Signs of Sleep Problems in Babies and How to Improve It

Do you know the famous phrase "sleep like a baby"? Perhaps the person who coined this popular saying was very optimistic, or maybe they didn't have children, or if they did, they had "trap babies." If you don't know, a trap baby is one that sleeps through the night, eats everything you put on their plate, and only cries when they are unwell... and makes first-time parents believe that all babies will be like this.

The reality is very different, as many families end up detecting signs of sleep problems in babies when they see that rest is not as simple as it seemed at first.

It's not that all newborns sleep poorly; rather, baby sleep is developmental and evolves over time.

So, if you're not a mom yet, do me a favor and take this saying with a grain of salt because baby sleep is anything but boring and monotonous.

Don't worry, I'm going to tell you (almost) everything you need to know about this tricky topic.

Table of Contents

• How normal sleep looks for a baby by age
• Signs that your baby is not sleeping well
• Most common sleep problems in babies
• What you can do at home to improve your baby's sleep
• When a child sleep consultant can help you
• Frequently asked questions about baby sleep

How Normal Sleep Looks for a Baby by Age

I will tell you that baby sleep is characterized by short cycles that translate into frequent awakenings. At least during their first six months of life (don't despair if you're in this period, you're not alone!).

This is because it is part of a developmental process in which sleep is an active part of their development regardless of rest.

Newborns sleep between 14 and 17 hours daily during the first 6 weeks of life, but they do so in short periods because their sleep is primarily light (REM phase), and their nighttime sleep gradually consolidates.

During the First 3 Months

For 9 months, the baby has not had to differentiate between day and night to take a nap and has eaten freely. Therefore, just by being born, and for their safety, we cannot expect them to sleep 8 hours straight or avoid eating every 2 or 3 hours.

In the Second Trimester

A little later, between 3 and 6 months of age, they begin to consolidate sleep. They still have several nighttime awakenings, but at night they start to sleep longer periods.

From that age, they develop more regular sleep cycles, in which they can sleep up to 6 hours straight (it is as normal for this to happen as it is for their rest to be interrupted more times).

What Happens When They Turn One Year Old?

After 12 months, they usually need between 11 and 14 hours of sleep divided between nighttime rest and 2 naps. Around 15 months, they transition to a single nap.

So, when my baby turns one, will they sleep through the night? Realistically, it's unlikely: they will generally still have a few awakenings (3-4) to seek contact, to nurse...

If your 1-year-old sleeps all night without waking up, congratulations! And if they wake up 4 times during the night, that's also perfectly normal.

As we said at the beginning, your baby's sleep is a developmental process influenced by many factors, and you will need high doses of patience during the first months.

So our recommendations are:

1. Learn to observe their sleep needs to personalize their sleep windows (the time between when the baby wakes up and needs to fall asleep again).
2. Establish certain routines such as preparing a calm, relaxing environment (bathe them before putting them to bed as long as it doesn't overly stimulate them), dark, cool (temperature between 18 and 22 degrees), and safe to promote restorative rest.

And always put them to sleep on their back (for their safety)!

Signs That Your Baby Is Not Sleeping Well

Child sleep is essential for physical and cognitive development. During rest, growth hormones are released, and memory is consolidated... If your baby is not resting well, you will notice it, believe me. Here are some signs that your little one is not getting enough sleep:

Constant Night Wakings

As we have seen, during the first months it is normal for your baby to wake up at night. The problem arises when these nighttime awakenings are very frequent, and the little one cannot consolidate their sleep.

In some cases, the baby also needs very specific conditions to fall back asleep, such as being held, rocked, or fed. These are known as sleep associations, and they can make each nighttime awakening require adult intervention again.

This translates into long nights for them and their primary caregivers, affecting the sleep hygiene of the entire family.

In many cases, the accumulated fatigue and lack of rest also end up affecting breastfeeding and the emotional well-being of the mother. That's why some families need support from both lactation consulting and child sleep guidance.

In the first 6 months, awakenings are usually due to:

• The baby is hungry.
• Changes in sleep cycles.
• Developmental milestones.
• Association habits.

Difficulty Falling Asleep

Over-tiredness is usually the main culprit for your baby struggling to fall asleep. This hyperactivity also kicks in when it's time to go to bed.

The solution is to put them to bed earlier! Anticipate that they are excessively tired!

