8-Month-Old Sleep Success Story: From Short Contact Naps & Multiple Night Wakings

When 8-month-old Fynn’s parents first reached out, they were exhausted.

Fynn had never consistently slept through the night, and her sleep had become particularly unsettled from around four months old, coinciding with the 4-month sleep regression.

Since then, she was waking multiple times overnight and relying on being fed or rocked back to sleep each time she woke. During the day, her naps were inconsistent, often short and usually happened as contact naps in the carrier or on the go.

If you're wondering “Why is my 8 month old not sleeping at night?” or “Why won't my 8 month old stay asleep?”, Fynn's story may sound very familiar.

Like many babies her age, Fynn had developed strong sleep associations and relied heavily on her parents to help her fall asleep and return to sleep.

She was mainly:

• Waking multiple times overnight

• Early Rising 

• Taking short naps, inconsistent naps

• Contact napping in the carrier

• Being fed and rocked to sleep

• Being transferred to the cot once asleep

• Going to bed later than was ideal for her age

Her parents wanted support to help Fynn sleep more independently, lengthen her naps and finally enjoy more settled nights.

From Not Sleeping Through the Night to 12-Hour Nights

Fast forward just two weeks, and the change has been fantastic.

Fynn is now:

• Taking age-appropriate naps
• Enjoying lovely long, restorative naps
• Settling much more easily at bedtime
• Sleeping around 12 hours overnight
• Following a much more predictable routine
• Building healthy independent sleep skills

Why Was This 8 Month Old Not Sleeping at Night?

When we looked at Fynn's sleep as a whole, there wasn't just one reason she wasn't sleeping well.

Her sleep difficulties were a combination of her daytime sleep, bedtime timing, feeding and rocking to sleep, and the support she had become used to receiving when she woke between sleep cycles.

Early Morning Waking

Fynn frequently woke as early as 5:00 a.m.

Sometimes she could be rocked or cuddled back to sleep, but not always.

Early morning waking can be a sign that overtiredness has been building over several days. It can also become reinforced if babies begin to expect interaction or feeding at this time each morning.

To improve this, we focused on ensuring Fynn was getting enough restorative daytime sleep alongside an earlier bedtime to reduce overtiredness.

Anything before 6:00 a.m. continued to be treated as nighttime.

Short Naps and Daytime Sleep

Fynn's naps were happening a little later than was ideal and were often shorter than one sleep cycle.

At eight months, babies naturally have sleepy periods during the day, and when naps align with these biological rhythms, sleep can become deeper and more restorative.

We focused on:

• Watching for sleepy cues
• Following age-appropriate wake windows
• Encouraging naps longer than one hour
• Allowing her the opportunity to transition between sleep cycles

We also wanted to reduce her reliance on contact naps.

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with the occasional carrier or car nap, having most naps happen in the cot, in a dark and quiet room, gave Fynn the best opportunity to practise independent sleep and achieve longer naps.

8 Month Old Struggling to Go to Sleep at Bedtime

Fynn's bedtime was later than her body was ready for.

She was taking a long time to settle and then waking frequently overnight.

Overtired babies can often appear wired rather than sleepy. Their bodies begin producing cortisol, which can make it more difficult to settle and remain asleep.

Bringing bedtime earlier helped reduce this overtiredness and allowed Fynn to start the night with deeper, more restorative sleep.

Feeding Back to Sleep During the Night

Fynn had developed a strong feed-to-sleep association.

She relied on feeding to fall asleep at bedtime and again each time she woke overnight.

Although many babies continue to feed overnight at this age, Fynn's waking pattern suggested that some of these feeds had become comfort feeds rather than genuine hunger.

This meant that when she briefly woke between sleep cycles, she expected feeding before she could settle again.

Our goal wasn't to remove feeds abruptly, but to gradually help Fynn distinguish between genuine hunger and habit while learning other ways to return to sleep.

Sleep Associations and Frequent Night Waking

Fynn also relied heavily on her parents' presence to get to sleep.

