Your baby has been sleeping through the night for about three months. It’s been the best three months of your life. Life is settling into a perfectly good and normal routine. But then, suddenly your baby starts to wake up again during the night. Oh no — the horror! You’re afraid of losing the little sleep you get these days. First step to solving this mystery is finding out why it happens?
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Why your baby starts waking up at night again
It’s not at all uncommon for babies who are sleeping through the night to begin waking up again at least once in the night around the age of 7 to 10 months of age. The reasons for this are many and varied. As you look down the list, see which one fits your situation and the possible solution.
- Time change. Switching from standard time to daylight savings time can wreak havoc on a baby’s sleep schedule.
Solution: Be patient and try altering their nap schedule a bit to help them get back on track. - Changes in environment. Vacation, a new house, a new bed, a new room and other such changes throw babies off their normal schedule in a matter of seconds.
Solution: Be patient but persistent in reestablishing their routine. Keep something familiar, such as a favourite blanket or something with your scent on it, close by to soothe baby into resting peacefully. - Illness. A baby starts waking up during the night when they don’t feel well and need an additional ‘dose’ of snuggling. This is one of those times when there may be little or nothing you can do about your baby waking up in the night. Their discomfort makes sleeping through the night impossible. Once your baby feels better, however, it is important to break the routine of the waking in the night.
Solution: You can do this by resisting the urge to go into their room every time they fuss or cry. Allowing them to re-learn the ‘art’ of soothing themselves to sleep is essential if you want a good night’s sleep. - Changes in routine. Babies thrive on routine and do best when their bedtime routine isn’t messed with. A baby starts waking up during the night when they sense some kind of inconsistency in routine.
Solution: Try to avoid making too many changes at once. If you must, only then should you try to change things up. - Growth spurts can cause a baby to begin to wake up again in the night.
Solution: You can try giving them a small snack before bedtime to help prevent them from waking up hungry. If this doesn’t seem to help, make them soothe themselves back to sleep rather than rushing in when they fuss. Going into their room more than once only prolongs the situation.
Don’t get discouraged. The fact that your baby starts waking up again at night is usually one that resolves itself in about a week. Did the solutions help in fully preparing you if your baby starts waking up during the night? For more information on babies and their sleep, watch this video: