By: Sarah Bossio, Certified Pediatric Sleep Expert
I bet you have gotten the craziest advice from Boomer grandparents (NOTE - no shade to grandparents here because I love them and they're very helpful in raising our kids!!). One old wives tale that I've heard a lot of Boomers say is, "Don't wake a sleeping baby. Just let them sleep. It's fine, they need it."
(Mmmhmm... *nods knowingly* I know you feel me on this.)
Well, this blog post is all about when you should wake your sleeping baby and when you shouldn't. Let's get into it.
Daytime Sleep and Feeding
Let's focus first on daytime sleep and when you should actually wake your baby during the daytime as it pertains to feeding.
Newborns (0-3 Months Old)
If it has been about 2 or 3 hours since your newborn's last feeding and they're still sleeping, it's time to go ahead and wake them. This is especially important during those early weeks and months of life to keep our baby's belly nice and full during the daytime.
Young Babies (4-6 Months Old)
Younger babies need fewer calories keeping them full during the daytime. This means you can reduce their night feeds, wean them completely, or combine them so that you're not up frequently throughout the night due to caloric needs. (*Always consult with your pediatrician before combining or weaning night feedings.)
Daytime Sleep and Naps
Another time to wake your baby is after their last nap of the day. This is going to be very specific based on your child's age. The best way to get information about your child's sleep schedule is head over to my YouTube shorts, where I have several shorts on sleep schedules by age.
If your child is napping and that last nap is too late or too long (i.e. they're using that last nap of the day to make up for crappy naps earlier in the day), I want you to start training their body to capitalize on longer stretches of sleep for the first nap of the day, and possibly the second.
This means you will want to cap that last nap around 30 or 45 minutes. This will help prioritize going to bed on time, having adequate sleep pressure when they go to bed, and having the proper hormone balance at bedtime.
Daytime Sleep and Mornings
Waking Your Baby in the Morning
The last time to wake your sleeping baby? At the same time every morning! I know, I would find it hard myself as a mom to wake a sleeping baby in the morning if I didn't need to, let's outline specific circumstances as to when this is appropriate.
Let's say you have a 5-month-old who only needs one nighttime feed, but they're waking up every 1.5-2 hours overnight. After a really rough night, they may be trying to make up for the lack of overnight sleep in the morning; for example, they may settle down around 5:00-5:30 a.m., so you let them sleep until 8:00-8:30 a.m.
Unfortunately, that will throw off their circadian rhythm.
Most children up to the age of 7 years old start their days between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. Keep in mind, this is average. There are babies who fall below and above this wake time, and that's okay! However, if we are way past that 7:00 a.m. start time, it can throw off naps throughout the day by decreasing the sleep quality of both naps and overnight sleep.
Get On a Set Schedule
If you're struggling with night wakings that are outside of scheduled feeding times, I want you to anchor down your start time for the day and follow a set nap schedule. Make sure that you're maintaining this schedule so that your baby is used to tanking up on their sleep during the right hours overnight and not during the early morning hours.
Need Help with Determining When to Wake Your Sleeping Baby?
Let me know if you're struggling with this! If you're still wondering when or if it's appropriate to wake your sleeping baby, please leave me a comment on my accompanying YouTube video. I'd love to interact with you and give you some help as you're navigating your sleep journey.
You can also subscribe to my Youtube channel, where I release the accompanying videos to these blog posts!
Did you know? I also host a weekly Q&A on my Instagram. Tune in or send me a DM on the 'gram!
I work with families one-on-one all the time who are experiencing issues with their babies' naps, overnight sleep, and more. If this sounds like you, please book a 15-minute sleep assessment call just so I can understand a little bit more about your child's sleep and then explain ways that I can work one-on-one with you to get it in order.
May your coffee be warm,
Sarah
Sarah is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Expert based in the NY/NJ Tri-State area and has helped over 500 families worldwide get their sleep back on track.
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