{"id":1536,"date":"2025-01-01T21:25:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-01T21:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/?p=1536"},"modified":"2026-04-12T15:22:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T15:22:46","slug":"why-your-baby-wakes-overnight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/01\/why-your-baby-wakes-overnight\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Your Baby Wakes Overnight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>updated, July 15, 2025 <\/em><\/strong>&#8211; Our team of night nannies and baby nurses get lots of questions about how to help babies to sleep through the night!  Just because a baby &#8220;should be&#8221; old enough to sleep 8 hour stretches, doesn&#8217;t mean that they will. This blog, Why Your Baby Wakes Overnight will help you understand why your infant still wakes, and how to help them get back to sleep peacefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-regular-font-size\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Besides hunger, here are the most common reasons babies wake overnight and what you can do to help:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-regular-font-size\">\n<li>Illness or congestion (especially when lying flat)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Teething Pain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They&#8217;re uncomfortable; they have a full diaper, trapped gas or the temperature in the room is too cold or hot<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For their whole life they&#8217;ve woken up every few hours and need a feed or pacifier to go back to sleep. It makes sense &#8211; and is perfectly normal- that they don&#8217;t magically know another way.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"440\" height=\"369\" src=\"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Why-Your-Baby-Wakes-Overnight-1.png\" alt=\"Infant sleep helps you learn Why Your Baby Wakes Overnight\" class=\"wp-image-5127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Why-Your-Baby-Wakes-Overnight-1.png 440w, https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Why-Your-Baby-Wakes-Overnight-1-300x252.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 440px) 100vw, 440px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-regular-font-size\">Why Your Baby Wakes Overnight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Q. Why does my baby wake through the night when I know he or she is not hungry?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">A. There are typically 4 reasons for this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-regular-font-size\"><strong>Illness \u2013<\/strong> when baby has an illness or discomfort such as congestion or ear infection; laying horizontally makes fluid in the inner ear or chest settle and makes getting comfortable very difficult for baby. &nbsp;Baby might also need their nasal passages <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Use-a-Bulb-Syringe-on-a-Baby\">cleared<\/a>. Responding to baby quickly, for as long as baby needs is of course recommended. &nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-regular-font-size\"><strong>Teething<\/strong> \u2013 Teething pain is one of the most common causes of overnight wakefulness. Comforting baby is again the way to go (of course!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-regular-font-size\"><strong>Discomfort <\/strong>&#8211; Go through this checklist: are they too hot\/cold? Is their diaper wet or soiled? Could they have gas? Once you know the reason you can work quickly to help.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-regular-font-size\"><strong>It&#8217;s their Routine\u2013<\/strong> For healthy babies who\u2019ve never slept through the night, frequent waking often happens because their circadian rhythm and sleep associations are still developing. They\u2019re simply continuing the 3\u20134 hour cycle they\u2019ve known since birth. Gradually spacing out nighttime feeds and offering more daytime calories can help their internal clock adjust. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s important to note that a normal part of newborn and infant development is that sometimes your baby might be healthy and well, but still awake or fussy with no noticeable reason. In these cases, you can always try one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/2023\/04\/17\/top-10-ways-calm-fussy-baby\/\">12 Ways to Soothe Baby<\/a>. If you ever feel something just isn&#8217;t right, you can also contact your pediatriican anytime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Q. My baby used to sleep through the night when swaddled but now they don&#8217;t. Do I stop the swaddle?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">A. When baby is rolling onto her stomach, the swaddle becomes a hazard. When baby is consistently &#8220;busting out&#8221; in the late 3<sup>rd<\/sup> month or month 4, he&#8217;s telling you he does not need the swaddle anymore. &nbsp;To eliminate the swaddle parents can simply go cold turkey or take a gradual step-down approach where we allow one arm out for several nights, then 2 arms and then eventually no swaddle at all. Learn all the safe swaddling info in <a href=\"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/09\/how-swaddle-pro-2020-update\/\">How to Swaddle Like a Pro<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Q. How do I eliminate overnight feeds\/the pacifier?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">A. Anytime we are helping baby -and well, anyone really- learn a new way to do things we have two choices: cold turkey or gradual introduction. Cold turkey certainly cuts to the chase, but the gradual approach can be much more gentle and less jarring for baby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">For feeding this means that we can eliminate milk\/formula altogether between certain hours or we can gradually wean the amount taken in during these hours. For nursing moms, gradual weaning is essential\u2026it\u2019s more gentle for baby and also gives mom\u2019s body time to adjust. When it comes to the pacifier we can \u201ccold turkey\u201d it or gradually remove the pacifier after less and less time per pacifier \u201csession\u201d. &nbsp;For sleep training, it\u2019s typically recommended to remover pacifier when baby stops sucking for a few moments, repeating this removal over and over until the pacifier is eventually not needed. &nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;d like step by step guidance on helping baby sleep through the night, visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/2023\/08\/22\/ultimate-guide-to-baby-sleep-training\/\">Ultimate Guide to Baby Sleep Training<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-regular-font-size\">Creating a Calm Sleep Environment <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">One last factor that shouldn&#8217;t be overlooked in helping a baby sleep through the night is a consistent, calm sleep environment.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-regular-font-size\"><strong>Feel &#8211;<\/strong> Babies sleep best in a room that is cool (around 68\u201372\u00b0F) so be sure the temperature is comfortable for sleep. Also ensure baby is dressed properly. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-regular-font-size\"><strong>Sound<\/strong> &#8211; Keep baby&#8217;s room quiet or use white noise to mask household sounds. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-regular-font-size\"><strong>Sight <\/strong>&#8211; Blackout curtains signify it\u2019s time for rest and also keep outside lights from waking baby overnight. Avoid blue light devices and stimulating play in the hour before bedtime, as this can interfere with melatonin production. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-regular-font-size\"><strong>Routine <\/strong>&#8211; A simple routine like dimming the lights, changing into pajamas, and reading a short book or singing a lullaby sends a strong signal to baby that it\u2019s time to wind down and sleep. A common routine is also the 4 B&#8217;s: bath, bottle, books then bed.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-regular-font-size\"><strong>Consistency<\/strong> &#8211; Babies thrive on predictability. A consistent bedtime, similar environment, and familiar routine help regulate their body clocks and reduce night wakings over time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Whether baby room shares with you, sleeps in a crib, uses a pacifier or does any number of other sleep behaviors, there are a LOT of right answers. Always check with your pediatrician before making major changes to feeding or sleep routines, especially for babies under 6 months or those with medical conditions. In general though, as long as baby is safe, it&#8217;s always okay to do what works to make a happy and peaceful family.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"440\" height=\"369\" src=\"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Why-Your-Baby-Wakes-Overnight-1.png\" alt=\"Infant sleep helps you learn Why Your Baby Wakes Overnight\" class=\"wp-image-5127\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover;width:352px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Why-Your-Baby-Wakes-Overnight-1.png 440w, https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Why-Your-Baby-Wakes-Overnight-1-300x252.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 440px) 100vw, 440px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Why Your Baby Wakes Overnight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>updated, July 15, 2025 &#8211; Our team of night nannies and baby nurses get lots of questions about how to help babies to sleep through the night! Just because a baby &#8220;should be&#8221; old enough to sleep 8 hour stretches, doesn&#8217;t mean that they will. This blog, Why Your Baby Wakes Overnight will help you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":5127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[269],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-infant-toddler-sleep"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1536\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}