Feeling Lost

I think you could gradually drop the nap, try extending his wake windows by 5-10 minutes each day until the last nap would be too late and move bedtime forward. They say the 8 month regression is due to them wanting more awake time (although they struggle to handle it at first) which seems like it if he waking alot at night. Its rocky, my LO is currently transitioning to 2 naps and his night sleep sucks because he is overtired but he also is trying to fit his 3rd nap in at 5pm which is too late so we moved bedtime to 6.30pm although he wakes after 20-30 minutes acting like it was a nap but I rock him back to sleep and just be really boring until he clicks its his bedtime 😂 Stay strong mumma 🫶

Also I add 'refresh' days like every 2-3 days where I try REAAAALLLY hard to get 3 naps in that won't move his bedtime too late because I also like my alone time and spending time with my partner

Waking up every 45min-1 hour doesn't sound right for his age. There must be something behind that that is worth investigating. I've heard great things about sleep consultants, they have changed the lives of many families for the better! Worth hiring one for a night (even if they're not cheap).

Something that I’ve found that helps baby sleep better at night is making sure she gets lots of fresh air during the day. I’ve noticed recently how the days we’re out and about outside, she sleeps in longer stints. I’ve now started leaving her outside in the pram for naps (obviously outside the back door wrapped up etc) and it’s made a difference. If you don’t have a garden, go for a walk and just sit on a bench and chill while baby naps in the pram. It’s nice to have some quiet time for yourself out in nature too!

Don’t have advice- just exact same boat! It sucks to always be so tired

Hmmmm. Maybe make sure that last nap is done by 4:30? I remember this helping. And yes getting out and having fresh air is great. Don’t let the last nap be long. Whether it’s a 3 nap day or 2. And yeah you could push bedtime to 6:30 until the babe adjusts

I know you feel like you can’t sleep train, but I was in the same boat and we did it even though I was afraid to and it has revolutionized our lives. She sleeps, she naps, it’s a miracle.

@Yvonne it can be completely normal for an 8 month old if they're in the regression. Always worth ruling out any medical issues that might be causing it but a lot of babies do wake that frequently at this age because of developmental reasons https://sarahockwell-smith.com/2015/11/18/what-the-heck-goes-wrong-sleep-wise-at-8-10-months/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHVIi6-AFIUKCqtD_iuA9Kz6_Ap96yAhgbuiRiBETM58SsbZ80JcvdCnQZg_aem_AaAoB3kVfsjvNeTY_bktmNeoM3X3j_C2gEqAArxVY-hSy0429-N-CfXhHKz1fd63pLw

We're in a similar boat with our 8 month old. We're in the process of ruling out medical issues that might be causing it, but so far looks like it's just the dreaded regression causing it. We aren't/won't be sleep training either. In terms of the 2 naps, some do drop to 2 around this age, others still on 3. Ours is currently totally inconsistent, some days are 2, others 3. Probably not what you want to hear but there might not be anything to "fix". This could all just be developmental for him and if so it's just a case of riding it out and knowing it's only temporary. Are you on Facebook? There's a really useful group on there called "Biologically normal infant and toddler sleep" that I recommend taking a look at.

@Rebecca thank you for sharing this! We can’t bring our to sleep train, not even gentle methods work with my clingy one. I’ve been feeding to sleep and co-sleeping and my 7 month old has just started self-settling with no encouragement from me! It makes me feel like I’m actually doing something right 😅 “While this age is commonly one that many parents resort to sleep training it is the very age that is most important to NOT resort to sleep training. Separation anxiety is a normal developmental stage, it’s an indication of parenting done well and although it may not feel like it, it’s a great indication that – in time – the baby will be confident and independent. This is the stage where babies need to know that parents are always there for them, that they can trust us to always come back. Once this trust is built that’s when the path to independence (and what many term ‘self settling’ or ‘self soothing’) really starts to develop.”

@Chloe I found it such a helpful article! We're not for sleep training either. If my baby isn't responded to he becomes hysterical. We feed to sleep and co sleep too. Mine has also just started to settle independently too, I'm glad I didn't force him to before he was ready!