How to get your six-month old sleeping through the night.
The six-month mark can be such a fun time for you and your baby. Your baby is hitting big milestones, they’re showing off their personality, and you’re likely emerging from the newborn fog. It’s easier to get out of the house and you’re starting to find rhythms that work for both of you. Whether it’s a baby music class or a weekly coffee date with that new mom friend, you’re finding your stride!
But even in this exciting time, frequent night wakings might have you yawning and reaching for an extra coffee or two to get you through the day.
What’s with the midnight wake-up call?
At six months, your little one is becoming more aware of their surroundings, they’re grabbing, sitting up, teething, maybe crawling and they might be developing some separation anxiety too. All of these factors can contribute to your baby waking up through the night and having a difficult time settling back to sleep.
Of course, every child is different and there can be various reasons behind night wakings, but with so many developmental leaps at six months, it’s not uncommon for tired parents to reach out about sleep training.
Let’s take a closer look at the specific reasons your six-month old might be waking up through the night and what you can do about it:
Hunger
Though most six-month olds can comfortably sleep through the night, some still wake out of genuine hunger, especially if they’re not eating enough during the day.
What to do:
If your baby is still feeding at night, this may be affecting their hunger during the day and reinforcing the nighttime wake cycle. If your baby isn’t hungry or taking a quality feed in the morning, this is a sign that they’re ready to drop one or all nighttime feeds.
Try slowly reducing the amount they consume during night feeds, aiming to shift those calories to the daytime feeds. To help your baby sleep through the night, you’ll focus on daytime management, prioritizing daytime feeds so they can get enough calories during the day to sleep peacefully through the night.
If your pediatrician has recommended starting solids, your baby may be exploring different flavors and textures.
HOWEVER, solids aren’t always the solution to better nighttime sleep. The caloric density in solid foods is marginal at this age, and your baby’s primary nutrition still comes from breastmilk or formula. If offering solids, do so 30 to 90 minutes after a milk feed. Note that solids can change digestive patterns and actually disrupt sleep.
Crib Confidence
At this age, babies become much more aware of how they fall asleep and look for these same supports when they rouse throughout the night. While sleep isn’t a skill to be taught—it’s a natural, biological process, how your baby finds sleep is learned. These cozy routines and gentle cues can be lovingly crafted to support peaceful nights for the whole family.
You have the choice of how you want your baby to fall asleep and back asleep during night wakings—quickly and easily on their own or with your help.
What to do:
If your baby needs to be held, rocked, or fed to sleep, consider helping them gain confidence in their sleep space. Incorporating some back rubs or deep pressure holds while they’re in their crib can help with this transition. Settling to sleep in the crib will help them confidently re-settle throughout the night and sleep longer stretches.
Consistency is key here! When they wake up, choose a consistent sleep time response. This might be rubbing their back, sitting by the crib or checking in every five minutes.
Reminder: you can set loving limits when establishing independent sleep or self-soothing. You’re prioritizing better sleep for the whole family.
How to Stop Rocking to Sleep | How to Stop Nursing to Sleep
Teething discomfort
The six month mark is prime time for teething, and teething discomfort can mean your baby needs a bit more settling support at bedtime or in the middle of the night. Some babies are quite sensitive to teething discomfort and others don’t show signs of teething at all.
What to do:
If you plan to use meds for pain relief, time them with sleep. Lightly massaging their gums before bed with a clean finger can ease discomfort. During the day, allow your baby to chew on a frozen washcloth or offer cool foods like watermelon, cucumber, or frozen fruit in a mesh feeder.
Be confident giving extra support if your baby isn’t feeling well. You can get back on track when baby is feeling better. Note that teething is rarely ever the culprit of weeks or months of sleep disruption.
Developmental milestones
As mentioned earlier, your baby is busy working on gross motor milestones and more. Whether it’s rolling, grabbing, or babbling, these new skills can be so exciting that they want to practice them at night, and while that may be fun for them, it’s not so fun for you…
What to do:
Sensory input and stimulation are essential building blocks to consolidated nighttime sleep. Offer ample floor time during the day so baby can practice their skills and explore their environment. Let your baby play in their crib during the day so they can gain confidence with their new mobility in their sleep space. Bonus: it makes the skill less exciting during sleep time.
Short or poorly timed naps
Six-month olds typically need two to three naps per day, with periods of 2.25 to 3 hours between sleeps. However, naps that are too close to bedtime or an inconsistent first nap time can lead to early morning wakings and/or nighttime restlessness.
What to do:
If possible, establish a predictable schedule of two or three naps and navigate towards a clock-based schedule, with naps happening around the same time each time.
Six-month olds typically need 2-3 hours of daytime sleep divided across naps. If naps are short, you may want to experiment with timing to find a length that works better for them.
Overstimulation before bedtime
Six-month olds are often eager to explore their world, which means they’re easily overstimulated by too much activity, screen time, or even excitement from playtime close to bedtime.
What to do:
Establish a simple, predictable routine about 30-45 minutes before bed. This could include a warm bath, a lullaby, or quiet time with their favorite book. Begin dimming lights and keeping sounds low as part of the wind-down routine, signaling to their body that it’s time for rest.
Environmental factors
Everything from room temperature to sunlight can affect your baby’s sleep quality. Six-month olds are more aware of their surroundings, so even slight adjustments can make a difference.
What to do:
A white noise machine can be a game-changer. It drowns out background noise so your baby isn’t startled awake by the outside world.
It might be time to invest in blackout curtains. Light is stimulating to the brain, so any sunlight creeping in can easily wake them up.
The ideal temperature for baby’s sleep environment is 68 to 72 degrees. Body temperature impacts not only sleep onset but also the sleep quality and the time spent in restorative sleep stages. Of course, families live in different climates and babies can and do sleep soundly when dressed accordingly.
Get some good overnight diapers.
Sample sleep schedule for a six-month old
If you want a practical example of how to approach sleep with a six-month old, here are two sleep schedules from two of my recent clients:
Sample 1:Wake up: 7:00 AM
Nap 1: 9:30 - 10:30 AM
Nap 2: 1:00 - 2:30 PM
Cat nap 3: 4:30 - 5:00 PM (Only if they seem tired; this nap can be phased out gradually)
Bedtime: 7:30 PM
Wake windows in hours: 2.25, 2.25, 2.25, 3
Total sleep in the 24 hour period: 14.5 hours
Sample 2:Wake up: 7:00 AM
Nap 1: 9:45 - 11:45 AM
Nap 2: 2:45 - 3:45 PM
Bedtime: 7:00 PM
Wake windows in hours: 2.75, 3, 3.25
Total sleep in the 24 hour period: 15 hours
Working towards consistent nighttime sleep for your 6-month old is achievable with an optimized sleep schedule, a consistent sleep time response and your confidence.
If you need some extra support with your six-month old, you’ll be in good company with other families I have helped:
“Ella was absolutely fantastic! She began by creating a daytime schedule and nighttime routine for us which made us instantly feel more organized and confident. Then she gave us the tools to help transition our daughter to her own room and teach her to independently sleep all while patiently guiding us and cheering us on with each victory. Our daughter was sleeping through the night in her crib within a few nights, and we honestly couldn’t believe it. Thank you Ella!”
-RobinBook a free consultation call with me, and let’s see if we can get your whole family sleeping soundly through the night!
To better sleep,
Ella