Your Guide to the 7-Month Sleep Regression

Is your 7-month-old not sleeping through the night anymore?

Even after you thought that they had this particular activity down?

You may have met the 7-month sleep regression.

We’re here to help.

First up, know that while sleep regressions can be really disruptive for you and your family, they don’t last forever.

They’re also very normal.

And provided your child doesn’t have other worrying symptoms, sleep regressions are usually just a sign they’re growing and developing as they should.

At around this age, they’re hitting all sorts of milestones.

They might be rolling back and forth, sitting with a little help from you, and maybe even showing signs that they want to get their crawl on.

It may be a little earlier than expected, but they may have started teething.

They’re also improving their motor skills, listening well, and melting hearts with their adorable giggles.

Makes sense that sleep could be the last thing on their minds!

With all that in mind, we’ll take you through the details of the 7-month sleep regression and what you can do about it.

In this article: 📝

Is there a sleep regression at 7 months?

If your 7-month-old is waking up at night crying or fighting sleep at every turn, you may very well be dealing with a sleep regression.

You may know about the more talked-about 6 and 8-month sleep regressions.

But sleep disruptions don’t follow an exact timeline.

It’s common for babies to have one round about this time (somewhere between 7 and 10 months).

And it’s also totally okay if they don’t go through one.

7-month sleep regression signs include:

• Not wanting to nap
  
• Having very short naps
  
• Increased fussiness, both at bedtime and when they’re awake
  
• Waking multiple times at night
  
• Crying when you put them down for the night

A 7-month-old sleep schedule should include somewhere between 12 and 15 hours of sleep.

At this point, think two naps and a long night-time snooze. 🤞

Around 7 months, it’s a good idea to transition from three naps to two — and this shift can be one of the factors leading to sleep disruptions.

To pull this off, include wake windows of somewhere between 2.5 and 3.5 hours, with the hope being that by the time they reach sleep time, they’ll be good and ready for it.

If you find they’re waking up too early, adjust their schedule so that they have a later bedtime.

(There’s no one way to do this. It’s all about what works best for you and your household.)

Why is my 7-month-old not sleeping all of a sudden?

There are a few possible reasons why your little one might be experiencing a sleep disruption at this time.

They might be going through a growth spurt, hitting various physical and cognitive milestones, or settling into a new sleep routine.

And they may have started teething.

In some cases, they might be experiencing all of the above.

There’s so much learning, growing, and changing that happens in their first year of life.

And that can mean that switching from ON to OFF can be all the more challenging.

Sometimes it’s because of what’s happening in their lives.

Travel, new homes, new daycare schedules — all of these can interfere with their sleep patterns.

And then there’s separation anxiety.

While it may be flattering that they suddenly can’t bear the thought of you leaving the room, it can also be incredibly challenging.

Separation anxiety is normally starts around 9 months, but this is not an exact science — they’re figuring out that when you leave, you’re not gone for good.

In some cases, sleep disruption can also be a sign of illness, infection, or something else going on.

If they have a temperature that’s higher than 102 F or one that doesn’t break, check in with your doctor.

Vomiting, diarrhea, rashes, and changes in appetite can also be signs that it’s time to get medical help.

7-month sleep regression or teething?

Rather than it being a case of one or the other, it’s likely that teething and your baby’s sleep regression are linked.

Somewhere around this time, their top and bottom front teeth start to come in (the central and lateral incisors).

If they’re drooling, a little flushed, and wanting to chow down on everything in their vicinity, teething may be at the heart of it.

And it can definitely get in the way of their sleep.

We’ll take you through how to help them find relief in this article.

How long does 7-month sleep regression last?

Now for the good news — not long.

In a few weeks, this sleep regression should be behind you.

Sleep regressions tend to last somewhere between 2 and 6 weeks.
In some cases, they’re done in a few days.

And there are ways that you can help them along the way.

• Create a bedtime routine (if you haven’t done so already) that includes all things comfort — cuddling, rocking, cradling, singing.
  
• Try to stick to a sleep schedule as much as you can (and be very kind to yourself when things don’t quite go as planned).
  
• Associate daytime with fun and adventure and nighttime with rest. This will help their natural sleep-wake rhythms kick into gear.
  
• Put them down in a place dedicated to sleep, following the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) safe sleep guidelines.
  
• If they wake up in the middle of the night, give them a moment before going in. They may be crying in their sleep and able to soothe themselves back to a peaceful slumber.
  
• When you go in to check on them in the middle of the night, try to comfort them without lifting them out of their crib or bassinet.
  
• Try to find the root cause. If you think separation anxiety is at the heart of it, we have some tips for how to deal with it here. And head here for info on navigating the wonders of teething.

And if you need support through all of this, your Peanut community is here for you.

There are so many mamas who are where you’re at.

You don’t have to do this alone.