Why isn't my baby sleeping through the night?

The question on all parent's lips.. why isn't my baby sleeping through the night? It's actually pretty easy to work out when you have the knowledge, but there isn't a simply answer or solution, which is why it's so frustrating when you have a friend whose baby has slept through from 8 weeks right?

Well, let's start with that. A baby's temperament and sleep needs is paramount to answering this question. Babyies differ so much and, at the heart of it, you will have babies who have higher sleep needs than others. Meaning that they will happily do long naps throughout the day and sleep long stretches at night. Whereas other babies have lower sleep needs, and you may find that they drop naps earlier, or are really affected by changes in day time sleep. So how do you work out where your baby fits into this complex equation? Well I would always say, get your baby on a nap schedule. Think about how long they can go without sleep (ie their wake window) before they get cranky or super tired, and go with it. Using that information, you will quickly be able to tot up how many hours sleep per 24 hours works best for your baby. That's the first step..

The next step is thinking about WHY your baby is waking up so often throughout the night. Is it hunger? If so, are they getting enough calories during the day? If they are, then chances are they ARE hungry during the night. Think about how long your baby has gone without a feed at night before - maybe 5 hours for example. If they wake before that 5 hour marker, then try to resettle them. Don't initially resort to a feed. If they wake after the 5 hour marker, still try to resettle, but not for as long. Feed your baby and resettle them.

Another common reason I see for babies being awake a lot at night is the way a carer reacts to that wake. What I mean by this is, if your baby wakes up and you go into them, pick them up, maybe rock them, or take them out of the room.. it might simply become too overstimulating for them. The next thing you know, your baby is wide awake and you are trying desperately to resettle them. The goal here is to try and reduce the amount of time your baby is awake throughout the night. We want to avoid huge long periods of time where they are awake. Find a settling method that works for you and your baby. This might mean a gentle sleep training technique, or it might mean rocking and transferring. Whichever method you use - be consistent with it. Don't use it once and then do something differently the next time they wake up. It will just be confusing for them.

As always, a baby's sleep environment will naturally affect how a baby sleeps. You may find that in the Summer months, when light starts creeping into your baby's room, they might stir or wake up earlier. Similarly, in the colder months, when the temperature drops a bit your little one might wake up a bit chilly in the night. Think abotu changing the tog of their sleeping bag or removing a layer in those warmer months to make them more comfortable.

If you're at a loss with your little one's sleep, why not book a call with me to see how I might be able to help you. There is always a solution to a baby sleeping poorly, and I am sure I can help you find the cause of it.