💤 Understanding Baby Sleep Cycles: Why Your Little One Wakes So Often
Ever wonder why your baby wakes up just as you sit down with a cup of coffee? It might not be hunger or habit — it could be their natural sleep cycle at work.
What Is a Sleep Cycle?
Babies go through sleep cycles just like adults, but theirs are shorter — anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes, depending on their age. (Newborns are closer to 30 minutes, adults around 90.)
Each sleep cycle moves through a few stages:
Stage 1: Drowsy — eyes may open and close
Stage 2: Light sleep
Stage 3: Deep sleep
Stage 4: REM sleep (this is when dreaming happens)
Then it starts all over again.
Here’s the important part: every time your baby moves back into Stage 1, it might look like they’re waking up — they might move around, make noise, or even open their eyes — but they’re often still asleep! If we rush in too quickly, we might accidentally wake them up fully when they would have just drifted back into deeper sleep.
Tip: To avoid unintentionally waking your baby, wait until they are fully awake and crying before intervening or offering a feed. Picking them up while they’re still in Stage 1 light sleep can actually disrupt their cycle and make it harder for them to settle back down.
Babies who rely on sleep props (like being rocked, fed, or using a pacifier) are more likely to wake fully at the end of each cycle because they’re looking for that same thing to help them fall back asleep.
Also, unlike adults, babies’ muscles aren’t paralyzed during REM sleep, so they tend to move around a lot in their sleep — wiggling, grunting, stretching — it’s all totally normal!
Why Sleep Cycles Matter
Understanding sleep cycles can take so much pressure off. Your baby isn’t a “bad sleeper” — their brain is simply following its natural rhythm. The key is helping them link those sleep cycles without needing as much help from you each time.
How to Help Your Baby Connect Sleep Cycles
Keep bedtime routines consistent so your baby knows sleep is coming.
Watch wake windows to avoid overtiredness (which makes transitions harder).
Practice independent sleep skills — allowing your baby to fall asleep on their own.
Create a consistent sleep environment — dark room, white noise, cool temperature.
The Bottom Line
Every baby wakes briefly between sleep cycles — that’s normal! When they learn to drift from one cycle to the next on their own, those longer stretches of sleep start happening naturally.
The more we understand sleep cycles, the less mysterious (and frustrating) those middle-of-the-night wake-ups feel — and the closer your whole family gets to restful nights.
Fall Back Without Falling Apart: How to Help Your Baby Adjust to Daylight Saving Time
Every fall, we “gain” an extra hour when Daylight Saving Time ends. Sounds dreamy, right? For parents, though, this shift often means one thing: extra early wake-ups.
If your baby normally wakes at 6:00 AM, after the time change, that wake-up will now read 5:00 AM on the clock. Yikes. No wonder this is the time change parents dread the most.
The good news is that with a little planning, you can help your child adjust gradually so mornings don’t suddenly start in the dark. Let’s break it down step by step.
Step 1: Shift Slowly ⏰
Instead of asking your baby to suddenly handle a one-hour change overnight, move their entire schedule — naps, meals, and bedtime — earlier by 10–15 minutes each day for the week leading up to the time change.
That way, by the time the clocks shift, your baby’s body is already aligned with the “new” time.
Here’s an example if your little one usually goes to bed at 7:00 PM:
DayBedtime💤 Day 17:00 PM💤 Day 26:45 PM💤 Day 36:30 PM💤 Day 46:15 PM💤 Day 56:00 PM
On the night of the time change, 6:00 PM becomes 7:00 PM — and you’re right on schedule.
👉 Didn’t get a chance to prep ahead? No worries! You can still use this gradual adjustment after the time change. It may just take your little one a week or so to settle back into rhythm (sometimes even two weeks for babies with very set internal clocks).
Step 2: Expect Some Adjustment 😴
Even with the best preparation, your baby’s internal clock doesn’t magically reset overnight. Bedtime may feel “too early,” which can lead to a little extra resistance at night. That’s normal!
Stick with your bedtime routine (bath, book, cuddle, bed), dim the lights before bedtime, and keep things calm and consistent. Your baby’s body will catch up with the new schedule.
Step 3: Control the Light 🌙
One of the trickiest parts of the time change is that the sun sets earlier and evenings can still feel “too bright” at bedtime. Light plays a big role in sleep — it suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps the body wind down.
Here are a few easy fixes:
Invest in blackout curtains or shades to block out evening light.
For a budget-friendly option, you can buy blackout window film on Amazon for around $10. It sticks right to your window and creates a perfectly dark room.
Make sure mornings are bright! Open blinds right away when it’s time to start the day. This contrast between dark evenings and bright mornings helps reset your child’s internal clock faster.