She regularly:

• Contact napped
• Was rocked or swayed to sleep
• Fed to sleep
• Was transferred asleep into the cot

While incredibly common, these patterns meant that whenever she naturally stirred overnight, she expected the same support to help her return to sleep.

Learning to fall asleep independently at the beginning of the night would eventually help her reconnect sleep cycles throughout the night without needing that same support.

The Sleep Plan for This 8 Month Old

The family chose my two-week sleep support package, where we worked together to improve Fynn's daytime sleep, bedtime routine and independent sleep skills.

Establishing an Age-Appropriate Schedule

We introduced a consistent wake-up time. Anything before 6:00 a.m. continued to be treated as nighttime.

Her first morning feed was offered after 6:00 a.m. and outside the bedroom to reinforce the difference between nighttime and daytime.

Supporting Better Naps

We created a nap schedule based around Fynn's natural sleep rhythms and age-appropriate wake windows.

The aim was for naps to happen in her own bedroom, in a dark and calm environment wherever possible.

This helped:

• Reduce overtiredness
• Encourage longer naps
• Support better overnight sleep
• Improve transitions between sleep cycles

Earlier Bedtime and a Consistent Routine

We introduced a calm, predictable bedtime routine lasting approximately 20–30 minutes.

Everything happened in her bedroom to reduce stimulation.

Bedtime was brought earlier, helping Fynn get to sleep before overtiredness could build.

Separating Feeding From Sleep

To reduce the feed-to-sleep association:

• Her final milk feed was moved to 20–30 minutes before bedtime
• The feed took place outside the bedroom
• The same approach was used before naps where possible

This created a clear separation between feeding and falling asleep.

Differentiating Hunger From Comfort Feeds

We closely monitored Fynn's daytime feeding to ensure she was getting enough calories during the day. Overnight, we worked on distinguishing genuine hunger feeds from comfort feeds.

Encouraging Independent Sleep

Finally, we focused on helping Fynn fall asleep without relying on feeding, rocking or being held.

She was placed into her cot calm and awake, giving her the opportunity to develop self-soothing skills.

If she stirred overnight, she was given time to attempt to resettle before support was offered.

These small but consistent opportunities allowed her confidence around sleep to grow each day.

The Results: How Is Fynn Sleeping Now?

In just two weeks, Fynn has made wonderful progress.

She is now:

• Taking long, restorative naps
• Settling much more easily at bedtime
• Sleeping approximately 12 hours overnight
• Following a predictable, age-appropriate routine
• Building healthy self-soothing skills
• Waking only once overnight

Most importantly, her parents are finally enjoying much more settled nights and have the confidence to continue building on these new sleep habits.

Can the 4-Month Sleep Regression Affect Sleep Months Later?

The period following the 4-month sleep regression can feel incredibly difficult.

Many babies suddenly begin waking more frequently, taking short naps and relying heavily on feeding or rocking to return to sleep.

For some families, these sleep difficulties can continue well beyond four months, which is why parents may find themselves with an 8 month old who is still not sleeping through the night.

Parents often feel like they've done something wrong. The reality is they haven't.

As babies' sleep matures, they simply begin needing different support.

With an age-appropriate schedule, enough daytime sleep, an earlier bedtime where needed, and opportunities to develop independent sleep skills, babies can make remarkable progress.

Is Your 8 Month Old Not Sleeping Through the Night?

If you've found this case study because you're searching for answers about why your 8 month old won't sleep, won't stay asleep at night or has never slept through the night, you're certainly not the only parent experiencing this.

Your baby may be struggling with:

• Frequent night wakings
• Not sleeping through the night
• Short naps
• The 4-month sleep regression
• Early morning waking
• Feeding to sleep
• Contact naps
• Rocking to sleep
• Bedtime battles
• Learning to self-soothe

You don't have to navigate it alone.

👉 Book a free 15-minute Sleep Assessment Call. Click here.

Together, we'll create a personalised sleep plan that works for your baby and your family.