Why Does My Baby Wakes Every Hour?

All parents understand that babies need quality, uninterrupted sleep since it greatly influences their overall health and brain development. However, we often struggle to improve our and our babies’ sleep schedules, especially during the first several months.

Even if your infant has learned to sleep through the night, some sleep issues can still happen from time to time. Many parents suffer from the baby waking up every hour, which is utterly exhausting! 

You’re no stranger to this problem as well, right? If your little bundle of joy has all baby must-haves for good sleep (e.g., a quality crib, white noise machine, etc.), but he/she still can’t catch enough Zzzs, our post is for you!

Here, we’ll dive deep into possible reasons why infants might wake up every hour at night so that you can help your restless little one to get an adequate shut-eye.  

Why does a 3 months old Baby Wake up Every Hour at Night?

When a baby is 3-month-old, he/she needs about 14-16 hours of Zzzs in a 24-hour period. It’s a time when parents may see a bit more predictability to their days and nights. However, for most moms and dads it feels that their little ones don’t sleep all that much.

There are some challenges that can make sleep harder for 3-month-old sweetpeas and even make them wake up every hour during the night. Here are the most common issues:

• Hunger
• Digestive problems
• Reflux
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Resisting back-sleeping. Babies love sleeping on their tummies, but such a position is linked to a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), so put your baby on the back to sleep. Try to encourage back-sleeping by swaddling your little one and giving him/her a pacifier. 

Why does a 4 months old Baby Wake up Every Hour at Night?

By 4 months, babies should sleep about 12-16 hours a day – 2-3 daytime naps totaling 3-6 hours and 9-11 hours at night. However, this is the age where things usually become somewhat crazy. Here are the reasons:

• 4-month sleep regression – It’s a period when a baby fighting sleep, he/she may wake up every hour at night and has problems with settling down when it comes to daytime naps. It lasts about 2-4 weeks and parents can’t prevent it. Babies usually experience sleep regression as they enter new stages of their development, and this is a normal part of childhood.
• Shifting nap routines can throw an infant off at night – as your little one gets older, he/she naps less and gets too tired, which may result in poor night sleep. Make sure to encourage adequate daytime naps.  
• 4-month-old babies become more distracted during feeding times, making daily caloric intake dropping off and causing their hunger to increase at night. Simply put, your little sweetheart may be just hungry at night. 

Why does a 5 months old Baby Wake up Every Hour at Night?

For 5-month-old babies, up to 10-11 hours of night sleep and 2-3 naps during the day is a norm. Does your sweetpea sleep far less? Let’s find out the reasons!

• If your little one has sleep associations or so-called sleep crutches like feeding or rocking to sleep, he/she may struggle to self-soothe at night when sleep stages change. Your baby just doesn’t know how to sleep through the night, that’s why he/she may cry out for parents when moving from one stage of sleep to another. Parents should address this issue by eliminating “sleep crutches” as early as possible, otherwise, it’ll trickle into toddlerhood. 
• Babies often wake up from the cold – by 5 months they become active enough to kick off a blanket. So, if the room temperature is cool, chances are high that your baby will wake up frequently during the night. Luckily, there is an easy solution to this problem – a baby sleeping bag that will keep your little one warm all night. 
• Teething can be a reason for frequent baby wakes up at this age. If pain is serious, see your GP to discuss suitable pain relief. And remember, it’s not a good time to tackle sleep training. But, on the other hand, don’t start using “sleep crutches” since a new habit can form in just a few days.   

Why does a 6 months old Baby Wake up Every Hour at Night?

When a baby is 6-month-old, his/her sleep patterns should be a lot different than they were several months ago. At this age, infants sleep 10-11 hours at night and take 2-3 daytime naps. More importantly, they can sleep through the night. However, there are still lots of issues that can disrupt their Zzzs and even make them wake up every hour. 

• Sleep regression – your little one reaches a new developmental milestone and experiences a growth spurt. 
• Teething-related sleep issues – keep in mind that this problem can appear at any time during the first year of a baby’s life. 

Why does a 10 months old Baby Wake up Every Hour at Night?

By 10 months, an infant starts sleeping longer at night – 10-12 hours and takes 2 naps or even 1 long midday nap. The regression has finally passed, but unfortunately, some babies keep waking up during the night. So, what are the reasons?

• Digestion issues from beginning solids
• Hunger from insufficient daytime feedings
• Scheduling issues
• Missed or short napping
• Teething issues
• Sleep associations

Common Reasons for Baby Waking up at Any Age

• Some sleep problems can appear at any point during your little one’s first year and well beyond. Let’s take a closer look at these issues:
• Various medical conditions like ear infection, reflux, allergies, etc. can make sleeping challenging for babies. Consult your GP and do postpone sleep training until better times. 
• Worms – if your little one has slept through the night and suddenly starts waking up and is really hard to settle, investigate worms as a cause!
• Disruptions in routine – traveling, starting nursery, any emotional challenges can wreak havoc on baby’s sleep patterns. Just do what you can do to comfort your baby through the disruptions to his/her schedule.

Conclusion

Obviously, frequent baby waking up during the night is challenging for parents, however, it’s a common and even normal part of childhood. Besides, this issue is usually solvable. But even if you can’t do much to fix it, keep in mind that it’s temporary. As your little one grows and develops, so too will his/her sleep.

Contribute By Top-mom.com