Wonder Weeks Leap 8

The world has rules now.

Why your toddler suddenly says “No!” to everything (and what’s behind the bedtime chaos)

Around week 55 (based on your baby’s due date), your toddler enters Leap 8; the leap of programs. If Leap 4 felt like the world turned on, this one feels like the world now has a manual, and your toddler just found the table of contents.

They’re testing, pushing, experimenting… and no, you’re not imagining it - sleep often takes a hit (like in any Leap)

The science: What’s changing in your toddler’s brain

This leap is all about understanding sequences. Your toddler isn’t just reacting anymore, they’re starting to plan.

That means:

• I press this button, then music plays.

• I hand you my cup, you fill it.

• I throw my plate, you pick it up (again and again and again…).

It’s not mischief. It’s programming.

According to the Wonder Weeks and supported by early learning frameworks like the Harvard Center on the Developing Child, this leap is about cause-and-effect, but with a twist: now your toddler wants to test what happens if they break the pattern.

So… they might. A lot. They're little scientists, after all.

What this means for your toddler

• They may insist on doing things their way

• They might get frustrated when things don’t go “in the right order”

• You could see more boundary-pushing, especially at bedtime

• Their attention span grows, but so does their need to do it themselves

• They might rehearse pretend routines over and over. Think: putting a toy to bed, feeding a doll

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Their brain is building logic, autonomy, and persistence, which is great news for their future… but exhausting for you right now.

Why Leap 8 feels so triggering or intense

Because everything is a thing.

Wiping hands. Putting shoes on. Turning pages in a book.

This leap comes with a side of stubbornness, because your toddler now sees routines as programs, and when the program doesn’t run how they expect, meltdown mode can kick in. Especially at sleep time.

How to support them through Leap 8

This leap rewards calm consistency, not perfection. Here’s what can help:

• Keep routines predictable – same bedtime flow, same song, same cues. It helps them feel safe in the sequence.

• Offer small choices – “Blue PJs or green?” Choice gives them power within your boundaries.

• Narrate the order – “First we brush teeth, then we read.” They’re soaking up the structure.

• Build in pretend play – let them be the grown-up sometimes. It helps them process control and role reversal.

  
  

Sleep during Leap 8: What changes (and how to cope)

This leap often shows up in:

• Nap resistance (even if they still need two - and reminder that most keep two naps until 14-8 months old)

• Early wakes (testing limits + brain buzz = lighter sleep)

• Delayed bedtimes (they want to “replay” the day)

  
  

What helps:

• Cap the first nap if it’s affecting the second nap or bedtime. It's OK to wake them up to maintain sleep pressure for later. The most important sleep is night sleep followed by the lunchtime nap, which they keep for a while yet.

• Wind down longer; they need more time to shift gears

• Keep rules firm but gentle: “It’s sleep time now. We’ll play again after you rest.”

What NOT to worry about

• Your toddler saying “No” to everything

• Fake crying or protesting sleep. Welcome 'crocodile tears' era

• Clinginess at bedtime

• Obsessively repeating routines or actions

• Sudden food refusal (aka testing control)

All normal. All temporary. All part of learning how the world works.

Common myths during Leap 8

Myth: “They’re being manipulative.”

Truth: They’re being inquisitive. This is programming and experimenting, not plotting.

Myth: “If they resist naps, they’re ready to drop one.”

Truth: Maybe, but maybe not. Most toddlers still need two naps until 14–18 months.

On that note: There is a cascade of negative effects if a nap gets dropped too early. It can lead to chronic overtiredness, early morning wake up spiral, shorter night sleep, skipping all naps...

Unless your child is thriving on one nap and you're not experiencing any of those consequences, do what you can to keep that second nap. Maybe it's only 30mins every other day by the end of it, but let their cues and behaviour (and sleep) guide you more than anything else. And it's ok to wake them from the morning nap to preserve the lunchtime one and maintain a little sleep pressure. All normal and sometimes needed.

If you could ask an expert one thing…

“Help me come up with a plan to keep the morning nap for as long as possible”

👉 Ask Yawn. I takes your toddler’s age, personality, your parenting values, and where you're at right now — and builds a sleep plan that actually fits your life. Try it for free.