Why Isn’t My Baby Sleeping Through the Night?

During the first few weeks and months, you’ll likely be asked many times how your baby is sleeping and what her sleeping habits are like. The concept of the baby sleeping uninterrupted through the night is often something that new parents will strive for, but it may be a farther off goal than you’d like.

You see, it is natural for babies to wake up very often. Infants naturally have different sleep cycles than adults, and having periods of waking and sleeping are good for them. Babies’ sleep cycles are much shorter than adults as well; while the average adult goes through a 90-minute sleep cycle, a baby has a 60-minute cycle. This inherently makes infants prone to waking up cyclically. Whether your baby has been doing well at sleeping for long periods of time or is still waking up quite a bit in the night, do not fret. It is natural for your little one to go through these stages, and as she develops, her sleeping will too become more regular.

Click here to read more from Patrick Smith for Buzzfeed.