Infant Won’t Sleep at Night: Why It Happens, How to Respond, and When to Seek Help

When you see your baby awake in the middle of the night through a video baby monitor, you might start to worry. It is truly concerning if your infant won’t sleep at night. You might be wondering why and how to help your baby sleep. After all, babies need plenty of sleep every day to grow and stay healthy.

In this article, you will learn the common reasons why babies can’t sleep at night, how to establish a consistent bedtime routine and how to set up the ideal sleep environment for your baby. You will also discover how to recognize your baby’s cues, how to encourage your little one to self-soothe, and when to consult a pediatrician.

Common Reasons Why Infants Struggle to Sleep Through the Night

It is normal for newborns to have sleep struggles because they are still adjusting to the life outside the womb. Because of this, you don’t need to worry too much if your baby has trouble sleeping or staying asleep at night. Most of the time, it’s nothing serious and it is just a part of their development. Here are some of the common reasons why your infant won’t sleep at night: 

• Hunger: This is the common reason why babies struggle to have better sleep, especially newborns because they need to be fed every 2 to 3 hours.
• Day-night confusion: Newborns usually get confused between day and night, causing them to sleep all day and stay awake at night. This is why it is important for you to establish a consistent bedtime routine to help your baby understand that nighttime is for sleeping.
• Overtiredness: If your baby has been awake for too long, they can become overtired. They will get super fussy and irritable, and might resist sleep despite being exhausted.
• Physical discomfort: Things like a wet diaper, being a l ittle too hot or cold, teething, or a gassy tummy can make it hard for your baby to sleep. You can easily spot your baby’s discomfort using a video baby monitor.
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• Sleep regressions: Around 4, 6, and 9 months, your baby may start having difficulty sleeping due to developmental leaps and growth spurts. This is only temporary and you can resolve it within 2 to 4 weeks with consistent routines.

Establishing a Consistent and Calming Bedtime Routine

Since your infant won’t sleep at night, you need to start establishing a consistent and calming routine during bedtime. You can use relaxing activities like taking a warm bath, reading a short story book, listening to a lullaby to help signal your baby that it is time to sleep. This will help your baby settle down easily and hopefully, you will finally get some time to rest after a long day. 

You shouldn’t forget to turn on the video baby monitor, especially if you’re going to sleep in another room. The monitor can alert you if ever your baby wakes up to feed at night. Since your infant is growing, you can expect them to cluster feed every once in a while in the evenings. It is crucial for you to feed your baby frequently to make sure they are getting enough nutrition.

Identifying and Responding to Overtiredness in Your Baby

You need to watch for your baby’s sleepy cues and know how to respond when your baby shows signs of overtiredness. When your infant won’t sleep at night, it can lead to stress hormones like cortisol to build up which can make it harder for your baby to settle down and eventually result in having a poor sleeping cycle. If your baby is overtired, be patient and calm them by gently rocking them, using safe swaddling, or moving them to a quiet, dim-lit room.

The signs of an overtired baby can include rubbing eyes, pulling at ears, yawning, scratching the face, inconsolable crying, increased fussiness, looking suddenly alert and hyperactive, finding it difficult to fall or stay asleep, staring blankly into space, or even sneezing and hiccuping. You can spot these signs easily and quickly using a video baby monitor. 

Creating the Ideal Sleep Environment for Better Rest

When your infant won’t sleep at night, you need to set up an ideal sleep environment. Make sure you know the ABCs of safe sleep which are Alone, Back, and Crib. Your baby should sleep alone in their own sleeping space, while they are on their back in a crib with a firm, flat mattress and without any pillows, blankets, or toys. Bed-sharing with your baby is not recommended. You can still monitor your baby even if they are not close to you by using a video baby monitor.

Since overheating is a significant risk factor for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), you need to make sure your baby’s room is between 68°F and 72°F (20°C to 22°C). Dress your infant in light layers and avoid hats during sleep. You should watch for signs of overheating by feeling your baby’s neck, back, or tummy for warmth, excessive sweating, or heat rash. You also need to keep the room as dark, and quiet as possible. 

Understanding the Impact of Growth Spurts and Developmental Milestones

Growth spurts and developmental milestones can be the reasons why your infant won’t sleep at night. Since your baby is growing, they can get hungry more often, causing them to wake up frequently at night to cluster feed. You can monitor your baby’s cues and behavior if you watch them on a video baby monitor. Doing this can help you know when to offer your baby extra feeds or naps.

Your baby might also wake up in the middle of the night to practice new skills which are part of their developmental milestones. These skills can include rolling, sitting, and crawling. If you want your baby to be less tempted to practice at night, let them have plenty of supervised floor time during the day. This way, they can stay active during the day and have an easier time settling at night to sleep.

Distinguishing Between Hunger Cues and Comfort Seeking

If your infant won’t sleep at night, it might be because they are hungry or they are seeking comfort. Your baby is hungry if they are smacking or licking their lips, opening and closing their mouth like a fish, bringing their hands to their mouth, rooting, or turning their head side-to-side to find a breast or bottle. You’ll spot their hunger cues easily with the help of a video baby monitor. Infants usually stay awake until they finish feeding.

If your baby is sucking on their hands while looking calm or drowsy, staring blankly, or nuzzling against your chest without actually rooting, they are just seeking comfort. Usually, they will fall back to sleep if you gently pat them or rock them. 

Gentle Techniques to Encourage Independent Soothing

It might be challenging and exhausting for you to soothe your baby all the time whenever they are seeking comfort. Therefore, you need to help your baby learn how to calm themselves on their own. Here are some gentle techniques you can try to encourage independent soothing if your infant won’t sleep at night and is looking for comfort:

• Use the “drowsy but awake” approach: When your baby looks sleepy but they are still awake, place them in their crib so they can practice falling asleep on their own in their sleep space.
• Gradually lessen support: Try to slowly reduce the help that you give to your baby during bedtime. You can use the fading method, where you gently rock your baby for a short time every night and then put them in their crib, or the chair method, where you sit in a chair next to your baby’s crib until your infant falls asleep, and every night, you’ll move the chair farther away until you’re out of the room.
• Pick up and put down: If your baby cries, pick them up to comfort them and then put them back in their crib once they calm down and continue sleeping on their own.
• Pause before stepping in: When you notice in the video baby monitor that your baby is starting to get fussy, don’t rush to comfort your little one. Wait a minute or two since they may resettle without your help. 
• Separate feeding from sleep: Move the final feeding session much earlier in the bedtime routine. Doing this can separate feeding from sleep and help your baby avoid depending on feeding to fall asleep.

When to Consult a Pediatrician About Infant Sleep Patterns

Infant sleep struggles are a normal part of development. However, certain signs may suggest a deeper issue, especially if your infant won’t sleep at night consistently. These signs can be easily detected by a video baby monitor and alert you immediately. You need to consult a pediatrician if you notice breathing troubles, physical distress, extreme fussiness, lethargy, poor weight gain, or signs of dehydration.

If you are not sure whether your baby’s sleep struggle is normal, keep a sleep and feeding log that records your baby’s behavior within 48 hours. Give it to a pediatrician so they can have the information they need and get an accurate assessment. 

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