Why My Baby Has Stopped Sleeping Through the Night

Medical

• The first thing parents want to rule out as a reason is anything medical. The most common medical reason for night waking is teething. Look for signs of teething, such as drooling, chewing and mouthing anything in reach, daytime fussiness and, of course, swollen gums.

  Another common medical cause for night waking is ear infection. Signs of ear infection include fussiness, tugging at the ear, redness around the outer ear and possibly a runny nose.

  Digestive issues like constipation or colic can also cause night waking. If the baby is older than 3 months though, it's unlikely to be colic. If baby hasn't had normal bowel movements and draws up the legs as if in pain, it could be constipation.

Environmental

• Parents should consider whether any changes to the child's environment could be contributing to the night waking. First inspect the child's room to see if anything has changed recently. Has the weather become a factor----is it too cool or too warm now? Is there a new noise or light possibly disturbing the baby? Have new sheets or bedding been added or the furniture re-arranged in the baby's room? Any changes that occurred about the time of the waking should be considered as possible causes.

Schedule

• Sometimes an upset in a baby's schedule, even a temporary one, can have lasting effects on baby's sleeping habits. Vacations, illness, visits from relatives, any changes in the daily schedule can throw a baby off a sleep pattern. If baby was sick recently and it disturbed sleep, he may have gotten used to the idea of mom's or dad's company at night.

Developmental

• According to Deborah Lin-Dyken, pediatric sleep disorders expert on babycenter.com, many times babies begin waking in the night a few weeks before a major developmental leap like walking. Also, babies may become so obsessed with practicing a new skill, especially a motor one, they may wake in the night to continue practicing. For instance an infant may be learning to pull up to stand, yet not have mastered getting back down.

Prevention/Solution

• While it's typical for infants to begin night waking between 6 and 10 months of age, some methods can remedy the situation.

  For medical reasons, obviously consult a physician to address the physical cause.

  For environmental causes, try to make baby comfortable with whatever changes can't be corrected, and if it's not problematic, try to return things to normal for baby's sleep sake. If new noises are a concern, get a white-noise machine.

  For scheduling issues, maintain a consistent schedule during the day including regular naps and have a regular bedtime routine.

  For developmental causes, parents need to be patient but firm in communicating to baby that nighttime is sleeping time. They shouldn't engage in stimulating activity with the infant. Rest assured, when baby has worked through developmental issues as needed, sleep will resume.