Miya Pearson
Waking a sleeping baby is sometimes necessary to ensure they get enough milk and calories, especially in the early days. It can also help set them up for overall sleep success and accommodate real life. If your baby is extra sleepy, you may need to wake them to feed. This can be done by holding them skin-to-skin, placing them on your lap, or giving them a warm bath. You can also try to wake them during REM sleep, which is a lighter stage of sleep. If your baby is sick, it is okay to let them sleep longer than usual.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| When to wake a sleeping infant | If the infant has slept for 2 hours, wake them to ensure they get the required feedings and active awake time. |
| If the infant is sleeping longer than normal, consult a pediatrician. | |
| If the infant is sick, let them sleep longer than usual. | |
| If the infant is overdue for a feeding, wake them up. | |
| If the infant is sleeping in a car seat outside of the car, wake them up. | |
| If the infant is sleeping for longer than 2.5-3 hours during the day, wake them up to maintain their night sleep. | |
| If the infant is older than 4 weeks, let them sleep for up to 5 hours at a stretch. | |
| How to wake a sleeping infant | Stroke their feet, neck, and back. |
| Talk or sing to them softly. | |
| Undress them or change their diaper. | |
| Place them on your bare chest for skin-to-skin contact. | |
| Bathe them in warm water. | |
| Tickle their feet. | |
| Rub their back. | |
| Undress them and keep the room at around 64ºF (18ºC). |
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What You'll Learn
Try to wake them during REM sleep
The sleep cycle of infants differs from adults. Newborns spend about 50% of their sleep in REM sleep, which is vital for their brain development. During REM sleep, your baby might make small movements, indicating that they are in the "active sleep" stage.
To wake your infant during REM sleep, you can try the following:
- Understand the sleep cycle: Know that newborns typically cycle through sleep stages every 30 to 50 minutes, spending about half of their sleep time in REM sleep. This knowledge can help you time your attempts to wake your infant during this specific stage.
- Establish a routine: A soothing bedtime routine can help your baby settle and provide an opportunity for one-on-one bonding. As your baby gets older, maintaining a similar bedtime routine can be beneficial. However, avoid too much excitement or stimulation just before bedtime, as it might wake your child up again.
- Create a safe and comfortable environment: Ensure that all sleep surfaces and products are specifically designed for sleeping babies and meet safety standards. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends following safe sleep practices, such as placing your baby on their back to sleep and keeping soft objects and loose bedding away from the sleep area.
- Be gentle and gradual: When waking your infant during REM sleep, do so gently and gradually. Start by calling their name or speaking to them softly. You can also try gently touching or stroking their hands or feet. If they don't wake up, you can gradually increase the intensity of your stimuli.
- Offer comfort: If your baby wakes up and seems disoriented or upset, offer comfort by rocking, cuddling, or singing to them. Swaddling your baby with a light blanket can also be soothing, but discontinue swaddling if they start trying to roll over.
Remember, it is essential to prioritize your baby's safety and well-being. If you have any concerns or questions about their sleep patterns or development, consult a healthcare professional.
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Skin-to-skin contact
Firstly, skin-to-skin contact helps to calm and soothe the baby. It can be particularly effective when the baby is hungry or upset, or needs comforting. The warm embrace, gentle motion, and familiar sounds mimic the baby's experience in the womb, providing a sense of safety and comfort. This method also helps regulate the baby's heart rate and breathing, aiding their transition to life outside the womb. Additionally, skin-to-skin contact promotes self-regulation in premature infants by enhancing sleep-wake cyclicity, arousal modulation, and sustained exploration.
For mothers, skin-to-skin contact can boost milk supply and facilitate breastfeeding. It also promotes bonding and attachment between the parent and the infant, enhancing their emotional connection.
To ensure the safety and comfort of both the mother and the baby during skin-to-skin contact, it is important to follow certain guidelines. The baby should be naked or dressed only in a diaper to maximise skin contact, and both the mother and the baby should be covered with pre-warmed blankets, leaving the baby's head exposed. Observations of the baby's temperature, breathing, colour, and tone should be continued during skin-to-skin contact, just as they would if the baby were in a cot. It is also crucial to ensure that the baby cannot fall or become trapped in bedding or by the mother's body.
While skin-to-skin contact is highly beneficial, it is important to note that it should not replace safe sleep practices. Bed-sharing, for example, increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related deaths. Instead, it is recommended to use a safe sleep surface, such as a bassinet or crib, and practice skin-to-skin contact during the day or until the baby is calm and soothed. Newborns should be awakened to feed every 3-4 hours until they show good weight gain.
