Being a parent comes with various challenges, one of which is sleep deprivation. Being unable to sleep because of your baby not wanting to sleep is a common occurrence for any parent taking care of their child. No matter how much you prepare for this scenario, it can still be overwhelming once it's happening. But why does your newborn won’t sleep?
In this guide, we will talk about the reason behind why your baby is not sleeping, how much sleep your baby should have, how to spot sleepy cues, and what are the things or tools you can use to help you take good care of your baby.
Why Won’t Your Newborn Sleep?
As a parent, you may find yourself in the middle of the night holding your baby and making them go back to sleep. This scenario happens all the time, no matter if you’re a seasoned parent or a new one. The thing is, your baby, especially newborns, are still not used to life outside the womb.
There are a lot of things that they still haven’t grasped, like the day and night cycle, which is the reason why they can wake up at random times. Here are some of the other reasons why your baby won’t sleep:
- Overtiredness. You may think that your baby being more active during the day will help them fall asleep faster at night but the truth is it's the opposite. The more tired your baby is, the more they will fight to sleep.
- Hunger or tummy discomfort. Your baby needs to be fed often because of their tiny stomachs. Always be aware of the hungry cues, and also don’t forget to burp them after feeding to prevent gas and discomfort before sleeping.
- Day-night confusion. Your baby is still getting used to the outside world and developing their brain. They still don't get what day and night is which is why you need to implement a proper routine to help them identify which part of the day is sleepy time.
- Overstimulating surroundings. Your baby’s senses are still sensitive. Too much loud noises and bright lights can make them feel overwhelmed, which can lead to overstimulation.
It’s important to remember that making your baby fall asleep is challenging but it’s temporary. Once you have the ability to understand the reason why your baby is still awake, you’ll know what to do and how to help them fall asleep.
How Much Sleep Does Your Baby Need?
In your newborn's first weeks, sleep can consume about 12 to 16 hours of their day. However, their sleep comes in short 1-2 hour sequences which can vary depending on your baby. The important thing is for your baby to have enough total sleep every 24 hours of the day.
If you find your baby having a difficult time sleeping or their sleep gets cut short often, they might find it hard to get enough sleep that they need. This can result in a loop where overtiredness causes them to have a harder time falling asleep.
What Are Signs of Sleepiness?

Being a good parent means having the ability to tell if your baby is ready to sleep or not. This helps to prevent overtiredness and helps prepare them to a more comfortable sleeping schedule.
Here are some signs to look for in a tired baby:
- Rubbing eyes
- Yawning
- Avoiding eye contact or staring too long at something
- Fussiness or crying
- Clenched fist or jerky movements
Once you can confidently recognize these signs, you’ll be well prepared to help them fall asleep more easily. It can also help your baby avoid being overtired.
6 Sleep Tips for Better Newborn Sleep

If you find yourself still struggling with making your baby fall asleep, you may need to change your approach. Sometimes, little changes from the usual routine can make a big difference, depending on how you apply them.
Here are some simple tips to help you provide a longer and better quality sleep for your baby:
- Establish a sleeping routine. Your baby doesn't understand the concept of time yet, his/her behaviour depends on you. Start by creating a schedule and try to stick to it as much as you can.
- Swaddle your baby. Your baby, especially newborns, craves the feeling of the womb because this is one of the first things they become familiar with. Swaddling your baby reminds them of that feeling, which helps them feel more secure and relaxed.
- Create a dark and quiet place. Your baby’s senses are sensitive and they are prone to being overstimulated. Creating a dark and quiet room can help your baby avoid those triggering stimuli.
- Feed before sleep. To help your baby have a longer sleep, prevent your baby from being woken up by hunger, try to feed them before putting them to sleep. Just don’t forget to burp them before doing so to avoid gas and digestive discomfort.
- Try contact naps. If you can and someone is available to watch over you, try to sleep while holding your baby. This helps you and your baby have a great nap and build connections.
- Be consistent. Your baby is still sensitive to changes, small disruption on the usual can cause them to get overwhelmed.
By applying these tips, it can help you and your baby avoid overtiredness and stressful nights.
How Baby Monitors Can Make a Difference