You may have heard the saying, "better not to let them nap so they sleep better at night"—great mistake!

Those babies/children who are deprived of naps arrive at bedtime overly tired, making it very difficult for them to fall asleep. Therefore, maintain their routines and schedules for better rest.

When this difficulty in falling asleep occurs almost every day and the baby needs constant help to fall asleep or return to sleep after each awakening, we could be facing behavioral insomnia in infants, a fairly common problem during the first years of life.

Irritability or Frequent Crying

If your baby spends a good part of the day irritable and having intense crying episodes, it is most likely that they are not resting enough.

As before, the solution is to get ahead and put them to bed. When you see them rubbing their eyes, touching their ears, yawning, and/or getting overly stimulated... you are already late for their bedtime.

Very Short or Irregular Naps

Another unmistakable sign that your little one needs more sleep is that naps tend to be very short and/or irregular.

When we talk about short naps (in babies), we refer to naps of 30 to 40 minutes. Although they may seem sufficient to you, the reality is that they do not complete the necessary sleep cycles.

Difficulty Maintaining a Sleep Routine

In addition to all this, sleep regressions, separation anxiety, teething, or changes in schedules can also hinder rest.

There are also babies particularly sensitive to physical discomforts such as reflux, ear infections, colds, or some skin conditions like dermatitis, which can disrupt rest and cause more awakenings and irritability at night.

Most Common Sleep Problems in Babies

Although many sleep problems are part of the normal development of a baby, there are some particularly frequent situations that can further hinder family rest during the first years of life.

Behavioral Insomnia in Infants

One of the most common sleep problems, which affects approximately 20-30% of babies, is characterized by the difficulty in falling asleep alone in the crib. That is, they need constant help from an adult to fall asleep and/or wake up very easily during the night.

Sleep Regressions

These sleep regressions, which coincide with significant changes in their development (learning to crawl, walk, talk), are common at 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24 months (approximately), making it difficult to maintain a stable sleep routine.

Separation Anxiety

Another common obstacle to baby sleep is anxiety, which usually appears between 7 and 9 months and can intensify around 14-18 months. In these cases, the baby cries upon waking and does not perceive their caregivers nearby.

Additionally, factors such as overstimulation, over-tiredness, or some frequent physical discomforts in babies, such as reflux, ear infections, or dermatitis, can also pose sleep problems in babies.

What You Can Do at Home to Improve Your Baby's Sleep

While it is true that your baby does not need you to teach them to sleep, you can help them acquire good sleep hygiene by following some simple guidelines.

When we talk about sleep hygiene, we refer to the set of daily practices and habits we should follow to achieve restorative rest.

Here are some strategies that can help improve your baby's sleep:

Sleep Routines

We could say that this is the first commandment of the book of infant rest. Creating good bedtime routines, a fixed and relaxing ritual helps them predict what will happen and thus prepares their brain and body for rest (note that this is also applicable to adults).

Consistency and repetition will be key to success. And while the baby's rest is important, so is the mother's.

Accumulated fatigue, lack of sleep, and physical recovery from postpartum can take a toll, which is why many women complement this stage with postpartum classes focused on physical well-being and recovery after childbirth.

Suitable Sleeping Environment

The baby needs signals to know that it's time to sleep.

A good way for them to transition from alertness to sleep is to prepare a suitable sleeping environment: dim the lights in their room and significantly reduce noise.

When exhaustion, anxiety, or emotional overload start to affect daily life, it may be advisable to seek specialized support in perinatal psychology, especially during the postpartum period.

Baby's Signs of Tiredness

Baby's signs of tiredness are universal and can vary by age.

Newborns usually show it by putting their fists near their eyes, their eyelids turning red, or having a distant gaze.

Between 6-12 months, they show their tiredness when rubbing their eyes, their eyelids may also be red, they show irritability, and do not show interest in the stimuli we present to them.

At 12 months, many babies can verbalize tiredness. If that's not the case for your baby, you may see them overstimulated and avoiding sleep. Rubbing their eyes and losing interest in activities or stimuli you propose are still signs of your baby's tiredness.

When a Child Sleep Consultant Can Help You

If you can't get your little one to rest at night and it's affecting their daily life (and, consequently, the sleep of the family unit), the best thing to do is to hire the services of a child sleep consultant to help improve family sleep.