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Change their nappy
Changing a baby's nappy is a common concern for new parents. While it is important to change a dirty nappy as soon as possible, waking a sleeping baby to do so is not always necessary. If the nappy is only slightly wet, it is generally fine to wait until the baby wakes up to change it. Baby urine is not very concentrated, so it is unlikely to cause any irritation or rash.
However, if the nappy is soiled, it should be changed promptly to prevent nappy rash or discomfort. Nappy rash can develop quickly and cause pain and irritation for the baby. If the baby has an open sore or serious nappy rash, it is important to change the nappy and monitor the skin. Additionally, if the nappy is leaking or soiled through, a change is necessary to keep the baby clean and comfortable.
The frequency of nappy changes depends on the baby's age, with newborns requiring more frequent changes, sometimes as often as every three hours. As the baby gets older, their digestive system matures, and they may start sleeping through the night without needing a nappy change. To prevent leaks and ensure the baby's comfort, it is important to choose the right nappy size and ensure a secure fit around the legs.
To minimise sleep disruptions when changing a nappy at night, it is recommended to keep the lights dim or use a night light. Preparing the changing station in advance with all the necessary supplies, such as nappies, wipes, and cream, can also help reduce disruptions. Timing nappy changes with the baby's feeds can be a good strategy, as they may be more likely to fall back asleep after eating.
It is worth noting that every baby is different, and parents will gradually learn their baby's patterns and preferences. While these guidelines can be helpful, parents should use their best judgement and adjust their approach as needed to ensure their baby's comfort and well-being.
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Give them a warm bath
Giving your infant a warm bath is a great way to help them wake up. Firstly, it is important to note that newborns should not be bathed until at least 24 hours after birth to allow time for postpartum relaxation and rest. During this time, you can simply wipe your baby down with a warm washcloth or sponge.
After this initial period, you can begin to incorporate warm baths into your baby's routine. Warm water can be very calming for cranky babies and can also promote good sleep. This is because soaking in warm water causes vasodilation, a process in which blood redistributes from the core to the limbs and rises to the surface of the skin. This leads to a drop in core body temperature, which induces sleepiness.
When bathing your infant, make sure to have a fresh, warm towel ready to keep them feeling cozy after bath time. You can also offer your baby a popsicle in the bathtub to soothe their gums if they are teething. In addition, baths can be a fun and engaging activity for your baby, especially if you fill the tub with toys.
It is recommended that newborns are bathed every 3-4 days, gradually increasing the frequency as they get older. Bedtime should ideally be within 90 minutes of your baby's bath to take advantage of the sleep-inducing effects of vasodilation. Incorporating a warm bath into your baby's bedtime routine can help signal to their brain that bedtime is approaching and it's time to wind down.
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Turn off white noise
Turning off white noise is a gradual process that should be approached with caution. It is important to remember that every child is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to weaning your child off white noise. Some parents choose to start this transition when their child is around one year old, as this is when sleep patterns start to become more established, and white noise may no longer be necessary. However, some parents and caregivers wean their infants off white noise at two, three, or four years old, and it can even be used at any age.
The first step is to slowly turn down the volume of the white noise during their naps. This can be done over a period of two to three days. During this time, you can also start to introduce other soothing sounds, such as rainforest or beach noises, or instrumental lullabies. Once your child is used to the reduced volume during naps, you can start to turn down the volume at bedtime as well. It is important to stick to a consistent bedtime routine during this process to minimize disruption for your child.
After two to three days of turning down the volume at bedtime, you can turn off the white noise machine once your child is asleep. Continue following this pattern for the next one to two weeks until you have completely removed the white noise machine from your child's sleep routine. This gradual approach will help your child adjust to sleeping without white noise and reduce the risk of sleep disturbances.
It is important to be mindful of the volume of the white noise machine to avoid potential hearing damage. The recommended volume limit is 50 decibels, which is roughly the volume of a shower. To measure the decibel level, you can use a free app such as Decibel Meter. Place your phone in your child's crib, where their head would be, to get an accurate reading.
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Frequently asked questions
Try opening the door to their room, or turning off any white noise or sound machines. You could also try a pre-nap routine to help them settle, such as pulling down the blinds, a nappy change, and reading a short book.
Take your baby off the breast and wake them up before latching them onto the other side. You can continue switching sides as long as your baby stays awake and feeding.
Try to wake your baby during REM sleep, which is a lighter stage of sleep. You can identify this by fluttering eyelids, sleep grins, clenched fists, and limbs that are not limp.
Undress and unwrap your baby and hold them skin-to-skin. You can also try placing your baby on your lap with their legs near your tummy and their head on your knees, and gently supporting them as you raise them into a sitting position.
Watch your baby for signs such as lots of poos and wet nappies, and increasing alertness.
