Does your baby take so long to fall asleep at night? If so, you're not alone. Sleeping has become a challenge for many parents, especially when trying to get their children to sleep. Babies often struggle to sleep due to hunger, overstimulation, discomfort, or simply mixing up their days and nights. Read on to find out the detailed reasons, and learn how to help your baby fall asleep faster at night.
Why Is My Baby Having a Hard Time Falling Asleep At Night?
Did you know that there are several reasons for baby sleep disturbances during the night? Below are four main causes and what you can do to prevent them:
Day/Night Confusion
Newborns often have their days and nights mixed up—sleeping all day and waking up to play at night. To help them adjust, you need to differentiate their environment clearly.
-
During the Day: Keep the house active. Expose your baby to natural light in the morning and avoid letting them nap for more than two hours at a time.
-
During the Night: Keep things boring. Keep the room pitch black and quiet. When you feed or change them, use a dim light and avoid talking or playing, so they learn that night is strictly for sleeping.
Hungry
Newborn babies are likely to have little tummies, which means that they have a small capacity to store food, and this leads to hunger to interrupt sleep. If they have been fed recently, they may take breast milk or formula to calm them down.
Discomfort or Illness
Sometimes, the disturbance can be due to passing gas, constipation, or even a minor illness. If you suspect discomfort:
- Give your baby a massage to soothe any gas that they have in their stomach.
- Closely observe the symptoms and seek medical advice from a pediatrician if any arise.
Separation Anxiety
Some babies wake up at night because they feel that they lack parental presence. Co-sleeping in the sense of sharing the room, but not necessarily the bed, can offer convenience without posing risks to the baby.
What Are The Baby's Sleep Patterns?
Newborns have short naps at frequent intervals, whereas at some months of age, infants have longer extended periods of sleep at night. Knowing these stages is useful; it will help set realistic expectations and establish a consistent sleeping pattern. Below, we have grouped sleeping patterns according to these ages and what should be expected in the first year.
Baby Sleep Patterns by Age
Newborns (0-3 months)
- Spend 12-16 hours in bed in a day – this does not apply to work but to interacting with a partner and relaxation.
- Have short sleep cycles (20-50 minutes).
- Awake often for feedings because the rearing of chicks takes short intervals as their stomachs can only hold so much food.
- Have no chronobiology; that is, they do not differentiate between day and night.
- Rested the majority of the night in active sleep, which makes it easy to wake.
Infants (3-6 months)
- Sleep 12 to 15 hours each day but more during the night.
- Sleep cycles extend to 60-90 minutes.
- Regularity is crucial; do not forget to struggle to make your nights better.
- Infants may start sleeping for five to six hours at night until they are a bit older.
Older Babies (6-12 months)
- The undergraduate requires 11 – 14 hours of sleep, including naps, and the postgraduate requires at least 10 – 12 hours of sleep, including naps.
- Most can sleep for long hours at night, and it can be at least 6 hours to as much as 10 hours.
- Naps become more formal and can be organized into two naps during the day.
- When they are teething, introducing new foods, achieving certain milestones, or experiencing separation anxiety can cause sleep regression.
🛏️ 12-16 hours of sleep per day
⏰ 20-50 minutes short sleep cycles
💤 Key Characteristics
- Awake often for feedings - their stomachs can only hold so much food
- Have no chronobiology; do not differentiate between day and night
- Spend majority of time in active sleep, which makes it easy to wake
- Sleep patterns are irregular and unpredictable
🛏️ 12-15 hours of sleep per day (more during night)
⏰ 60-90 minutes extended sleep cycles
🌙 5-6 hours continuous nighttime sleep possible
💤 Key Characteristics
- Sleep cycles extend significantly from newborn stage
- Begin sleeping more during nighttime hours
- Regularity becomes crucial - establishing routines helps
- May start sleeping for longer stretches at night
🛏️ 11-14 hours of sleep per day (including naps)
🌙 6-10 hours continuous nighttime sleep
☀️ 2 organized naps during the day
💤 Key Characteristics
- Most can sleep for long hours at night without waking
- Naps become more formal and predictable
- Can be organized into two structured naps during the day
- Sleep regression may occur due to teething, new foods, milestones, or separation anxiety
How Long Should It Take For Your Baby to Sleep?
Every baby is different. Some fall asleep quickly, while others need more time to settle down. There are a number of reasons why your baby is taking more than 40 minutes to fall asleep: firstly, your baby is overtired; secondly, there is too much stimulation; and thirdly, there is an irregular sleep schedule.
