Why Your Baby Is Waking Again (Even After Sleeping Through)

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A “FINALLY SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT” MOMENT… ONLY TO BE WIDE AWAKE AGAIN TWO NIGHTS LATER?

You’re not doing it wrong.
You’re not alone.
And you’re definitely not the only parent Googling “why is my baby waking again?” at 3 a.m.

Research shows that up to 84% of babies under 12 months still wake at least once overnight—even those considered to be “sleeping through.”¹

Because baby sleep isn’t a straight line. It’s a zigzagging, looping, frustrating path that’s totally normal (and survivable btw)!!!

I know this firsthand—because I’ve had many of these “off” phases myself. The kind where your baby was doing so well… and suddenly isn’t. It’s discouraging. It’s confusing. But it doesn’t mean all your progress is gone.

Here’s the truth I need you to hold on to:

✶ This phase will pass.
✶ You’re not doing anything wrong.
✶ Great sleep is still on the horizon.

What Disrupts Baby Sleep (Even After It Was “Going So Well”)

One night your baby’s doing 6-hour stretches. But the next night there is a party at midnight, 2 a.m., and 4 a.m.

Here’s why that’s more common than you think:

✶ Growth spurts → more feeding, more waking
✶ Milestones → rolling, crawling, standing, even talking
✶ Sleep regressions → common around 4, 6, 8, 12, 18 + 24 months
✶ Separation anxiety → peaks around 8–10 months (and again at 18)
✶ Teething, illness, or travel → even small changes can cause big disruptions
✶ Big transitions → like moving homes, a new sibling, starting daycare, or transitioning from cosleeping.

These disruptions are normal, but that doesn’t make them easy. They can totally derail your confidence. But with realistic expectations and solid routines, your baby’s sleep can get back on track.

The Realistic Path to “Sleeping Through the Night”

Let’s be honest: the path to good sleep doesn’t go from 0 to 12 hours overnight. Most families see progress in phases:

✶ First consistent 3-hour stretches
✶ Then a few 4–6 hour chunks
✶ Cue a rough patch (thanks, regressions or separation anxiety)
✶ Eventually, a glorious 8–12 hour stretch (with or without feeds, depending on your baby’s age and needs)

Some nights will feel easy. Others will feel like you’re starting all over again. But that’s the nature of baby sleep—it evolves. It doesn’t mean your plan isn’t working. It means your baby is growing.

Inside the Cozy Baby Sleep Course, I help you navigate these phases with expert-backed routines, night weaning guidance, age-specific tools, and support that meets you where you are.

If You’re in the Thick of It Right Now…

Please read this slowly!!!

✶ You’re doing an amazing job.
✶ You’re not causing the wake-ups.
✶ You’re allowed to feel tired and hopeful.
✶ This isn’t forever.

This season might feel messy, but you're not stuck in it for good.

Thousands of families have used the Cozy Baby Sleep Course to go from chaotic nights to peaceful, more predictable sleep—with realistic, multiple method options, and no judgment.

You don’t have to tough it out and barely survive another sleepless week.

Need a Clearer Path Through the Setbacks?

Here’s where to start:

✶ The Free Bedtime Chart + Playbook – your free guide to better nights
✶ The FREE Sleep Regression Workshop - for 0-2 years 
✶ The Cozy Baby Sleep Course – for 4–24 months

Because sleep will get better—with the right support, a little strategy, and a whole lot of grace for yourself. You’ve got this!!!!

Citation:

¹ Henderson, J. M. T., France, K. G., Owens, J. L., & Blampied, N. M. (2010). Sleeping through the night: The consolidation of self-regulated sleep across the first year of life. Pediatrics, 126(5), e1081–e1087. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-3141