I don’t even know where to begin. All I can say is: I’m tired. Like, soul-level tired. We are smack in the middle of the 8-month sleep regression, and I feel like I’m unraveling. This isn’t just a bump in the road — it’s a full-on detour into madness.
My baby, who was sleeping decently (not amazing, but manageable), is now waking up every couple of hours again. Naps? Chaotic. Bedtime? A guessing game. And the nights? I’m not even sure I’d call them nights anymore — just long stretches of me being half-asleep while trying to figure out if it’s worth trying to put him back in the crib or if we’re just giving up and cosleeping… again.
It’s like all the progress we made just vanished overnight. And I know the “why” behind it — developmental leaps, separation anxiety, crawling, pulling up, babbling… all that brain development. Great for him. But for me? I feel like I’m running on fumes and snapping at everyone I love.
What I’m Trying (and Mostly Failing At)
I’m doing my best to stick to a routine — bath, bottle, books, bed — but some nights it feels like he’s just laughing at the idea of a schedule. I try to remind myself that he’s not giving me a hard time, he’s having a hard time… but whew. When it’s 3:20 a.m. and I’ve already been up four times, that perspective gets harder to hold onto.
We’ve played around with wake windows, tried earlier bedtimes, later bedtimes, more solids, more playtime… and honestly? Some days it feels like nothing works. I keep asking myself: Is this a phase or is this just how it is now? That uncertainty is almost as exhausting as the sleep deprivation.
The Mental Load
What’s been hitting me the hardest, though, is the emotional side of it. I can feel myself stretching thinner each day — not just physically tired, but mentally drained. I’m overwhelmed by how much there is to do while also trying to be gentle and patient with a baby who needs me constantly. And some days, I’m not patient. I cry. I get frustrated. I wonder if I’m cut out for this.
I know it’s just a season, and I know I’ll look back one day and miss these moments. But right now? I just want a nap. A real one. In a bed. With no tiny feet in my ribs and no monitor beeping.
If You’re In It Too
If you’re reading this in the middle of your own regression storm — hi. You’re not alone. It’s hard. It’s relentless. And it can feel incredibly isolating. But we’ll get through it. Eventually, they will sleep. And one day we will too.
But for now, I’m surviving on coffee, crying occasionally in the shower, and reminding myself that I’m doing the best I can — even if it doesn’t always feel like it.
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