Between 7 and 9 months, your baby's sleep is shaped by crawling, separation anxiety, and the 8-month sleep regression, all at once. This guide covers sample schedules, wake windows, the 3-to-2 nap transition, and practical tips for teething and anxiety. Written by an Australian mum following Tresillian, Karitane, and Red Nose Australia guidelines.
← See our best white noise machine picks for Australian babiesThree big developmental shifts collide during this period: mobility (crawling, pulling to stand, often at 2 AM), object permanence (your baby knows you exist when you leave and doesn't like it), and mature sleep cycles (90-minute adult-like patterns). Total sleep needs: 12–14 hours per 24 hours, roughly 10–12 hours at night and 2–3 hours across daytime naps. Most babies are on 2–3 naps, with the 3-to-2 transition being the defining change of this period.
Red Nose safe sleep reminder: Once your baby can pull to stand, lower the cot mattress to the lowest setting. Remove mobiles and anything hanging above the cot. No cot bumpers, they are a suffocation and strangulation risk. For complete safe sleep guidelines, see our Safe Sleep & SIDS Prevention Guide.
At 7 months, most babies are on 3 naps with wake windows of 2.25–2.75 hours. The third nap is often shrinking to a 20–30 minute catnap.
A consistent sound environment masks household noise and helps your baby link sleep cycles, especially as wake windows stretch and naps consolidate.
See Our Best White Noise Machines →Unlike the 4-month regression (neurological), the 8-month regression is behavioural and developmental. Three things collide: separation anxiety (object permanence), motor milestones (crawling, pulling to stand), and teething (top teeth erupting). It typically lasts 2–4 weeks. If disruption continues past 4 weeks, check your wake windows and whether new sleep associations have crept in.
This regression is temporary. Unlike the 4-month regression (which permanently changes how your baby sleeps), the 8-month regression passes. Your baby's sleep foundations are still there. This is a phase, not the new normal. Stay consistent and it will settle.
Wake windows stretch significantly during this period. Watch for tired signs (eye rubbing, yawning, grizzling, staring) rather than rigidly following the clock.
By 9 months, most babies are firmly on 2 naps with wake windows of 2.75–3.5 hours. Night sleep consolidates, and many babies are down to 0–1 night feeds, if you can get through the 8-month regression first.
Consistent sound blocks out daytime noise, doorbells, older siblings, traffic, so your baby's naps stay undisturbed. We've tested the best options for Australian families.
Read the Full White Noise Review →Most babies drop from 3 naps to 2 between 6–9 months, with 7–8 months being the most common window.
To transition, stretch the first two wake windows by 10–15 minutes and offer an earlier bedtime (6:00–6:30 PM) instead of the third nap. Expect 1–2 weeks of adjustment, some days will still need that catnap. Keep a consistent morning wake time to anchor the day.
The transition is not linear. Some days will be 2-nap days, some will still need the third nap. This doesn't mean the transition is failing, it means your baby is a human, not a clock. After 1–2 weeks of mostly 2-nap days, the transition is complete.
Top teeth (upper central incisors) typically erupt between 8–12 months and hurt more than the bottom teeth did. Teething pain peaks for 3–5 days per tooth, not weeks. If your baby has been waking hourly for 3 weeks, it's not just teeth. Offer a cold washcloth or chilled teething ring before the bedtime feed. If using pain relief, give it 30 minutes before bedtime. Don't change your sleep routine during a teething wave, new sleep associations stick long after the tooth is through. Teething gels are not recommended by many Australian health professionals; cold pressure is safer and often just as effective.
Separation anxiety peaks between 8–9 months and can turn bedtime emotional overnight. It's a sign of healthy attachment, your baby now understands object permanence and doesn't want you to leave. Play peekaboo during the day to reinforce that you come back. Keep goodbyes short and consistent. Use responsive settling, stay in the room with a hand on your baby, then gradually reduce your involvement over several nights. This phase passes. Stay consistent.
As your baby becomes more mobile, safe sleep focus shifts to mobility-related risks:
For the full safe sleep checklist, see our Safe Sleep & SIDS Prevention Guide.
← Back to Best White Noise Machine ReviewsYes. It's driven by separation anxiety, motor milestones, and teething. Unlike the 4-month regression (neurological), this one is behavioural. It lasts 2–4 weeks and passes with consistency.
Typically 2–4 weeks. Some babies get through it in 10–14 days; others need the full month. If it continues past 4 weeks, check your wake windows and whether new sleep associations have stuck.
Start with appropriate wake windows (2.5–3.25 hours), a consistent bedtime (6:30–7:30 PM), and 2–3 naps totalling 2–3 hours. Address sleep associations, if your baby needs rocking to fall asleep at bedtime, they'll need it overnight too. Tresillian's free helpline (1300 272 736) offers support for Australian families.
12–14 hours total: 10–12 hours at night and 2.5–3.5 hours across 2–3 naps. Wake windows: 2.25–2.75 hours.
