Why is your baby still waking up in the middle of the night crying for you? Read on to see the six most common reasons your baby is not sleeping through the night from a Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Occupational Therapist.

Sarah Taylor is the owner of Little Slumber Stars. She is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant through the Center for Pediatric Sleep Management and she has a Master's in Occupational Therapy from the University of Texas Medical Branch. She works with clients ranging from newborns, toddlers and young children with a variety of sleep concerns.
These are the most common reasons that Sarah says your baby or toddler may be waking up in the middle of the night.
Reason #1 - Their Age
At certain ages, babies are supposed to wake up every few hours at night. They need to eat! The first few weeks of life, newborns should eat every 2-3 hours in a 24 hour period. As they get older, these stretches get longer until they are 12-16 weeks of age. At this age, they can sleep through the night (up to 12 hours straight).
When your baby is achieving a new milestone, sometimes this can impact their sleep. Their brain is being overstimulated and they like to practice their skills in the crib. If a developmental milestone is the reason for your baby’s waking in the night, this should not last more than a few days!
Reason #2 - Inappropriate Wake Windows
Make sure you are following age-appropriate wake windows and that these awake times are engaging. Take your child outside, the sunlight helps synchronize their circadian rhythm. During wake windows, engage with them by doing things like reading books and singing songs. Let them practice milestones based on their age. Tummy time is a great activity for young babies. You can put a mirror or black/white toys in front of them to engage their visual system and their brain.
"Engaging wake windows stimulate your baby's brain so they are more tired when it is time to sleep!" – Sarah Taylor
Reason #3 - Daily Caloric Intake
Your child may not be getting enough calories during the day. Make sure they are getting full feeds and being fed the age-appropriate amount of times throughout the day. If they are falling asleep during feeds, try waking them up by talking to them, singing to them, removing their swaddles/clothing and ensure they are getting full feeds.
In order to calculate how many calories per day your baby should be getting, there is a simple formula. Take their weight in kg and calculate the following:
For newborns, 100 calories per kg in a 24 hour period
For 1-3 year olds, 80 calories per kg in a 24 hour period
For 4-5 year olds, 70 calories per kg in a 24 hour period
Reason #4 - Independently Connecting Sleep Cycles
If your baby is used to being assisted to sleep by nursing to sleep, rocking to sleep or lying in bed with a parent, then they will have a harder time going back to sleep when they wake in between sleep cycles. All of us wake up in between sleep cycles at night, but we know how to go right back to sleep.
If this is the case, your baby or toddler needs to learn how to fall asleep independently at bedtime and then once they know how to go to sleep independently, they will be able to go back to sleep in the middle of the night. To begin teaching your child to fall asleep independently, try providing less assistance at bedtime and place them in bed awake. If you need assistance with this, contact Little Slumber Stars to see how they can help!
Reason #5 - The Room Environment
Babies sleep best with darkness (provided by blackout curtains) and a white noise machine. See below for links to some of Sarah Taylor's favorite items for your baby's room
Additionally, they might be waking up because they are uncomfortable. Make sure the room temperature is between 68-72 degrees and they are in appropriate clothing for the season.

Reason #6 - Your Baby Might Be Sick
If you have addressed all of these things and your baby is still waking up overnight, try calling the pediatrician to make sure they don’t have an ear infection or some type of minor illness.
Need Help With Your Child's Sleep?
We are here to solve all of your sleep concerns and get your family to better sleep!
Click here to see the sleep packages we have to offer. You can also click here to book a FREE discovery call with Sarah where she can hear your concerns and see what option might be best for your family.

You can also follow Little Slumber Stars on Instagram here. We post tips daily on all things sleep and development related!

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