Why Your Baby Won’t Sleep and What You Can Do

You wouldn’t be the first parent to struggle to get your little firecracker to sleep soundly, but the possible reasons behind those sleepless nights are varied and complex.

From the newborn stage to toddlerhood, we’ll examine 9 of the most common reasons why babies won’t sleep and how to help yours get the rest she needs.

Before diving into the reasons babies develop sleep problems, we’ll clarify what it means for a baby to sleep through the night. It doesn’t necessarily mean getting a full 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep, especially in the early months.

Instead, it typically means a 6–8 hour stretch of sleep without interruption. 1 Younger babies also may still need a nightly feeding even if their total overnight sleep is 8 hours or more. That might not align with how much you want to sleep yourself, but it’s the name of the game when you’re caring for an infant.

Bear in mind that what’s considered “normal” sleep varies a lot from baby to baby, based on their age and development. Even if your baby has an unusual sleep schedule, as long as she’s getting enough shut-eye for her age, it’s probably fine.

Your little one might have difficulty sleeping for a whole host of reasons. Here are 9 of the most common reasons she could be resisting bedtime:

1. Lack of activity

If your baby hasn’t had enough tummy time (laying on her tummy for gradually increasing intervals) or other activity during the day, she might have too much energy to fall asleep on time.

2. Overtiredness

It might seem counterintuitive, but an overtired baby will also struggle to fall and stay asleep. When babies miss naps or stay up too late, it triggers a stress response, meaning they can become wired and unable to relax.

3. Hunger

Because their tummies are small, newborns need frequent feedings, both day and night. This will ease as your baby grows, but she may continue to wake out of habit rather than true hunger.

4. Disrupted circadian rhythm (not enough daylight)

Babies are born without set “internal clocks.” Your child will calibrate her circadian rhythm through practice, which means that things like too little daylight exposure can confuse her sleep-wake cycle. 2

5. New milestones

Developmental leaps like rolling over, crawling, and walking can make it difficult for your baby to settle down, as she’ll be eager to practice these new skills. 3 When everything’s new and exciting, it can also make it hard to wind down—babies are infamously prone to overstimulation.

6. Sleep regressions

If your once-sound sleeper is suddenly resisting sleep or naps, a sleep regression could be to blame. Sleep regressions are frustrating but normal developmental stages that often coincide with other milestones, such as learning to crawl or teething.

Most sleep specialists agree that there are around 6 stages of sleep regression that strike at different ages:

• 4 months old
• 6 months old
• 8 months old
• 12 months old
• 18 months old
• 24 months old

However, they may show up at different times for your baby. 4

7. Changes in routine

Deviations from the norm can be both exciting and stressful. Consequently, travel, illness, changes in caregivers, or anything that disrupts your usual schedule can lead to sleep problems in children, just like it can for adults.

8. Teething

If you notice your baby fussing more often, drooling, or chewing on things, she’s probably teething. This is an uncomfortable milestone, but you can relieve her discomfort by offering a solid teething ring or cold washcloth to chew on, or by giving her a gentle gum massage. 5

If your baby’s pain seems intense, talk to your pediatrician about using baby acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

9. Illness

Colds, ear infections, and other illnesses can also disrupt sleep patterns. This isn’t just due to your baby’s physical response to the infection; the extra attention you give her while she’s sick can also throw off her expectations for bedtime.

It’s safe to say there’s no shortage of issues that can disrupt your baby’s shut-eye. In this section, we’ll look at your baby’s sleep patterns on a month-by-month basis and list a few strategies to improve her sleep throughout her first year.

0–3 months: adjusting to day and night

Up until she is 3 months old, your newborn will still be adjusting to life outside the womb and should sleep for 10–18 hours in short bursts of a few hours, distributed fairly evenly around the clock. 6

Day-night confusion

As mentioned, your baby won’t have a sense of day and night when she’s born, so she’ll need to learn when to go to sleep and when to wake up.

Teach your baby the difference between day and night by exposing her to natural light during the day and keeping the room dark during nighttime feedings. Shorter daytime naps also encourage your baby to sleep more at night, as long as she’s getting enough sleep in a 24-hour period.

