are you going through the 9-month sleep regression phase of your kid? Nine-month-olds are full of personality and spunk. They can experience a range of emotions from anger to joy, happiness, and displeasure. They constantly and consistently smile and cry to express their feelings of discomfort.
Babies start developing new skills every day at this age, like imitating sounds, babbling, crawling, and trying to stand up. These skills are sometimes the cause of 9-month sleep regression, and after a week full of restful sleep, the little one can start waking up in the middle of the night.
If your baby is going through a 9-month sleep regression, check out this first to learn the causes and ways to cope with it.
What is sleep regression?
Sleep regression generally involves periods when a nine-month-old baby with a regular sleep schedule goes on a rogue. This involves waking up in the middle of the night frequently or taking shorter naps, and flat-out refusing to sleep at all.
This can become extremely frustrating for an already exhausted parent who was looking forward to a good night’s sleep and following a proper nap schedule.
Signs of a 9-month-old baby sleep regression?
If you think you are going through this with your baby, then there is a good chance that you have experienced a four-month sleep regression as well. At the age of six to 9 months old, a baby is growing rapidly through significant physical and cognitive changes, which can impact how and when they follow their nap schedule.
The signs of 9-month sleep regression are similar to one’s experiences during the regression period and may include the following:
- Frequently waking up in the middle of the night
- Taking longer than usual to sleep back
- Taking short naps
- Extremely fussy
- Fighting sleep.
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What does a nine-month-old sleep schedule look like?
A part of understanding baby sleep regression is knowing the typical nine-month-old baby sleep schedule. Know that every baby is different; therefore, there is nothing to worry about when your kid is one or two hours off from regular napping time.
It is recommended to get 14 hours of rest in a day, and 9-12 hours of sleep divided between 3-4 breaks is also considered normal.
If you are in search of a sleep schedule template for regulating and measuring the sleep pattern of your baby, this is what it can look like.
- 7:00 a.m. Awake
- 9:30 a.m. Nap
- 11:30 a.m. Awake
- 2:00 p.m. Nap
- 3:30 p.m. Awake
- 7:00 p.m. Bedtime routine
- 7:30 p.m. Bedtime
How long does the 9-month sleep regression last?
While it may sleep like the sleep regression stages are going on forever, do not worry. Regressions are temporary and last for 2-6 weeks only. Of Course, disruptions can definitely occur in the middle of a regular sleeping month. These are generally caused by changing routine or illness.
Baby sleep regression is automatically resolved within six months; you need to contact your pediatrician if it does not. They can help to rule out any underlying illness.
Causes of 9 months sleep regression stages?
There can be several reasons behind nine months of sleep regression, though the major reason is undergoing development leap or change.
At this age, babies develop not only motor and physical skills but also emotional skills. They start feeling separation anxiety, sadness, and discomfort.
A 9-month-old baby continues to absorb different sounds and process your language. These changes can majorly affect the nine-month-old sleep schedule for at least till they get settled to the new routine of skills.
A single shift in the nap can also be the reasoning behind sleep regressions.
How much sleep do 9-month-olds need?
On average, an 8-9-month-old baby needs 14 hours of sleep; however, 12-16 hours is also completely normal. The nap schedule of every kid varies depending on their needs and family’s needs. However, most of the kids at this age sleep for 10-12 hours at night and 2-3 hours during the day.
How to handle the 9-month sleep regression?
Start by preparing the baby’s sleep room. Strong sleep cues help to keep sleep regressions away. You can use low and rumbly white noise, which helps in covering external disturbances and help the bay forget about the outside world. Also, make sure the room is dark and at a comfortable temperature with no external light peeking in.
If your baby is experiencing a growing tooth, check for any teething pain, as throbbing gums can be one of the reasons keeping them awake. You can let them chew your washcloth dipped in apple juice and frozen.
Add more fat to the baby’s diet. Your baby should get enough breast milk and boost their fat content in the evening by feeding avocado, olive oil, or butter into food. This will also help in keeping the bay feel fuller for a long time.
If you have tried the above-mentioned things and your baby is still having trouble sleeping, then it might be due to your sleep schedule. You should adjust your Bedtime. Wakeups can be caused by sleeping in early or too late or following an irregular schedule.
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Sleep training a 9-month-old
A 9-month-old baby starts to snooze throughout the night without any kind of interruptions. However, if your little one is experiencing sleep regression, it’s time to give some sleep training.
While sleep training is not a necessity, parents find that it helps the babies to develop good sleeping habits. Most pediatricians also allow sleep training at 9 months old as the babies are capable of learning new things.
There are many ways of sleep training a 9-month-old, including the COI (cry it out) method, chair method, and the Ferber method. Each of the methods is slightly different from another, but they share the same goal.
Whichever sleep method you pick, follow it consistently to make it a success. Your baby may show a little protest a few nights; eventually, he will get used to the new system.
9-month-old sleep tips
Your baby needs a lot of rest to feel great. However, the world around him seems really interesting right now, so settling him down to doze off may not always be easy.
If your baby is experiencing sleep regression that tries out these strategies to help:
Follow bedtime routine
Plan a series of activities that put the baby into a relaxing mode and signal sleep time. It can be anything like bath, feeding, snuggles, a song, or storytime.
Avoid letting him get overtired.
Overtired babies get cranky, which can make it even harder to make them fall asleep. Try to put your baby to sleep early so that he gets 10-12 hours of complete sleep.
Do not let him sleep too much.
Good nap time is necessary; however, oversleeping during the daytime can disturb the night sleep.
Stick with crib naps
On-the-go naps are okay if done occasionally, however, do not make it a routine. Your baby will get a good sleep in the crib, so make sure to always stick to it.
Keep it consistent
If your baby fusses during the night, you can soothe him but avoid rocking or taking him out of the crib. By doing so, you will unknowingly end up forming a new habit that he will catch on to.
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Final Words
9-month sleep regression is common and nothing to worry about. As every baby follows a different sleeping schedule, keeping them consistent will help in preventing regression phases. Regressions are temporary and last for 3-6 weeks. In case they are still noted ending after six weeks, you can visit the pediatrician to identify any underlying health issues.
