Night waking after six months

Every human wakes multiple times a night, and the question with babies is never why they wake — it is why they need help to go back to sleep.

What is actually normal

Population studies of infant sleep consistently find that a substantial proportion of babies wake at night well into the second year, and that the proportion sleeping through varies enormously by definition and by report.

The phrase "sleeping through" was originally defined in research as a five-hour stretch, which bears little relation to how it is used in conversation.

Which means the baseline against which parents compare themselves is largely fictional.

Night waking is not a disorder, and whether it is a problem depends entirely on whether it is a problem for the family.

The reasons

Worth separating, since they have different answers.

Hunger, which is genuine for many babies in the first year, particularly breastfed ones, and which does not disappear on a schedule.

Sleep associations, where the baby falls asleep under particular conditions — feeding, rocking, being held — and needs those conditions restored at each natural waking.

This is not a bad habit; it is learning, and it is also the most common reason for frequent waking in an older baby.

Developmental changes, where new skills are practised at night.

Separation anxiety, which emerges around eight months and is a normal cognitive development.

Discomfort: teething, illness, reflux, allergy, eczema, temperature.

Environment: light, noise, being too warm or cold.

Habit and expectation, which is real in older infants.

The medical causes worth excluding

Where waking is frequent and the child seems unrested.

Iron deficiency, which is associated with restless sleep.

Obstructive sleep apnoea, which in children is usually caused by enlarged tonsils and adenoids and presents with snoring, mouth breathing, restless sleep, unusual positions and daytime behaviour problems rather than sleepiness.

Eczema causing itching.

Cow's milk protein allergy.

Reflux.

And any illness, which should be considered before behavioural approaches in a sudden change.

Approaches to settling

Stated neutrally, since this is where families are most often made to feel judged.

Approaches sit on a spectrum from parent-present and gradual to more structured methods involving planned intervals.

Gradual approaches involve reducing the level of assistance in steps — from holding to a hand on the chest to sitting nearby to leaving the room — over days or weeks.

Structured approaches involve checking at intervals.

Bedtime fading involves moving bedtime later temporarily to align with natural sleep onset, then bringing it earlier.

Reviews of behavioural sleep interventions in infants over six months generally find improvements in settling and night waking, with follow-up studies not finding evidence of harm to attachment or emotional development.

They also find that many families do not persist, and that the benefits to parental mood and confidence are among the more consistent findings.

What is agreed across guidance: these approaches are not appropriate for babies under about six months, for unwell babies, or during significant disruption.

If you do not want to do any of that

An equally valid position that is rarely stated.

Many families continue feeding and settling at night for as long as it takes, and the waking resolves developmentally.

The practical question is whether the current arrangement is sustainable for the adults.

If it is, there is no clinical requirement to change it.

If it is not, changing something is legitimate and does not require justification.

Partial changes are also available: sharing the nights differently, having one person handle wakings so the other sleeps, or changing only the bedtime settling and leaving night feeds alone.

Practical things that help regardless

A consistent bedtime routine, which has the best evidence of anything in this area.

Putting the baby down drowsy but awake at least sometimes, which builds the capacity to fall asleep without help.

A dark, cool room.

Enough daytime sleep, since overtired babies sleep worse.

Adequate daytime feeding and food, particularly iron.

Keeping night wakings dull — dim light, minimal talking, no play.

And consistency between caregivers, since mixed approaches confuse everyone.

The thing worth remembering

Sleep in the early years improves for every child eventually, with or without intervention.

Which means the decision about what to do is really a decision about the family's capacity now, not about the child's long-term outcome.

General information only, not medical advice. Consult your health visitor or a qualified clinician about sleep concerns, particularly if your child snores or seems unrested.