To make sure that she rests enough, you can use a journal or baby app to log how many hours she sleeps. The best baby tracker apps can also offer sleep predictions based on her sleeping pattern and how many naps you want her to take.

Frequent night feedings

Newborns have small stomachs and need to eat frequently, so don’t be surprised if your baby wakes for feedings during the night.

If her nightly interruptions are putting a strain on you, one option is to do a “dream feed”—feeding your baby while she’s only partially awake a few hours after you’ve put her to bed. She’ll probably be able to sleep for longer. 7

During the day, offer your baby breast milk every 1–3 hours or formula every 2–3 hours to make sure she gets enough calories. 8 9 As she gets older, you can gradually increase the time between nighttime feedings, but always consult your pediatrician before weaning her off night feeds completely.

Resistant back sleeping

Some babies prefer sleeping on their tummies. However, at this stage, back sleeping is the safest way for your baby to sleep.

Try offering a pacifier at bedtime to comfort her. Swaddling can also calm her down and encourage her to sleep on her back—but it can also lead to overheating or suffocation if she isn’t swaddled correctly, so pay attention to your technique. 10

If you swaddle her, make sure it isn’t too tight or likely to come loose. Stop swaddling your baby when she starts trying to roll over; rolling over while swaddled increases the risk of suffocation. 11

Moro reflex and trouble sleeping

Unexpected or loud sounds can activate your baby’s Moro reflex, where she startles and throws out her arms and legs. She can also startle herself with her own cries, which may keep her awake. 1112

Swaddling your baby can suppress this reflex, but again, follow best practices to avoid swaddling her too tight.

4–5 months: sleep regressions and other changes

Babies between 4 and 5 months old often experience a sleep regression. While your baby can probably sleep for 6–8 hours at a time, bedtime may now become a battleground. 6 3

As your baby begins to sleep for longer, you may not need to wake her for overnight feedings. Check in with your pediatrician about your baby’s weight and whether you still need to wake her for meals. 13

Dealing with sleep regressions

Developmental changes and separation anxiety are often causes of sleep regressions. Remember, your baby is accustomed to seeing you whenever she wakes up, so she may get anxious when she wakes up alone.

Sticking with a consistent bedtime routine provides your little one with a sense of security. Make sure you put your baby down to sleep when she’s drowsy but not quite asleep, so she can start learning to fall asleep on her own.

Changing nap routines

As babies get older, they nap less. If your little one is suddenly fussier or having trouble falling asleep at night, she may be sleeping too much during the day.

Try reducing your baby’s daytime sleep or moving the timing of her naps. Creating a mini-bedtime routine before each nap lets your baby know it’s sleepytime and she should fall asleep faster as she adjusts to her new schedule.

6 months and up: learning to sleep independently

By 6 months, babies are often capable of sleeping for 10–12 hours at night, with 4–5 hours of sleep during the day. 6 During this stage, your baby will transition from taking 2–3 naps each day to only 1–2 naps after her first year. 14

Falling asleep independently

Many babies at this stage still rely on being fed or rocked to sleep, leading to frequent night wakings for their parents when they need comfort.

Six months is often when many parents start sleep training—the process of teaching your baby that she can fall asleep without your help. There are a variety of sleep training methods for different parenting styles (the cry-it-out method and Ferber method are two of the most popular ones). Whatever method you choose to use, place your baby in the crib when she’s sleepy (but still awake) and to revamp her bedtime routine so she doesn’t need to be fed right before sleep.

Night feedings

Importantly, some babies at this age still need to be fed at night, but others might wake up out of habit. 15 Try feeding your baby if she wakes up during the night, but be careful; eating too much at night can cause reverse cycling, where she ends up consuming more calories at night than during the day.

You can combat reverse cycling by sticking to shorter feedings at night and larger meals during the day. You can also work with your pediatrician on a plan to reduce or eliminate unnecessary nighttime feedings.

Waking too early

There’s nothing like a 5 AM wake-up call from your adorable little alarm clock. When your baby wakes up too early, it can throw the whole day off. Try adjusting her nap schedule, experimenting with different bedtimes, and making her room darker to prevent her from getting up too early.

