Should i wake my baby to feed at night nhs

Helping your baby to sleep

Some babies sleep much more than others. Some sleep for long periods, others in short bursts. Some soon sleep through the night, while some don't for a long time.

Your baby will have their own pattern of waking and sleeping, and it's unlikely to be the same as other babies you know.

It's also unlikely to fit in with your need for sleep. Try to sleep when your baby sleeps.

If you're breastfeeding, in the early weeks your baby is likely to doze off for short periods during a feed. Carry on feeding until you think your baby has finished or until they're fully asleep. This is a good opportunity to try to get a bit of rest yourself.

If you're not sleeping at the same time as your baby, don't worry about keeping the house silent while they sleep. It's good to get your baby used to sleeping through a certain amount of noise.

How can I get my baby used to night and day?

It's a good idea to teach your baby that night-time is different from daytime from the start. During the day, open curtains, play games and don't worry too much about everyday noises when they sleep.

At night, you might find it helpful to:

keep the lights down low
not talk much and keep your voice quiet
put your baby down as soon as they've been fed and changed
not change your baby unless they need it
not play with your baby

Your baby will gradually learn that night-time is for sleeping.

Where should my baby sleep?

For the first 6 months your baby should be in the same room as you when they're asleep, both day and night. This can reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

Particularly in the early weeks, you may find your baby only falls asleep in your or your partner's arms, or when you're standing by the cot.

You can start getting your baby used to going to sleep without you comforting them by putting them down before they fall asleep or when they've just finished a feed. It may be easier to do this once your baby starts to stay alert more frequently or for longer.

If you use a baby sling to carry your baby, make sure you use it safely. The Lullaby Trust has information about swaddling your baby and using slings safely.

Establishing a baby bedtime routine

You may feel ready to introduce a bedtime routine when your baby is around 3 months old. Getting them into a simple, soothing bedtime routine can be a great opportunity to have 1-to-1 time with your baby.

The routine could consist of:

having a bath
changing into night clothes and a fresh nappy
putting them to bed
reading a bedtime story (see more in Baby and toddler play ideas)
dimming the lights in the room to create a calm atmosphere
giving a goodnight kiss and cuddle
singing a lullaby or having a wind-up musical mobile you can turn on when you've put your baby to bed
brushing their teeth (if they have any)

As your child gets older, it can be helpful to keep to a similar bedtime routine. Too much excitement and stimulation just before bedtime can wake your child up again. Spend some time winding down and doing some calmer activities, like reading.

How much sleep does your baby need?

Just as with adults, babies' and children's sleep patterns vary. From birth, some babies need more or less sleep than others. The list below shows the average amount of sleep babies and children need during a 24-hour period, including daytime naps.

Newborn sleep needs

Most newborn babies are asleep more than they are awake. Their total daily sleep varies, but can be from 8 hours up to 16 or 18 hours. Babies will wake during the night because they need to be fed. Being too hot or too cold can also disturb their sleep.

Sleep requirements at 3 to 6 months old

As your baby grows, they'll need fewer night feeds and will be able to sleep for longer. Some babies will sleep for 8 hours or longer at night, but not all. By 4 months, they may be spending around twice as long sleeping at night as they do during the day.

Baby sleep at 6 to 12 months

For babies aged 6 months to a year, night feeds may no longer be necessary and some babies will sleep for up to 12 hours at night. Teething discomfort or hunger may wake some babies during the night.

Sleep requirements from 12 months

Babies will sleep for around 12 to 15 hours in total after their first birthday.

2-year-old sleep needs

Most 2 year olds will sleep for 11 to 12 hours at night, with 1 or 2 naps in the daytime.

Sleep requirements for 3 to 4 year olds

Most children aged 3 or 4 will need about 12 hours sleep, but this can range from 8 hours up to 14. Some young children will still need a nap during the day.

Coping with disturbed nights

Newborn babies invariably wake up repeatedly in the night for the first few months, and disturbed nights can be very hard to cope with.

If you have a partner, ask them to help. If you're formula feeding, encourage your partner to share the feeds. If you're breastfeeding, ask your partner to take over the early morning changing and dressing so you can go back to sleep.

Once you're into a good breastfeeding routine, your partner could occasionally give a bottle of expressed breast milk during the night. If you're on your own, you could ask a friend or relative to stay for a few days so you can get some sleep.

Dealing with baby sleep pattern changes

All babies change their sleep patterns. Just when you think you have it sorted and you've all had a good night's sleep, the next night you might be up every 2 hours.

Be prepared to change routines as your baby grows and enters different stages. And remember, growth spurts, teething and illnesses can all affect how your baby sleeps.

If your baby is having problems sleeping or you need more advice about getting into a routine, speak to your health visitor.

Video: How much sleep should my newborn baby have?

In this video, a midwife talks about how much sleep a newborn needs and how every baby is different.

Media last reviewed: 4 October 2022
Media review due: 4 October 2025

Should I wake my newborn to feed?

