Is your baby waking up every hour at night? We’ll admit, it may be one of the most exhausting and frustrating experiences for you and your baby. But, trust us, it does get better!
While it’s happening, you’ll need to stay patient, do your best to figure out what’s causing your little one to wake up so much, and then remedy the situation. Sometimes, it can be trial and error for nights on end, but we’re here to help.
In this article, we discuss some of the most common reasons why your baby is waking up every hour and what you can do to help them sleep soundly all night long.
Table of contents
Common reasons why your baby’s waking up every hour
1) Hunger
Sometimes, your baby’s waking up frequently because they’re hungry. This is especially common in very young babies.
Newborns, for example, have small stomachs and often can’t eat enough to keep them full for more than a few hours. But eventually, they’ll be able to eat a full meal and sleep for longer stretches at night.
2) Overheating or overcooling
Most babies are extremely sensitive to temperature changes, so if they get too hot or too cold at night, they’re going to wake up.
Check out this article from the Newton Baby blog to help you figure out if your baby is getting too hot at night: 6 Signs Your Baby Is Too Hot While Sleeping and What to Do.
3) Gas or reflux
If you feed your baby right before you put them down for the night, they may develop gas or acid reflux (a.k.a. heartburn). Even just the noise caused by a gurgly tummy is sometimes enough to wake your little one up several times a night.
4) Teething
Teething is a major milestone in your baby’s life. It’s also a painful milestone!
Unfortunately, the discomfort your little one feels while they’re teething doesn’t go away at night, so they may wake up more often than usual until the teething stops.
If you have questions about what your baby is going through when their teeth are coming in, take a few minutes to read this article from the Newton Baby blog: Do Babies Sleep More When Teething? | A Guide for Parents.
5) Separation anxiety
As your baby gets older, they may develop separation anxiety. This “fear” of being away from you can cause them to wake up when they realize that they’re all alone.
Eventually, they’ll grow out of this stage, so being patient is one of the best strategies for dealing with separation anxiety.
6) Overstimulation
Too much excitement right before bed may make it difficult for your baby to sleep soundly through the night.
As we’ll discuss in the next section, one of the best things you can do is maintain a consistent, relaxing bedtime routine that allows your little one to wind down at the end of a long day.
7) Sleep regression
Every few months, your little one will go through a sleep regression where their normal sleep habits will change dramatically — including your baby waking up every hour.
Check out these articles from the Newton Baby blog for advice on how to survive each stage of sleep regression:
- 4-Month Sleep Regression: Your Survival Guide
- Surviving The 6-Month Sleep Regression: Tips From The Experts
- 8-Month Sleep Regression: Signs, Causes, and How To Cope
- 10-Month Sleep Regression: Signs, Causes, and How To Cope
8) Discomfort
Your baby may be dealing with something as simple as an itchy pair of PJs or a mattress that doesn’t feel quite right. Discomfort like this is one of the leading reasons why your baby may not be sleeping through the night.
Thankfully, it’s also one of the easiest to fix.
In the next section, we’ll discuss several ways you can make your baby as comfortable as possible so that you both can get a good night’s sleep.
How to help your baby sleep through the night
Provide a comfortable mattress.
One of the best things you can do to help your baby sleep through the night is to put them down on a firm yet comfortable mattress.
The Newton Baby Crib Mattress offers just the right level of comfort and support to keep your baby sleeping safe and sound all night long.
We build our mattresses with a Wovenaire core that’s made of 90% air — no foam, glue, latex, or springs here!
That makes this hypoallergenic mattress 100% breathable and provides comfort for your baby and peace of mind for you when your little one starts rolling over in the middle of the night.
Dress them in soft sleepwear.
Another easy way to help your baby sleep through the night is to dress them in soft sleepwear. For newborns and babies, soft cotton pajamas or a sleep sack are your best options.
Your baby might also enjoy being swaddled, but, when it looks like they’re going to start rolling over, switch to PJs or a sleep sack — no blankets yet — to give them a bit more freedom to move.
Maintain a consistent bedtime routine.
Develop and maintain a consistent bedtime routine to help your little one fall asleep faster and stay that way longer. Your baby may enjoy:
- A warm bath
- Rocking in a rocking chair
- A bedtime story
- A lullaby
Try different combinations of these activities (and others) to see what works best for your little one.
Create a relaxing environment.
Do your best to keep your baby’s room or sleep area dark, quiet, and cool. Consider installing blackout curtains to keep out the light, using a white noise machine to mask loud noises, and running a fan to keep your baby’s room cool at night.
For more ideas on creating a relaxing sleep environment for your baby, take a few minutes to read these articles from the Newton Baby blog:
- Baby Sleep Temperature Guidelines To Keep Your Baby Cozy And Safe
- How To Dress Baby For Sleep: The Complete Guide
- The Benefits Of White Noise For Your Baby
Burp your baby after they eat.
If you feed your baby close to their bedtime, take a few minutes to burp them before putting them down to sleep. Burping your baby helps to prevent gas and heartburn by getting rid of excess gas in their tummy.
Here’s how to do it:
- Wait for them to finish eating
- Hold them in your arms with their head on your shoulder
- Gently pat or rub their back until they burp
Keep in mind that they might spit up when they burp so place a burp cloth on your shoulder for quick and easy clean-ups.
Treat their teething symptoms.
Teething is an uncomfortable time for your little one and will most certainly disrupt their sleep habits.
Here are some strategies to help relieve their pain:
- Gently massage your baby’s gums with a clean finger or wet gauze
- Give your baby a firm, rubber teething ring to chew on
- Give your baby a chilled — not frozen — spoon to rub on their gums
If they’re especially cranky, talk to your doctor about giving your baby an over-the-counter pain medication such as Children’s Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Children’s Advil (ibuprofen).
Limit stimulation before bed.
Limit stimulation before bed by:
- Instituting quiet time
- Turning down the lights
- Switching off the TV, computer, phone, or tablet
- Lowering the temperature
- Hiding toys that excite your little one
Be patient and consistent.
Above all, be patient and consistent with whatever methods you choose to help your baby sleep better.
No single strategy is likely to work immediately and all the time. But, when you find something that does work, be consistent and make it a part of your regular bedtime routine.
Consult with your doctor.
If you just can’t find anything to prevent your baby waking up every hour and your health is starting to suffer, talk to your child’s pediatrician or consult with a pediatric sleep specialist or child psychologist.
A good night’s sleep for all!
We know your baby waking up every hour is a difficult time for both of you, but we also know you can get through it! With a little patience, a lot of love, and the information in this article, you and your little one will be sleeping soundly in no time.
The best place to start is to provide your baby with a comfy, safe place to sleep. How can you do that? Put them down on a Newton Baby Crib Mattress at night.
In some cases, that may be exactly what your baby needs to sleep soundly all night long!