One of the biggest factors in how long your baby sleeps is her environment. Here are some tips to make her surroundings as soothing as possible:

• Light: Exposure to natural light regulates your baby’s circadian rhythm. Blackout curtains keep her room as dark as possible at night and during naps, and in the morning, you can throw them open to let the light wake her up.
• Temperature: Overheating can be dangerous, and even in the best case, it can interfere with sleep. Keep your baby’s room at a comfortable temperature and dress her in breathable layers. The best way to figure out if your baby is too hot is to feel her chest. She should be warm to the touch, not hot or cold. 16
• White noise: Block out distracting sounds and simulate the environment of the womb with a white noise machine.
• Comfortable bedding: Use soft, comfortable sheets and remove any tags that might irritate your baby’s skin.

Keeping your baby safe when sleeping

For the first 6 months of her life, your baby is most at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)—when a seemingly healthy baby suddenly and inexplicably dies. 17 SIDS is scary for both new and seasoned parents, especially because we don’t really know what causes it.

However, there are measures you can take to keep your little one safe, such as:

• Encouraging back-sleeping: This is the safest option for babies and greatly reduces the risk of SIDS. 18
• Sharing a room with your baby: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends sharing a room with your baby for her first 6 months. 19
• Being cautious about bed-sharing: The AAP also cautions parents about sharing a bed with their babies, as there is evidence that doing so increases the risk of SIDS. However, the AAP also states that it “respects that many parents choose to bed-share” anyway. Ultimately, this is a personal choice that you should chat with your pediatrician about in more detail. 19
• Giving your baby a pacifier: Pacifiers may also protect your baby from SIDS. Just make sure it’s not loose when she goes to sleep. 19
• Keeping your baby’s crib empty: Make sure her crib is free from blankets, pillows, soft toys, and other loose articles. 19

You can help your baby get a good night’s rest by creating consistent routines and encouraging good sleep habits. 11

Here are a few ways to signal that it’s time to hit the hay:

• Wake windows: Wake windows refer to the time your baby spends awake between naps. Creating a nap schedule that features age-appropriate wake windows ensures that she’s tired enough to fall asleep at the same time each day.
• Soothing activities: A warm bath, gentle massage, lullaby, or bedtime story are all ways to prepare your baby for dreamland. Avoid stimulating activities like tickling or screen time before bed.
• Timing: Start at the same time each night to regulate your baby’s internal clock.
• Feeding: If feeding is part of your bedtime routine, put it early on in the routine so that your baby isn’t falling asleep mid-meal. This breaks the association between feeding and sleeping. 20

Promoting independent sleep

As your baby grows, she’ll be ready to learn self-soothing skills. Ways to help her along include:

• Falling asleep awake: When your baby is sleepy but not yet asleep, place her in the crib. Not only does it stop her from getting overtired, but she’ll learn to self-soothe and fall back asleep herself during the night.
• Avoid over-assistance: While it’s important to comfort your baby, try to avoid doing too much. Rocking or patting her to sleep each time she wakes up will make it harder for her to develop independent sleep skills.
• Don’t hover: Babies can be very active sleepers, so you don’t need to respond to every sound and movement. You may end up waking your baby by accident.

While most sleep problems are temporary and manageable, if they persist for weeks despite your best efforts, reach out to your pediatrician or a certified sleep consultant.

If you suspect that your baby’s sleep issues are related to a medical condition like reflux, you should likewise talk to your pediatrician. Watch out for signs that she’s uncomfortable and not just restless, like excessive fussiness or a scrunched face. When in doubt, rely on your intuition as a parent; if you suspect that something’s wrong, you could very well be right.

Dealing with a baby who can’t sleep is a frequent problem for parents—you aren’t alone. Remember that sleeping through the night just isn’t possible in the first few months of your baby’s life, but she’ll get there eventually.

Be patient and consistent, and experiment with different strategies so your baby gets all the rest she needs. Don’t hesitate to seek professional help if you feel overwhelmed or concerned about your baby’s sleep. Soon, you’ll both get a good night’s sleep.