Question

Why isn’t my six-month-old baby sleeping well during the afternoon nap? During the day, he can sleep for about three hours. He usually takes a nap around 8 PM and sleeps until midnight, when he feeds once. He then wakes up again around 3 AM, not crying or fussing, and keeps kicking the blanket and doesn’t want to go back to sleep. It takes him about an hour or two of tossing and turning before he finally falls asleep again. I’m almost driven crazy by this. Why is this happening? It’s like this every night.

Answer

Deep sleep in infancy is different from adult sleep; babies get enough deep sleep after a certain period and then wake up. As for the baby waking up at night without crying or fussing, you don’t need to worry too much about this; it’s part of how babies understand their environment. Don’t rush to get the baby to fall asleep; just let them play for a while, and they’ll fall asleep when they’re tired. As for kicking the blanket, check if it’s too thick or uncomfortable for some reason.