Why won't my baby sleep through the night?
Although this may seem a simple question, the answers and solutions you are searching for can be complex and confusing. There are so many conflicting articles, opinions and leaflets out there, no wonder we are all in a whirl wind of trial and error and lack of success.
There are multiple explanations to why your baby isn’t sleeping through the night and of course, each child is individual so one method won’t suit all. Some main reasons to consider when your child is waking through the night ar
Teething
Room temperature
Noise
Hunger
Wet nappy
Illness
Developmental leap
Habit
*Teething will only affect your baby for a few days at a time, not weeks or months. If your child is waking through the night for longer than a week, then it’s likely to be something else.
Should new born babies sleep through the night?
We all hear stories about babies sleeping through early on. Unfortunately, it’s stories and myths like these that create misunderstanding and unrealistic expectations for parents. The reality is very different. What we want is a healthy baby. Babies from new born to approx. 6 months old need feeding through the night – Fact. This is a healthy part of growth and development and nothing to worry about. Before 4 months old, I wouldn’t recommend sleep training. Babies don’t develop a circadian rhythm until around 4 months old so sleep training is not advised, Instead sleep shaping and creating a sleep rhythm is important to build a healthy sleep environment.
Once baby gets to around 4 months old, sleep training can be introduced. There are many different gentle sleep methods which involve little or no crying which actually work when created correctly for the individual child. This is why bespoke packages rather than generic information is important for quick, long term results.
Can a breastfed baby sleep through the night?
Absolutely!!! Once the circadian rhythm develops and melatonin levels kick in, there is no reason why a breastfed baby can’t sleep through the night. You may have heard stories about bottle fed babies being able to sleep better and in some cases yes formula can keep a baby full for longer, but as long as baby is developing and gaining weight at the recommended rate, there is no reason why after some sleep training and guidance, your baby can’t sleep through the night.
My baby was sleeping through the night and has now stopped
This can be really common for many babies and children. Don’t worry we can get this back on track! If your child has previously self-settled and slept through the night but has now stopped, we need to look at why. There will be something that’s triggered a change. This could be a number of things including; change of bedroom, change of routine, starting nursery or school, moving home, divorce, going on holiday… the list is endless. What is also common around toddler age is separation anxiety, dream confusion, nightmare and night terrors. All of which can cause multiple night waking’s and a sudden dislike to going to bed.
This is when bespoke sleep packages really help! With a deep dive and analysis of your child’s routines, personality and environment, we can identify the real cause of the waking nights and create a unique sleep package to help them overcome any sleep issue they have.
My newborn is already sleeping through the night, is that ok?
If you are lucky enough to get 6-8 hours solid sleep at night with a new born, then hurray! Enjoy the sleep. The only reason you will need to worry about this is if baby is not putting on the recommended amount of weight. If this is the case, it is generally recommended to night or dream feed. This can however be daunting for many parents / carers. The thought of actually waking your baby up when they are sleeping so well may go against your gut instinct.
I would recommend speaking to a qualified health visitor if you’re concerned about weight gain. If you have had to dream feed and are now noticing baby keeps waking up (they have now realised they can get food during the night too) and need some help to settle this down again. Routine and consistency is key and finding the right balance can be tricky. Always ask for help from a professional if unsure.
How to make my baby sleep through the night
It’s important to understand each baby and child is different. Stories we hear about babies sleeping through in magazines, articles and other people, may not actually be giving you the full picture. When my child was a baby, I heard parents say their child was sleeping through the night every nigh. I couldn’t understand how they did it so early on. It wasn’t until years on these people gave me the full picture. Information can be manipulated and misleading which doesn’t help when trying to get a realistic picture of what your child could or should be doing.
Remember, your child is an individual. Look at the best sleep they can do – not what others are doing. Believe in what you feel is right, not what others say you must do. And most importantly, don’t try any sleep methods you aren’t comfortable with. There are many alternatives to ‘Cry it Out’ or the ‘Controlled Crying’ sleep methods so find the one right for you and your child. Or alternatively, take all the guess work out, forget all the trial and error and feeling like everything has failed, and get in touch today. By booking a free discovery call, we can discover solutions that actually work and create fast and long term results.
