Why do babies wake at night? Top 8 reasons your baby might be up!

1. THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO

Babies are meant to wake and call for their caregiver(s) throughout the night. Simply put, if babies weren’t supposed to wake overnight, they wouldn’t.

A study was done by Sadler, S. in Prof Care Mother Child 1994 Aug-Sep;4(6):166-7 which was a part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ALSPAC), surveyed the parents of 640 babies and found that:

• 16% slept through the night at six months old – 84% were not sleeping through the night at 6 months. 

• 17% woke more than once per night, ranging from 2-8 times.

• 5% woke just once every night.

• 9% woke most nights.

• 50% woke occasionally.

• 16% of six-month-olds had no regular sleeping pattern.

None of us, not even adults, actually sleep straight through the entire night. As we switch from one phase of sleep to the next, we rouse slightly and as long as we are not hungry, cold, or have to go to the bathroom, we typically go right back to sleep without even realizing we woke to begin with. If babies wake and have a need to be met, then their partial arousal may turn into full arousal and they’ll call out for a caregiver to help them meet their needs.

The fact that our babies wake through the night and call for us is not only biologically normal, but it is also a highly important protective mechanism. We want our infants to wake and call for us to meet their needs. These needs may include hunger, thirst, being too hot or too cold, discomfort or pain, dealing with gas, illness, a need for connection, or searching for proximity. We want babies to call for us to be sure they are not only comfortable but also safe while they sleep.

Some babies will wake and call more for a caregiver than others and that is also completely normal. This is largely due to their individual temperament. If a baby has been sleep trained and is “sleeping through the night” please note that they are not in fact “sleeping through the night.” They are still waking, they just no longer call out for a caregiver as they’ve learned no one will come for them during their time of need. 

2. THEY ARE HUNGRY

It is completely normal for a baby to continue to wake and need to eat overnight into toddlerhood. The need to eat overnight often goes beyond the first few months. Some babies really do need night feeds at 6, 8, or even 12 months and beyond. Every baby has different needs and there’s no set weight or age that determines whether or not a baby needs to eat overnight. 

If your baby is wanting to eat every 1-2 hours, all night long, and they are getting 8 breastfeeds they need during the day (if not more), then this can be a red flag for some issues surrounding breastfeeding (if you are breastfeeding). If you are concerned about the amount your baby seems to be waking to eat overnight, it’s a good idea to seek the support of an IBCLC to rule out any issues with tongue function/latch concerns.

The milestone of your baby eating solid foods can also cause wakes related to hunger. If your baby is taking in too much solids during the day, therefore not getting enough milk, this can result in increased wakes overnight. Breastmilk or formula should always be your baby’s primary source of nutrition until at least age one. 

Prolactin, which is involved in the production of breastmilk, drops in the early evening and comes back up overnight. Being that prolactin levels are the highest overnight, this is also when there is the most milk.

We can understand that it makes sense our baby would naturally want to eat more at this time, especially if they have been distracted during the day. This can also often explain fussiness in the evening as this is when your supply is lowest, before prolactin peaks again.

3. SIMPLY PUT, THEY MISS YOU

I know that our society has become obsessed with independence, particularly when it comes to sleep, but the scientific definition of attachment is the drive or relationship characterized by the pursuit and preservation of proximity. Our babies are meant to search for us; they are designed to search out connections with those who care for them.

To be independent, our children first need to be dependent upon us. Children will become independent when all of their attachment needs have been met and they feel securely attached at the deepest levels.

During infancy, a baby’s way of attaching to their primary caregivers is through close proximity. Meaning, they need to be able to see, touch, smell, hear, or feel a caregiver nearly 24/7 (yes, you read that correctly, infants want/need to be a caregiver almost nonstop.)

For the first year of life, these senses are the ONLY way our children can attach. When we understand this, it is easy to see that at nighttime, if they are not with us, they will search for proximity and connection with us.

4. DEVELOPMENT / SLEEP PROGRESSIONS

The first year of life holds rapid development for babies. They tend to go through periods of drastic change in development, which allow them to learn important new skills. In a similar way to babies having growth spurts, their development comes in spurts as well. They will go through short periods of time where they are not growing much at all, and then all of a sudden, there will be a dramatic mental leap forward. When this happens, babies may be more fussy and difficult to soothe during the day, and typically has a big impact on sleep as well.

