Guest Article. The first of a series of articles written for Baby College all about Baby Sleep
1. Baby Sleep Patterns: Split Nights
(This article was written for Baby College by Emma Gawne, Sleep Consultant with Help Baby Sleep and Resident Baby Sleep Expert for Inspiring Parents UK, our national Facebook Support Group)
Ever found yourself awake in the wee hours, soothing a restless baby who seems determined to stay wide awake? If you’re nodding along, you might be experiencing what’s known as a “split night” – a challenge many parents face during their little one’s sleep journey.
For those less familiar, a split night occurs when your child wakes up in the middle of the night, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, refusing to go back to sleep despite all your efforts. Surprisingly, this pattern isn’t entirely new; centuries ago, before electric lights and bustling cities, it was quite common for people to wake up in the middle of the night for various activities like reflection, prayer, or tending to their families.
But in today’s fast-paced world, where a long block of uninterrupted sleep is often seen as the gold standard, dealing with a split night can feel like an unwelcome disruption. So, what exactly causes this nocturnal phenomenon?
In simple terms, a split night occurs when our biological sleep drives – sleep pressure and circadian rhythm – fall out of sync. Typically, as sleep pressure decreases towards midnight, our circadian rhythm takes over, guiding us into a restful slumber. However, when these two rhythms become misaligned, your baby might find themselves wide awake at odd hours, waiting for their body to catch up.
There are a couple of common culprits behind split nights.
- Firstly, irregular napping patterns during the day can throw off your baby’s sleep schedule, leading to either an early bedtime or a mid-night wake-up call.
- Secondly, developmental milestones, illness, or external stimuli after feeding can disrupt your baby’s sleep, leaving them alert and ready to play when they should be snoozing.
So, how can you tackle a split night and reclaim those precious hours of rest? One approach is to regulate your baby’s bedtime to ensure they’re getting enough sleep without spending excessive time awake at night. This might involve adjusting nap times or gently nudging wake-up times to sync with their natural sleep rhythms. If your little one is struggling due to developmental leaps or night-time disturbances, providing ample opportunities for them to practice new skills during the day can also help to reduce those night-time wakes.
Emma Gawne
Message from Emma
Help Baby Sleep, baby sleep consultant, is here to help guide you and your baby to a better night’s sleep.
My goal is to give parents back their confidence and wellbeing. I support you by finding gentle and well balanced solutions to help you with your little one’s sleep.
So that you can get some too.
Message from Baby College
New parents: Remember, you’re not alone in this journey! Join our supportive community at Inspiring Parents UK, where you can seek advice from fellow parents and sleep experts including Emma alike.
