Baby is waking up at night
−a Sensory Explanation
If your baby wakes up multiple times during the night.
You rock them, pat them, feed them — and you’ve even tried teaching them to fall asleep independently. But they still wake-up.
I want you to know that it’s really unlikely that it’s because of you, or because you’ve done something “wrong” — like creating a so-called bad habit.
IF IT IS NOT COLIC OR REFLUX — WHAT COULD IT BE ?
Suddenly, you’re hearing things like “Maybe it’s colic,” or “It must be reflux” or “ check for a cow’s milk allergy” even though it’s already been ruled out by your GP, and or it just doesn’t quite match what your baby is showing to you.
But yet, like for these babies, nothing seems to work anymore for your baby.
And at that moment, it’s so easy to start thinking, “Yep, they were right, I created a bad habit. And my baby will never fall asleep without me.”
If you are there, I want you to know that most of the time, it is a matter of sensory experience. It is not about you, it is about how your baby reacts to the sensory experience around them — things like sounds, lights, touch, smell, temperature... etc
Some things to focus on before saying "it's your fault"
So, I want to give you some things to actually focus on before you let yourself drift into that bad habit idea.
The first step is remembering: babies don’t only wake up at night because of hunger. They also wake up because of sensory disturbances.
I want you to think about the 5 senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch — and how they can trigger or interrupt your baby’s sleep
SOMETIMES IT CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS:
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a loud noise
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a sudden movement (like during a transfer)
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a shift in body temperature or the temperature around them
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a change in light
But that is not it.
There’s something else that can also interfere with your baby’s sleep.
Just like a loud noise, a sudden movement, or bright light, depending on their sensory sensitivity, your child may be more or less affected by the sensations coming from inside their own body — it is called interoception.
WHY YOUR BABY IS WAKING UP AT NIGHT?
Interoception is another sense, just as important as the five we usually think about.
It refers to the awareness of what’s happening inside our body. This includes knowing if our bladder is full or empty, whether we are thirsty or need to eat. It also involves the signals we receive from our emotional experiences — like feeling anxious or happy. For example, we may notice a change in our heartbeat when we’re excited, or a fluttery feeling in our stomach when we’re anxious.
When it comes to baby sleep, we often hear whether:
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
"He gets gassy at night..."
“He woke up because he needed a feed”
"He just wake up by habit because...
… he's not hungry — he just ate.”
… he barely drink and then fall back asleep.”
… it wasn’t really feeding — they just want to be close.”
REASONS WHY YOUR BABY IS WAKING UP AT NIGHT?
But there are many other physiological reasons your child might wake up at night:
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They might need to burp or release gas
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They can be looking for another position
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The feeling of a wet diaper that get’s heavy on them
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A shift in body temperature (their feet being cold compared to the rest of their body)
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The need to feel safe again (because being separate from you somehow create an emotion reaction)
Each of these can be just as real — and just as disruptive — as hunger.
Understanding these triggers means you can now respond more effectively to your baby’s needs, knowing exactly what you're doing and why you are doing it.
Because the sooner we understand what your baby is truly asking for, the sooner we can meet his need in a way that actually helps. And the sooner we get you back to your bed — the sooner you get the rest you deserve. Guilt and doubt free.