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.
Key Takeaways
Table of contents
- Common reasons why your baby’s waking up every hour
- How to help your baby sleep through the night
- Wake up patterns by age
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.
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 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 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.
9) Illness
If your baby is under the weather, it’s not surprising that they’re waking up frequently. Here are some illnesses that can cause frequent wakings as well as symptoms that may indicate that this is what’s going on.
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Ear infection: Your baby may be pulling on their ears, have a fever, or get extra irritable when being put down to sleep.
- Food allergy: You may notice a rash on baby’s body or blood in their stool. They also may be extra gassy.
- Iron deficiency: Your baby may be pale and fussy, with a decreased appetite.
- Sleep apnea: When your baby sleeps, you might hear snoring or pauses in their breathing.
- Urinary tract infection: When it’s time to change the diaper, their urine may smell strongly, and they may be fussy and feverish.
Contact your pediatrician right away if you notice any of these symptoms.
10) Overtiredness
Overtiredness can also cause frequent night wakings. If your baby’s overtired, you may notice them yawning, rubbing their eyes, looking zoned out, or fluttering their eyelids.
11) Sleep associations
Your baby may also be waking frequently due to absent or misaligned sleep associations. Basically, this means the cues that should be signaling your baby to sleep are doing the opposite and keeping them anxious and awake instead.
12) Travel
Travel, too, can cause your baby to wake up every hour. This may be due to changing time zones, environments, and climates, or just the stress of a new place.
Wake up patterns by age
Baby sleep patterns can change by age. We’ll tell you what your baby’s sleep might look like based on their age, and which of the causes we’ve described above are the most common culprits at that period of development.
Newborn to three months
Newborns typically wake every two to three hours to feed, although waking up more than that can still be normal. The most common reasons they’ll wake up every hour at night are because they’re hungry, overtired, or uncomfortable.
As we mentioned earlier, a newborn’s stomach is very small, so they can only eat a little at a time, meaning they’ll wake up often to eat, especially if they’re cluster feeding.
In addition, with everything new and exciting around them, they may stay awake for too long, making them overtired. They also cannot express themselves clearly yet, so an itchy tag or lumpy mattress can sometimes be to blame, too.
Hourly awakenings that occur a night or two can be normal, but if this is persistent or if your baby is also not eating, is constantly crying, or is showing signs of illness, visit your pediatrician.
Four to six months
Between four and six months, your baby’s sleep should change a bit. In fact, they might even be able to sleep through the night, or at least a good part of the night, by this time. Frequent waking can be normal at this age, but if it persists or you have concerns, consult your pediatrician.
Typically, waking up often at night during this age is due to overtiredness, discomfort, or sleep associations. If waking up more than a few times a night doesn’t resolve after a day or so, consult your doctor.
Seven to 12 months
From seven to 12 months, your baby may again be sleeping through the night, although they could also be waking up a couple of times to feed. If they’re waking more than that, they may be hungry, experiencing a growth spurt or sleep regression, or they’re uncomfortable or overtired.
Your baby may also be experiencing sleep associations that are preventing a good night’s rest. If your baby is ill or is consistently waking up more often than a couple of times a night, talk to your doctor.
Over 12 months
Once your baby is over the one-year mark, they may be sleeping through the night. If they are waking frequently, it may be due to habit, overtiredness, discomfort, or illness.
Another reason they may be waking up is that they’re hungry, meaning they might not be getting the calorie intake they need. If you think this is what’s happening, visit your pediatrician to review your child’s nutrition and get a checkup to ensure there’s no underlying illness.
How to help your baby sleep through the night
If your baby is waking up too often during the night, there are a few things you can do to try to get them back on their normal sleep schedule.
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 Crib Mattress offers just the right level of comfort and support for a good night's sleep.
We build our mattresses with a Wovenaire® core that’s made of 90% air: no foam, glue, latex, or springs here! That makes the mattress ultra-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 as soon as they show signs of rolling, switch to PJs or a sleep sack (no blankets yet!) to keep them safer and 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. A routine will signal your baby’s brain that it’s time to hit the hay. Keep your routine simple, maybe 10 to 15 minutes long.