4 shares

Sleep is a precious resource when you’re a new parent.

So when your baby is giving you a lengthy break it’s natural to want to make the most of it.

However if your newborn is has been snoozing like, well, a baby for several hours you may be wondering whether you should wake them for a feed.

The answer to whether you should wake your baby to feed is it’s a judgement call based on the following factors:

Have they been producing regular dirty and wet nappies?
Are they growing well?
Did they eat well at their last feed and earlier in the day?
If you’re breastfeeding how uncomfortable (engorged) are you?
Have you been struggling with milk supply if you are breastfeeding?
Is it the middle of the night or the middle of the day?

We’re going to talk about these factors further in this article, as well as the NHS advice on whether to wake a newborn baby to feed.

You may also like: Newborn baby schedules

Should I wake my newborn to feed NHS advice

The NHS does not tackle this question head-on on its website.

However it does advise that newborns need to feed little and often. Many new babies lose weight in the first few days and it’s important to help them regain this and continue to grow.

If you are breastfeeding the NHS says you should nurse your baby at night as this is when you produce more of the hormone prolactin to build up your supply.

When it comes to breastfeeding your supply is very much based on demand. The more you put your baby to the breast, the more milk your breasts will produce.

In the early weeks, when your supply is building up, the NHS advises new mothers to nurse their baby as often as the baby demands.

Many babies will cluster feed, especially in the evenings, which is where they feed almost constantly for several hours. This is a very natural behaviour which stimulates the milk supply, and can also be related to growth spurts.

So some newborns may be feeding every two hours during the day – for example – and then sleep for longer bursts between feeds at night.

Putting this together if your newborn baby has been asleep for 3 to 4 hours you may want to consider offering them a feed.

In the early days after birth some babies will continue to doze through a feed, so if it’s daytime it can be worth unwrapping them from cosy blankets and tickling their feet to ensure they get a proper feed rather than snack in their sleep.

What do other experts say?

The Mayo Clinic advises to wake a newborn baby if they have slept for more than four hours.

La Leche League advises new mothers to nurse their baby as often as your baby demands.

The La Leche organisation also suggests nursing mothers should wake their baby to feed if they have been asleep a few hours, with the aim of feeding around 10 times in 24 hours.

The NCT advises that it is normal for babies to wake frequently to feed at night in the early weeks.

Kelly Mom advises to wake a baby who is less than four weeks old every 4 to 5 hours at night to nurse if they do not wake on their own.

How often does a newborn need to feed?

The NHS advises a breastfed newborn baby should be feeding roughly 8-12 times in a 24 hour period during the first few weeks.

Going by this your baby may feed every 2 to 3 hours. However breastfeeding is not an exact science, especially in the early weeks.

Even formula feeding babies may wish to feed a little more frequently or a little less frequently than this over the course of a day. The CGA Baby website suggests bottle-fed babies may need six feeds per day in the first two weeks of life.

If you are formula feeding your baby then you can follow the same guidance in terms of how many feeds your baby needs per day.

However you may not need to worry so much about spacing the feeds out every two to three hours as you don’t need to maintain breast milk supply.

Your baby will let you know when they are hungry with cues such as these as outlined by the CDC:

Puts hand to mouth
Turns head towards breast or bottle
Puckers, smacks or licks lips
Has clenched hands
Crying – this is generally a last resort cue

So your newborn will often let you know when they are hungry and the NHS advice is to feed them on demand as often as they need.

However if they are sleeping through a time when typically they will feed, or they have not fed for more than three to four hours, you may want to consider waking them so that they don’t miss a feed.

How much milk does a newborn baby need?

If you are breastfeeding you won’t be able to measure exactly how much milk your baby is taking. However as a general rule they should be feeding 8 to 12 times in a 24 hour period.

Your baby may take just 0.5oz of colostrum (which is the first milk your breasts produce for your baby when they are born) at each feed in their first 24 hours. Then they may be consuming 1oz per feed by the time they are 72 hours.

This may increase to 2.5oz to 3oz or more per feed by the time they are a week old.

If you are expressing breast milk or bottle feeding with formula milk then as a general guide your newborn baby may be drinking between 1.5oz to 3oz (45-90ml) at each feed in the first six weeks.

By the time your newborn is two months they may take 4oz to 5oz (120-150ml) per feed.

How long should a newborn sleep?

Newborn babies need 14 to 17 hours of sleep over a 24 hour period. This will be broken up into small chunks. A newborn may only manage to stay awake for between 30 minutes and one hour before they become tired and need to nap again.

Their wake window will gradually become longer over time.

A newborn baby will likely be extremely sleepy in the first few days or so. Both of my babies lulled me into a false sense of security with their sleepiness in the first week.

Once they hit around seven days old both were waking three to four times at night.

So if your baby is less than a week old waking them to feed is likely to be necessary to ensure they’re getting enough calories in a 24 hour period. Once they reach a week old they will likely be waking of their own accord to get the milk they need in the night.

