Why Is My Baby

Waking So Frequently at Night?

Frequent night waking is one of the most common reasons families seek sleep support. If your baby or toddler is waking multiple times overnight and you are wondering what you are doing wrong, the answer is usually… nothing.

Night waking is rarely random. It is almost always connected to development, sleep pressure, routines, environment, or how sleep is supported. Understanding why your child is waking — and whether it is actually outside what is developmentally expected — is the first step toward improving sleep.

What is considered frequent night waking?

Frequent night waking can look very different depending on age. For some families, it means waking every 45–90 minutes. For others, it may look like multiple wakes after midnight, long awake periods overnight, or early morning waking that does not resolve.

Before labelling night waking as a problem, it is essential to understand what is biologically normal for your child’s age.

Realistic overnight sleep expectations by age

Sleep consolidates gradually across infancy and toddlerhood. The idea that babies “should” sleep through the night early on is often unrealistic and creates unnecessary stress.

Below is a guide to typical overnight sleep stretches, not guarantees:

4 months: 4–8 hours
5 months: 4–8 hours
6 months: 4–12 hours
7 months: 5–12 hours
8 months: 6–12 hours
9–10 months: 11–12 hours
12 months: 11–12 hours
13 months: 11–12 hours
15 months: 11–12 hours
18 months: 11–12 hours
2 years: 11–12 hours
2.5 years: 11–12 hours
3 years: 11–12 hours
3.5 years: 11–12 hours

Some children sit comfortably at the lower end of these ranges, while others consolidate earlier. Both can be normal.

Frequent waking only becomes a concern when it is outside age-appropriate expectations and impacting mood, development, or family wellbeing.

Common reasons babies and toddlers wake frequently at night

Once age expectations are taken into account, frequent night waking is usually linked to one or more of the following factors.

Daytime sleep and routines

Overnight sleep is built during the day. If naps are inconsistent, misaligned, or no longer match your child’s sleep needs, nights often become unsettled.

This is why reviewing age-appropriate routines is so important, particularly during periods of growth and transition.

Awake windows and sleep pressure

If awake windows are too short, your child may not have enough sleep pressure to stay asleep. If they are too long, overtiredness can cause lighter sleep and more waking.

Understanding under vs overtired can help explain why some children wake frequently even when they seem exhausted.

How your child falls asleep

How a child falls asleep at the beginning of the night matters. When a baby or toddler wakes between sleep cycles, they often look for the same conditions they had when they fell asleep.

If those conditions are missing, they may call out or fully wake, leading to repeated night waking.

Sleep environment

A sleep space that is too bright, noisy, stimulating, or inconsistent can disrupt sleep, especially in the second half of the night when sleep is lighter.

Reviewing your sleep conducive environment can make a significant difference without changing routines or settling approaches.

Development and emotional growth

Cognitive and emotional development has a huge impact on sleep. Separation anxiety, fears, and increased awareness commonly show up overnight, particularly from late infancy into toddlerhood.

Exploring separation anxiety is often key when night waking suddenly increases after a period of settled sleep.

Illness, discomfort, or physical factors

Teething, illness, reflux, or temporary discomfort can increase night waking, even in children who normally sleep well. These wakes usually settle once the underlying issue resolves.

When frequent night waking is normal

Frequent waking is often temporary and expected, particularly during:

Nap transitions
Developmental leaps
Periods of separation anxiety
Illness or teething
Changes to routines or environment

In these cases, sleep usually improves once the body and brain adjust.

When frequent night waking may need support

If night waking is ongoing, unpredictable, or worsening — particularly when it falls outside age-appropriate expectations — it may indicate that routines, awake windows, or sleep support need adjusting.

Looking at sleep across the full 24-hour picture rather than focusing only on overnight wakes usually provides the most clarity.

What helps reduce frequent night waking

Age-appropriate routines that support sleep pressure
Awake windows that match current sleep needs
A calm, predictable wind-down routine
A consistent sleep environment
Settling approaches that evolve with development

Small, thoughtful adjustments are often far more effective than drastic changes.

Looking ahead

Frequent night waking does not mean sleep is broken, and it does not mean you have failed. It usually means your child’s sleep needs have changed and their support needs to evolve with them.

The 5–24 Month Infant Course provides clear, age-specific guidance for infant sleep, including routines, awake windows, night waking, regressions, and nap transitions as your baby grows.

For toddlers, the Infant and Toddler Bundle supports families through separation anxiety, bedtime resistance, fears, overnight waking, and big developmental changes, offering long-term confidence rather than quick fixes.

The Smarter Way to Invest in Better Sleep

As your baby grows, their need for swaddling will change. Some babies transition out earlier, others later, and both can be completely normal.

If you want guidance that grows with your baby beyond the newborn stage, the 5–24 Month Infant Course supports families as sleep continues to evolve through infancy and to