An 8-month-old needs 12 to 16 hours of total sleep per day, including nighttime sleep and naps. Most babies this age sleep 9 to 12 hours at night and get another 2 to 3 hours of daytime sleep spread across their naps.
Nighttime Sleep at 8 Months
By 8 months, most babies are capable of a long stretch of nighttime sleep, typically 9 to 12 hours. That doesn’t mean uninterrupted sleep, though. One to three brief awakenings overnight is normal at this age. Many babies will resettle on their own, while others may need a quick feed or some comfort before falling back asleep.
A bedtime somewhere between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. works well for most 8-month-olds, depending on when they woke from their last nap and what time they naturally wake in the morning. If your baby seems overtired or fights bedtime, shifting it 15 to 30 minutes earlier can sometimes make a noticeable difference.
How Many Naps and How Long
Most 8-month-olds take two to three naps per day, totaling about 2 to 3 hours of daytime sleep. This is a transitional age, so it’s common to have some two-nap days and some three-nap days in the same week as your baby gradually drops that third nap.
Ideally, the first two naps of the day are each at least 60 minutes long. If your baby still needs a third nap, it’s usually a shorter catnap of 30 to 45 minutes in the late afternoon. Once both morning and midday naps consistently stretch to an hour or more, you can usually phase out that third catnap for good.
Wake Windows Between Naps
At 8 months, most babies can comfortably stay awake for about 2 to 3 hours at a stretch. These wake windows tend to get slightly longer as the day goes on. The first one after your baby wakes in the morning is usually the shortest, and the gap between the last nap and bedtime is usually the longest.
Watching your baby’s tired signs is more reliable than watching the clock. Rubbing eyes, yawning, staring off, or getting fussy are cues that the wake window is closing. Pushing past those signals often leads to an overtired baby who, paradoxically, has a harder time falling asleep.
What a Typical Day Looks Like
Every family’s schedule will differ, but a common rhythm for an 8-month-old on two naps looks something like this:
- Early morning: Wake and milk feed, followed by breakfast solids.
- Mid-morning: Playtime, then a nap of 1 to 2 hours.
- Midday: Lunch solids and milk feed, more playtime.
- Early afternoon: Second nap of 1 to 1.5 hours.
- Late afternoon: Playtime, then dinner solids and a milk feed.
- Evening: Quiet wind-down, bath, bedtime routine, then sleep for the night.
On a three-nap day, each nap tends to be a bit shorter, and that last catnap slots in during the late afternoon to bridge the gap to bedtime. As your baby drops to two naps, you may need to move bedtime slightly earlier on days when the second nap ends sooner than usual.
The 8-Month Sleep Regression
If your baby was sleeping well and suddenly isn’t, you’re likely in the middle of a sleep regression. Around 8 months, several developmental changes collide at once: teething, crawling or pulling to stand, growing separation anxiety, and a sharper awareness of the world around them. All of this can make it harder for a baby to settle down and stay asleep.
Common signs include difficulty falling asleep at bedtime, more frequent night wakings, extra fussiness around sleep times, and longer daytime naps paired with less nighttime sleep. It can feel like a big step backward, but sleep regressions are typically short-lived. Most babies return to their normal patterns within a few weeks without any major changes to routine. If sleep problems persist or seem to worsen over time, that’s worth bringing up with your pediatrician.
Safe Sleep Basics Still Apply
Even though your 8-month-old is bigger and more mobile, safe sleep guidelines haven’t changed. Place your baby on their back in their own sleep space, whether that’s a crib, bassinet, or portable play yard with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet. Keep the sleep area free of loose blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, and bumpers. Avoid letting your baby sleep on a couch, armchair, or in a swing or car seat (unless they’re actually riding in the car).
At this age, babies often roll onto their stomachs during the night. If your baby can roll both ways on their own, you don’t need to keep flipping them back. Just continue placing them on their back at the start of each sleep.