Newborns (0-3 months)
- The newborns may take 20-50 minutes to sleep, but they wake up frequently because cycles are only slightly over an hour long.
- Sometimes, they don't have any synchronized sleep over 24 hours, as they sleep at any time of day or night.
Infants (3-6 months)
- Babies at this stage tend to be sleepy; thus, they get to sleep within 20-40 minutes.
- They establish long sleep periods (60-90 minutes), which eliminate the instances of frequent night waking.
- Some may take 5- 6 hours at the beginning of the night, and wake up for feeding or to be comforted.
Older Babies (6-12 months)
- Generally, babies take around 15-40 minutes to fall asleep at night and it varies according to the child's age, health and development.
- At the age of 6 months, it is normal to have the longest sleep in a night between 6 PM and 10 PM.
- It is also quite usual to have a baby who sleeps during the night, but a baby at this age may wake 3 or 4 times at night and need help to go back to sleep.
How to Make Your Baby Fall Asleep Fast At Night?
Ensuring that your baby can easily fall asleep during the night requires following some crucial steps that need to be followed when putting the baby to bed. Below are some effective tips coupled with essential tools to foster better sleep.
Create a Calming Sleep Environment
The sleeping environment and the time generally affect your baby's sleep. One thing to invest in is a Momcozy Baby Sound Machine to play gentle white noise, lullabies, or nature sounds for babies. This will reduce the background noises that may disturb the baby, thus allowing the baby to fall asleep easily. In this way, if you want to change the settings of this room, you do not even have to leave your comfort zone, because an app-controlled remote lets you do so as well.
App Remote Control
Sleep-Wake Routine
7 Color LED Light
34 Sounds
Dress Your Baby Comfortably
Fulfilling all the needs of an infant, especially when it comes to cuddling before sleep, will guarantee that the sleep is uninterrupted. Look for organic cotton fabric that is gentle on your baby's skin and comfortable for sleeping. Options like Momcozy Baby Pajamas are lightweight yet warm, perfect for the night. A good-fitting sleeper also discourages the child from waking up more than needed due to discomfort.
Follow a Consistent Bedtime Routine
In the same way, with other babies, developing a bedtime routine is an important way to signal to the baby that sleep time is approaching. Try:
- A warm bath
- A gentle massage
- Dimming the lights
- Sharing a short story for the day or singing a nursery rhyme skirmishes
Encourage Daytime Activity
Spend some time in daylight and help the baby engage in some form of physical exercise during the day. It also assists in controlling their body's clock, hence making it easier for them to sleep during the night.
Watch for Sleep Cues
The baby needs to be put to bed when they start presenting symptoms of tiredness, as this is an indication that they need to sleep. By delaying the nap time, they may become overtired and this makes it difficult for them to lie down.
Help Your Baby Fall Asleep Faster at Night
Getting your baby to fall asleep faster takes patience and the right sleep environment. Simple adjustments to your baby's routine and surroundings can lead to better sleep. Tools like the Momcozy baby sound machine support a calming atmosphere. With consistent effort and the right approach, you and your baby can enjoy more restful nights.
FAQs About Baby Takes Forever to Fall Asleep At Night
Q1: What Are the Signs of Infant Sleep Problems?
Infant sleep problems show up in several ways. Common signs include taking over 40 minutes to fall asleep regularly, waking frequently at night and struggling to fall back asleep, or taking short naps under 30 minutes. Babies may also become fussy or cry at bedtime, develop changes in appetite, or show tired signals like eye rubbing, yawning, or clinginess during the day.
Q2: What Is the Sleep Latency of a Baby?
Sleep latency refers to how long a baby takes to fall asleep after being put down. Average times vary by age: newborns (0-3 months) take 20-50 minutes, infants (3-6 months) need 20-40 minutes, and older babies (6-12 months) typically fall asleep in 15-40 minutes. If your baby consistently takes longer than 40 minutes, possible causes include overstimulation, overtiredness, hunger, or irregular sleep schedules.
Q3: Why Is My Baby So Hard to Settle at Night?
Several factors can make nighttime settling difficult. Newborns often need physical closeness to feel secure, and their internal clock is still developing, making it hard to tell day from night. Babies have small stomachs and need frequent feedings. Some wake seeking comfort from parents. Physical discomfort from gas, teething, or an uncomfortable sleep environment can also disrupt settling.