Reasons why your baby may be waking in the night
When it’s not obvious, what else could be waking your baby or toddler?
Your baby wakes but isn’t hungry or thirsty, their nappy is clean, so what is it? There are a number of other factors it could be. Here’s some of the most common.
1. Temperature
Check if your baby is too hot or too cold. A room thermometer can help keep the room at the right temperature (anywhere between 16-20 degrees Celsius) but also check if there’s a window is open elsewhere in the house that’s cooling the room too much or your baby has too many layers and is getting too hot.
2. Unable to resettle
If your baby likes you rocking them to sleep or you stroking them as they drift off, night waking could simply be that they naturally wake in the night but are unable to resettle themselves as they are used to you doing that for them.
3. A sleep regression phase
Babies and toddlers can go through several phases of sleep regression and common times include 4 month sleep regression and 8-10 month sleep regression, so this could be the reason your baby is waking at night. Brace yourself too as they can have another sleep regression at two years old.
4. Teething
Teething is a common recurring cause of a baby or toddler waking throughout the night. Teeth cutting through the gums is very painful and more noticeable at night without other distractions so your baby may need some help settling. There are many products on the market to help ease teething pain so worth finding out what most helps settle your little one back to sleep.
5. Being under the weather
Being unwell is a common reason for a baby or toddler to wake, particularly if they have a blocked nose.
6. Are they having too long a nap in the day?
One to be careful of, if your baby or toddler is still napping a lot in the day, it could simply be that they are not tired enough at night to sleep through.
7. Have they got overtired at bedtime?
If they have been overstimulated in the lead up to bedtime, they could get themselves to the point of being overtired and it can be really difficult to get them off to sleep. A calm lead up to bedtime will help relax ready for sleep. So if things are feeling hectic, take some time to talk softly, sing gently or read to your baby to help you both unwind.
Whilst there are also many reasons that could wake your baby at night, the important thing is to consider all of the factors that could be contributing. Remember, you can’t control them all, and they may be going through a stage of unsettled sleep which will pass soon.