A baby will cycle between periods of deep sleep and light sleep as the night progresses. These sleep cycles are short, lasting approximately 30 to 45 minutes. This means a baby will transition between sleep cycles multiple times during the night and a couple of times during a nap.
It is very common for a baby to wake up as they transition through these sleep cycles. If the baby has been helped to sleep by the parent(s) or has relied on ‘sleep props’ at bedtime, they will have difficulty falling back asleep on their own upon waking during the night. This reliance often results in frequent night wakings or short naps during the day.
When a baby does not know how to fall asleep independently, they will cry out or signal to their parent(s) every time they wake during the night. They seek the same help to return to sleep as they received at bedtime. This can disrupt much-needed rest for both the baby and the parent(s).
Think about it: if you went to sleep in your own bed, in your own room, in your own house, but woke up in the middle of the night to find yourself lying on the floor in a basement, would you simply roll over, snuggle into your pillow, and go back to sleep? No! You would be instantly alarmed, and your fight-or-flight response would immediately kick in because how and where you fell asleep is entirely different from where you woke up.
It is the same for your baby. If your baby fell asleep nursing in your arms, feeling warm and snuggly while being gently rocked, then wakes up all alone in their crib with no sign of you, they will naturally feel alarmed. They will cry out and signal for you to return and recreate the conditions in which they initially fell asleep.
If you respond by helping your baby back to sleep, this cycle will continue. A short while later, they will wake again, find that the conditions are different, and cry out for help. This means you will need to assist them back to sleep repeatedly throughout the night.
Teaching your baby to fall asleep independently is essential. When a baby learns this skill, they can go back to sleep on their own after waking during the night. If they wake up and know how to self-soothe, they can quickly and easily fall back asleep with minimal disruption for everyone.