Consistency is more important than the actual steps. Whatever you decide to do, be sure that you can do the same steps for every nap and bedtime. Here are some ideas:
- Dim the lights.
- Change your baby into pajamas.
- Give your baby a warm bath.
- Rock them on a rocking chair.
- Turn on some soft music.
- Read them a bedtime story.
- Sing your little one 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 setting the thermostat to 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit, which is considered the ideal sleeping temperature for a baby.
If your baby’s room is dry, you can also use a cool mist humidifier to add moisture to the air. The moisture level should be between 30 and 50 percent. Be sure to stay under 60 percent humidity, as any higher poses a mold risk.
For more ideas on creating a relaxing sleep environment for your baby, take a few minutes to read these articles from the Newton 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: After they finish eating, hold your baby upright with their head on your shoulder. Support their bottom with one hand as you gently pat or rub their back with the other hand. You can also lay your little one across your lap or arm.
When in that position, as you rub their back, be sure their head is higher than their chest. Keep in mind that your baby might spit up when they burp, so have a burp cloth on hand for quick and easy clean-ups.
Treat their teething symptoms.
Teething can be an uncomfortable time for your little one and may disrupt their sleep habits.
To relieve the pain, you can start by giving your little one a gum massage. Start by washing your hands and then gently massage their gums with a clean finger. You can also give your little one a chilled (not frozen) spoon, pacifier, teething ring, or damp washcloth to chew on.
If your baby is eating solids, you could offer age-appropriate chilled foods. If they're especially cranky, ask your pediatrician about an age-appropriate pain reliever.
Keep in mind that teething can make a child extra drooly, so keep a soft towel nearby to wipe away the drool. To prevent a rash caused by drool, apply a soothing barrier cream to their skin.
Limit stimulation before bed.
Another way you can try to make your baby’s sleep better is to limit stimulation before putting your little one down for the night. This might mean you institute a quiet time before bed: speak in hushed tones, dim the lights, turn off any devices that make noise.
It’s also a good idea to put away any toys that your baby likes, as seeing their toy could cause excitement, working against your little one’s bedtime.
Try an infant massage.
Massaging your baby is yet another way to calm them and get them ready for bed. Start by making your little one comfortable in a warm room with dim lighting. Remove your baby’s clothes down to the diaper, squeeze some baby oil, and rub it between your hands to warm it up.
Then, gently stroke your baby’s tummy in soft circular motions away from their heart, moving to their back, arms, legs, head, and neck. Keep the pressure very light.
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 works, 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 from 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, safer place to sleep. How can you do that? Put them down on a Newton Crib Mattress at night.
With a comfortable sleep space in place, you and your little one will be one step closer to a better night's sleep!
Frequently asked questions
Should I feed my baby every time they wake up at night?
Whether to feed your baby every time they wake up at night is dependent on their age, how well they’re gaining weight, and their health. If your baby is under two months, you generally would feed them whenever they wake up.
With older children, you’ll want to balance their ability to sleep for longer stretches with their weight gain and need for the extra food. Check with your pediatrician for their feeding recommendations.
How can I break my baby’s habit of being held to sleep?
To break a baby’s habit of being held to sleep, gradually start putting your baby to bed drowsy but awake, starting with the first nap of the day, and then building gradually to all of their naps and nighttime sleep.
Place them down on the mattress feet first, and then soothe while they’re in the crib.
How can I tell if my baby is waking from hunger or habit?
There are some telltale signs your baby is waking from hunger or habit. Just look at how they feed and, after they’re done, how long they sleep.
If they’re truly hungry, you’ll hear them sucking and swallowing, their appetite will be strong, and they’ll sleep for three to five hours afterwards.
If they’re waking out of habit, they may wake at the same time nightly, need to be rocked, held, or fed, and, when you do feed them, the cycle begins again.
