Baby sleeping problems are very common, especially during the newborn stage. Many parents worry when their baby wakes up several times at night. However, there is usually a clear reason behind disturbed sleep. Before trying solutions, it is important to understand why your baby is waking up. Once the cause is clear, fixing the problem becomes much easier.

Reason #1 – Does Baby Need Feeding?

Considering that newborns need to eat approximately every 2 hours, whether it is milk from the breast or formula milk, it’s no wonder that babies need to wake up so often in the night.  So making sure your baby is well fed before sleeping is essential to ensure they get the most amount of sleep they possibly can before their tummies are feeling empty again.

Reason #2 – Does Baby Need Changing?

Newborn babies will hate being wet and uncomfortable as much as anybody, even though they are not old enough to understand what they are actually feeling.  They will just know that they are not happy for some reason.  So if you can eliminate this as a reason why Baby isn’t sleeping, then you can move on to the next possible reason.

Reason #3 – Is Baby Too Hot or Too Cold?

Newborns are not really capable of regulating their temperature and rely on you to do that for them until their bodies learn to do it for themselves.  It is worth checking if their room is overly hot or too cold, and if they have too many layers or not enough.  A room thermometer would be a great tool for you.
Identifying the root causes of baby sleeping problems helps parents take effective steps to improve their child’s rest and overall well-being.

Once you have eliminated the three physical reasons above, then you will need to consider just how you can move forward …

How to Get Baby to Sleep!

The old saying, “Prevention is better than cure,” is very true.  So the sooner you can establish a bedtime routine for Baby, the better to try to ensure that when Baby is put to bed, they will sleep and so will you!

Routine #1 – Bathtime

A soothing bath before bedtime will relax Baby.  Remember to get the water temperature just right, not too hot and not too cold.  Dipping your elbow in the water is a test that has stood the test of time!  Try to make it a happy but calm time, and don’t get Baby over-excited with too many toys.  The idea is to set the scene for a quiet, winding down time for both you and Baby.
Addressing common baby sleeping problems early, such as hunger, discomfort, or temperature issues, can help establish a consistent and peaceful nighttime routine.

Routine #2 – Storytime

No matter how old your Baby is, a bedtime story can be soothing even though they may not understand the actual words they are hearing.  The tone of your voice will play a big part, so ensure your voice is kept low and soothing, not high and excited.  Remember, we are trying to evoke a mood of calm!  Snuggling with your Baby while you are reading will be even more beneficial, and you cannot start too early in exposing your baby to a large vocabulary.

Routine #3 – Lullaby

Even if you think you cannot sing, Baby will always love to hear your voice!  A lullaby is a time-honoured way to help Baby drift off to sleep.  If you really don’t want to sing to Baby, try playing a ready-made CD of lullabies or classical music and just hum along. Baby sleeping problems make the baby uncomfortable.

So hopefully, if you can establish a great bedtime routine from the start, you won’t have any trouble getting Baby to sleep at night.  If Baby sleeps well, then Mum and Dad will sleep well too, so it’s worth making the effort to establish a routine as early as possible.

Final Thoughts on Baby Sleeping Problems

Baby sleeping problems often have simple causes. Feeding, comfort, temperature, and routine all play important roles. By addressing these factors early, you create a peaceful sleep environment. With consistency and patience, your baby can sleep better through the night, and so can you.