Babies are learning 24 hours a day, their brains don’t just shut off for the night. Any time they are getting ready to meet a new developmental milestone, they can spend hours in the middle of the night practicing. For babies, their world is changing overnight; it is almost as if they are waking up to a new reality. Of course this can be a difficult time for parents, but if we can start to see these fussy and tricky times as important steps forward in their development, we can better respond with compassion and the support that babies need (Plooij 2013).

See my IG highlights for more in infant and toddler Sleep Progressions

5. SEPARATION ANXIETY 

Separation anxiety happens when a baby fears that they will never see you again. It is really important to understand that, “separation anxiety develops after a child gains an understanding of object permanence. Once your infant realizes you’re really gone (when you are), it may leave him unsettled. Although some babies display object permanence and separation anxiety as early as 4 to 5 months of age, most develop more robust separation anxiety at around 9 months.” OSSE 2016

Separation anxiety is normal and comes and goes in phases. It can be very difficult for the primary caregiver(s) to go through these periods of babies needing you so intensely. Be sure to take care of yourself during this time and get support if you can.

6. TEETHING

Teething can be a very challenging time for parents. Around 4–6 months (some will start before and some after), babies will begin getting teeth, and this will continue well into toddlerhood. Teething can bother some children and not have any impact on others. It can lead to more difficulty falling asleep as well as difficulty staying asleep. Note that just like a toothache, teething is much worse at night when babies are lying down. There is lots of information circulating around how much pain children will feel, how long they will feel teething pain and the types of signs and symptoms but here are some general teething facts: 

• It is generally seen in an eight-day window (four days before the tooth breaks through and four days after). 

• Severe symptoms like high fever, diarrhea, and vomiting are not associated with teething. 

• Usual symptoms are gum irritation, mild irritability, drooling, and a very minor rise in body temperature (0.1–0.2 degrees). 

• A fever or rash is more than likely a virus that baby has picked up from putting their hands or toys in their mouth to ease gum pain. Letting a baby chew on cold objects (e.g., a clean, cool washcloth) during the day and rubbing their gums with a clean finger can also help to relieve the pain. It is really important to remember that extra snuggles and cuddles go a long way to easing your baby’s discomfort. 

See my post on natural teething remedies that actually work!

7.  ILLNESS

Illness is a topic that should never be taken lightly with babies. A baby with a fever should be seen by a doctor and managed with as much parental support as needed. Illness can cause sleep challenges, and as caregivers we must accept this. This is not within anyone's control and avoiding support will cause more harm than good. During these times it’s important to treat the illness first and manage sleep later. Babies who are unwell need the comfort and reassurance of a loving parent. 

8. COLIC

If a baby has been labeled “colicky”, we really want to find out WHY. It should be noted that colic is a SYMPTOM, not a DIAGNOSIS. Some possible reasons include feeding (tongue-tie, tongue function, food sensitivity) and temperament (highly sensitive babies are often labeled colicky, especially when they have sensory processing challenges). Gas and reflux can also be a reason why a baby is ‘colicky’. 

When baby is crying and/or uncomfortable, try giving them a bath, lay baby on their back and hold their feet up to help the air/wind escape, massage their belly, bicycle their feet. Know that certain foods can travel through breastmilk and can cause a reaction (allergy or sensitivity) for some babies. If formula feeding, parents may also want to consider a dairy sensitivity and may want to try a hypoallergenic formula. Pacifiers can be a really great tool to help with digestion and easing gas and discomfort.

There are heaps of other reasons a baby might wake at night, but these are the most common. To explore other potential causes of wakes that should be addressed (as in, they could be linked to a possible health condition) check out this IG post.

Check out my free downloads for other ways to address nighttime wakefulness.

If you need more personalized support when it comes to night wakes, potential underlying health conditions, adjusting sleep patterns with responsiveness (zero sleep training/CIO!) book a one on on consult here.

References: Boyden, S. D., Pott, M., & Starks, P. T. (2018). An evolutionary perspective on night terrors. Evolution, medicine, and public health, 2018(1), 100–105. https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoy010 Moreno MA. Sleep terrors and sleepwalking: common parasomnias of childhood. JAMA Pediatr 2015; 169:704. Schredl, M., Blomeyer, D. & Görlinger, M. Nightmares in children: Influencing factors. Somnologie4, 145–149 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-000-0007-z Singh S, Kaur H, Singh S, Khawaja I. Parasomnias: A Comprehensive Review. Cureus. 2018 Dec 31;10(12):e3807. doi: 10.7759/cureus.3807.