Night Wakings in Babies

Why Do Babies Wake Up at Night?

• According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, there are a few reasons for night wakings in babies. Young babies have small stomachs, and so can only hold a few ounces in their stomach at a time; so when the little stomach empties out, the baby will wake because he is hungry again. Babies also are growing so fast that they require large quantities of nourishment to keep going and growing. A baby may also wake at night because of a wet or soiled diaper that makes him uncomfortable. After all, all of that milk has to go somewhere! A young baby may also wake up at night simply because he can't tell the difference between night and day, or because he wants to be cuddled.

How Often Do Babies Wake Up at Night?

• While every baby is different, the Children's Physician Network states that from birth to age 2 months, many babies wake up twice a night to be fed, and from 2 months until 4 or 5 months, a baby may only wake up once a night for this purpose. After 4 or 5 months, many babies can sleep through the night. However, this varies widely depending on the baby. Some newborns wake up every two hours at night, while others sleep in longer stretches at a younger age.

Helping Your Baby Sleep at Night

• Try to keep daytime naps to less than two hours, if possible. Make sure your baby's room is cool, dim and quiet. Make a nighttime routine so your baby starts to associate this routine with becoming sleepy, such as a bath, feeding and bedtime story. For babies past the newborn stage, let them get attached to a security object that can be taken to bed, such as a small stuffed animal or special baby blanket.

What to Avoid

• Don't rock your baby to sleep at night, as she will learn that this is to be expected each time she awakes and won't be able to soothe herself back to sleep if she wakes in the middle of the night. Instead, put her in her crib sleepy, but still awake, suggests the National Sleep Foundation. Don't let her have a bottle in her crib before bed, for the same reason. Don't change a wet diaper during the night if you can avoid it, as this can make her unable to cope with the wet feeling even a little. If she has a bowel movement and must be changed, keep the lights as dim as possible, the room as quiet as possible, and put her back to bed immediately; don't make the middle of the night a fun playtime.