When you finally put your baby to sleep and decide to leave them be. It’s normal to find yourself coming back after a couple of seconds just to check if they are still asleep or not. However, there are times where “you” going inside the room became the reason why they woke up.
This is how baby monitors like the Momcozy Smart Baby Monitor gives you a parenting advantage. They enable you to check on your baby without going inside the room yourself. It helps you have a peace of mind knowing you only need to look at a screen to see what your baby is doing or if they are asleep.
What Is a Baby Monitor with a Screen and App?
As a parent, being able to see your baby anytime gives you peace of mind. That is what baby monitors with a screen and app offer to provide. It provides two monitoring systems. One has a monitor attached to it, perfect for monitoring your baby from another room. The other is an app that you can use to sneak a little peek at your newborn whenever you’re out of the house.
By utilizing features like this and other features like real time video monitoring, two way radio, and remote camera operation, it can make you feel more connected to your baby. It can almost make you feel that you’re in the same room as them any time of the day.
Spotlight: Momcozy BM04 Dual-Mode Smart Baby Monitor
One of the best baby monitors when it comes to dual functionality is the Momcozy BM04 Dual-Mode Smart Baby Monitor. It is built with today's parenting in mind. It includes a 5-inch HD screen for high-definition video at home and a Wi-Fi-enabled app that allows you to glance in from your phone—whether you're at work, stopping by friends, or running errands for a few minutes.
Here are some of the other features that parents deemed useful:
- A movable camera that gives full coverage of the room
- Two-way audio. It helps you have a conversation with your baby while also giving you the ability to comfort them when you're not in the room.
- Night vision. Helps with late-night baby checks even in the darkest of rooms.
- Smart alerts like temperature and humidity display. Helps you monitor the status of the room your baby is in.
- Motion detection and sound alerts. It notifies you when your baby is doing something or being woken up.
- Expendable to 4 cameras. Having multiple cameras for each kid helps you stay present to all of them and know what they are doing and what they need.
Whether you're attempting to see if your baby is still asleep or not, or trying to have a rest yourself, the Momcozy BM04 offers you both freedom and peace of mind. It's not merely a monitor—it's a parenting ally that finds its way into your everyday flow.

Real-Life Scenarios Where BM04 Shines
Naptime During Work-From-Home
You’ve finally settled your baby for a nap, and you’re in a hurry to jump on an online meeting. By your side is a 5-inch screen where you can look at your sleeping baby without ever using another device. The second you hear a noise, you can just snap and look at the screen to see what’s going on. You get to maintain your concentration on your work without losing your role as a parent that your baby needs.
Quick Late-Night Baby Check
Being with a baby, you may experience something like hearing them cry late at night. Your parental instinct would want to always check in on them to make sure that they are okay. With the Momcozy Smart Baby Monitor, you can just pick up the monitor and see them clearly through the 5-inch screen without even leaving your bed.
Keeping an Eye on Your Sick Baby
Taking care of a sick baby can be really hard for parents, even on a seasonal one. At this stressful time, watching over your baby is more important than ever. Luckily, baby monitors like the Momcozy BM04 have a temperature sensor that allows you to monitor the comfort of the room your baby is in.
The motion detection and sound alerts can also notify you when they are awake or crying. These features help you tend to them with care without always being in the same room.
Conclusion
One of the most challenging parts of parenting is making your baby fall asleep. However, with the right knowledge, techniques, and tools, things can be much easier. Understanding your baby’s sleepy cues, creating routines, and building a good and calming environment, is huge when it comes to giving your baby the comfort that they need.
With the help of smart baby monitors like the Momcozy BM04, you can watch over your baby 24/7 and be able to monitor their sleep without going inside the room.