleep per day. That typically breaks down to 11 - 12 hours at night and 2 - 3 hours during the day over 2 - 3 naps. Most children need 2.25 - 3.5 hours of awake time in between sleep periods at this age.

However, also keep in mind that baby sleep needs can be diverse, and there's a spectrum of what is considered normal and healthy. Don't let the hours get you down if your child isn't quite there. The recommended hours are just a general idea, and it's equally important to observe your child's mood and energy levels to ensure they're getting enough shut-eye.

[Note: for children who were born early, we go by their adjusted age for sleep development.]

Here's a quick overview of what you may expect when it comes to 8 month olds and sleep. Note that these figures are averages and should be used as guidelines.

Top sleep tip for 8 month olds

Once that third nap is dropped, you’ll want to offer an earlier bedtime to limit the amount of overtiredness caused by the nap transition. Ensuring you have a longer pre-sleep will help cue your baby that it’s time for bed rather than the third nap.

Sleep fact for 8 month old babies 

Hunger is a frequent cause of shortened sleep, including naps. Be sure to adjust meal times so that your baby doesn’t wake too early from a nap due to hunger.

Sample 8 month old sleep schedule

Note: Sleep needs vary by child, and this chart should be viewed as an example.

• Morning rise: 7:00 AM

• Wake window before first nap: 2.75 hours

• First nap: 9:45 AM - 11:15 AM (1.5 hour nap)

• Wake window before second nap: 3.25 hours

• Second nap: 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM (1.5 hour nap)

• Get ready for bed: 6:30 PM

• Wake window before bedtime: 3.5 hours

• Asleep: 7:30 PM

Naptime schedule for an 8 month old

How long should an 8 month old nap?

Aim for your 8 month old to get an average of about 3 hours of daytime sleep broken up into . Ideally, the first 2 naps of the day will each be at least 60 minutes long. If your baby is still taking 3 naps, that last catnap is usually a shorter 30- to 45-minute nap.

How many naps for an 8 month old?

Most 8 month olds take 2 - 3 naps per day. At this age, it’s common to have both 2-nap and 3-nap days if your baby is in the midst of dropping a nap.

At this age, we expect babies to need a nap after 2.25 - 3.5 hours of awake time. If you’ve been offering naps based on , you can consider moving to a “by-the-clock” schedule, where naps and bedtime are offered at the same times each day. This allows for more schedule predictability, making it easier to plan your day.

3-nap schedule

2-nap schedule

Bedtime for an 8 month old

What time should an 8 month old go to bed?

At this age, plan for bedtime to be 2.75 - 3.5 hours after waking from the last nap. Babies taking 3 naps a day will have shorter awake windows, while babies taking 2 naps a day will have longer awake times. Plan for bedtime to be 12 - 14 hours after waking for the day but no earlier than 6:00 PM.

If you're curious about what lies ahead in the coming month, glimpse into the future to see what you might experience once your baby is on a . Also look back at a to see how far your little one has come.