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Baby Sleep Quiz - Why does my baby wake in the night?

Baby Sleep Quiz - Why does my baby wake in the night?

Has your baby's bedtime fallen off the wagon? Or has your baby previously slept through the night, but is now waking frequently? We've put together some handy troubleshooting tips to help get you back on track.

1. Is your baby's bedtime on time?

The time you put your baby to bed can have a big impact on both bedtime itself and overnight sleep. A baby who goes to bed too late is likely overtired and will have trouble winding down to sleep. Overtired babies often wake more at night, and earlier in the morning. for babies and children under 3 years old, 6:30pm is generally a good bedtime. Some little ones will be fine with a 7:00 pm lights out, and others might need an occasional 6:00 or 6:15pm if they have had a very big day, or are in the middle of dropping a nap. If in doubt- keep it on the early side.

2. Is your baby having age appropriate naps?

Good day sleep = better night sleep in our experience. We would suggest the following as a general guide for day sleeps:

Age Number of naps Approximate Timing

4 - 7 months

3

9am, 12:30pm and 4pm

7-15(ish) months

2

9:30am and 1pm

18+ months

1

12:30pm

3. Do you help your baby fall all the way to sleep at bedtime?

Even if you haven't always helped your baby get to sleep at bedtime, if you have recently found yourself needing to rock, feed, or otherwise help your baby fall asleep most of the time then this is likely something babe is now relying on. In order for your baby to sleep through the night, she needs to be able to settle herself when she first falls asleep.

4. Does your baby self-settle at bedtime, but wake and need rocking, feeding or other help to get back to sleep overnight?

Good news! Your baby has the skills to self soothe, and just needs some extra practice overnight. Waking frequently overnight is normal – we adults do it, we are just really good at self soothing! Depending on his age, your baby might still need an overnight feed. Most babies over 6 months can sleep through the night without feeding provided they are established on solids and eating well during the day. A dreamfeed can help with babies who still need a night feed.

5. Does your baby rely on a dummy to get to sleep and resettle in the night?

Your baby can certainly learn to sleep through the night and continue using a dummy, but not if you keep putting it in for her. Your baby needs to learn to use the dummy as a self-settling tool, which means putting it in herself. If she can't learn to do that, get rid off the dummy!

6. Does your baby find it hard to settle at bedtime or resettle in the night as she is crawling round the cot or standing up?

Movement in the cot is a developmental stage that babies eventually grow out of. But you can help your baby settle much quicker and sleep through the night sooner by limiting their movement in the cot. Attached sleeping bags or Safe T Sleeps can help.

SAFE T SLEEP

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7. Is your baby waking as he has kicked off all the blankets and is cold? (Waking from cold often occurs in the early hours of the morning):

Your baby is much more likely to sleep through the night if he stays a comfortable temperature all night, and doesn't need you to tuck him back under the blankets. It's also good if you have peace of mind that your baby is the right temperature without needing to constantly check! Use a baby sleeping bag or sleeping suit, which will keep baby warm without the need for additional blankets. We also recommend cotton and/or merino layers to keep baby cosy all year round. Cotton and merino are both natural, breathable fibres which help regulate your baby's temperature throughout the night. Use a room thermometer so you know what the room temperature is and how to dress baby appropriately.

THE SLEEP STORE

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8. Is your baby still swaddled but comes unwrapped during the night?

Swaddling is fantastic for newborn babies (and you can read more about swaddling here), however once your baby is around 4-5 months old It could be time to start the transition to a sleeping bag. It is important to note that once your baby can roll, you need to either stop swaddling, or introduce a Safe-T-Sleep.  

 

WOOLBABE

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Where to now?

If you're still not sure the reason for your wee one's night wakings, it probably boils down to self-settling. The best place to start is reading our article, how to gently encourage your baby to self settle.