How to wake your newborn to feed

Babies are born with no internal clock – they have no idea about the difference between day and night.

You can gently show them this even when they are tiny and waking often by making day feeds and night feeds different.

When waking your newborn in the day to feed you can:

Ensure they are fully awake – a nappy change may help to rouse them before feeding
Feed them in a light room
Speak to them at normal volume

When waking your newborn in the night to feed try:

Keeping lights down low
Speak in soft, soothing tones
Don’t play or get out any toys that stimulate them
Avoid nappy changes unless absolutely necessary

When should you wake a newborn baby to feed?

So putting the advice above together it’s a good idea to wake your newborn for a feed if they have slept for four hours or more, or have not fed much in the previous 24 hours.

You may also want to wake your newborn to feed under the following circumstances:

If your doctor or health visitor advises it

Always follow the medical advice from your healthcare provider. If your baby was born prematurely or jaundiced or has lost a lot of weight since birth then a professional may advise you to ensure your baby is feeding regularly.

To establish breast milk supply

Your milk supply is based on demand and putting your baby to the breast frequently is the most effective way of building up your supply, especially in the early weeks.

When baby has not yet regained their birth weight

Always speak to your health visitor, midwife or GP if you are concerned about your baby’s weight. You can keep track of their weight at regular checkups, where you should be told if your baby is still tracking along on the same centile line for growth.

When can you stop waking a newborn to feed?

Once your baby gets to around 12 weeks you will find that breastfeeding and bottle feeding – whichever you choose – has become easier as you recognise your baby’s hunger signals and have a handle on their natural routine.

They are also able to take larger feeds and so can get the bulk of their calories in the 12 hours of daytime.

By this age your baby may be sleeping for a little longer – with some able to go five hours or more between feeds.

My first baby was sleeping through by the time she was six weeks old, however my eldest did not sleep through until she was one.

One of the reasons it is difficult to decide whether your newborn needs to be woken for a feed is they don’t have a solid routine in the early days and weeks. Trying to force a strict regime at this age may be impossible as they change so rapidly.

However a baby of three months or more is much more predictable and is able to go slightly longer stretches between feeds.

Your baby may continue to wake wanting to feed at night until they are six to nine months or older. Most babies are sleeping through a solid 10 to 12 hours at night by the time they are one without needing to wake for a night feed.

Is it necessary to wake the baby for feeding

Some mothers are worried that their baby does not ask for food at night. We figure out whether it is necessary to wake the baby for feeding at night or for his growth and development, daytime nutrition is enough, as well as how to properly disturb sleep and feed the baby, if necessary. What to give the child, how often and up to what age and how to solve the problem of night awakenings? We will talk about all this with our permanent expert - pediatrician, consultant of the SMART MAMA project Polina Aleksandrovna Kizino.

— Polina Alexandrovna, why do babies eat at night?

- Active growth and weight gain in the first months of life, the growing needs of the body for building material and energy costs require a large amount of nutrients. But the baby cannot eat a lot of food at once in order to accumulate it and use the reserves all night. Therefore, the younger the child, the more often he will eat at night. A newborn baby suckles a breast or a bottle day and night at almost the same intervals, but the older he gets, the less often he feeds at night.

— How to organize the nutrition of a breastfed and formula-fed baby?

— In this matter, it is extremely important for parents to separate the concepts of food and sleep. A small child does not need to eat during the falling asleep period, he is able to eat between feedings during wakefulness and at night during sleep. These two processes go hand in hand, but they should not be strictly tied to each other. Therefore, it is important to understand how much the baby needs to sleep and what should be the intervals between feedings.

Sleep and feeding norms up to a year

Feed the child at the request or under the regime

Wake up the baby at night

Field, time between attachments, because the child may be worried not because of hunger, but for another reason.

In the days of a lactation crisis, when there is less milk than the baby needs, it is applied to the breast as often as possible, based on the needs of the child.

Milk formula

Feeding according to the regime with an interval of at least 3 hours.

Night feedings during the newborn period and up to three months

Babies need to eat at night, so if they sleep all night without feeding, they wake them up and feed them.

Night feedings for older children

If the child is gaining weight well and rarely asks for food at night - this is the norm, it is not necessary to wake him up.
If the weight gain is below the norm and the child does not eat well at night, this is a reason for more active daytime and nighttime feeding.

How much sleep should a child sleep at night? Age norms change every month, but sleep and nutrition are extremely important. For example, a three-month-old baby sleeps normally 10-12 hours a night. But this does not mean that during this time he does not need to eat. As soon as a hungry baby begins to fiddle and worry, mom should offer him breasts or formula. The child eats and continues to sleep, and the sleep process is not interrupted.

— How many months should I feed my baby at night and how often?

— There are different situations. From birth, the intervals between feedings at night are the same as during the day, then the child gradually begins to skip night feedings, the intervals increase, and on average, by the age of one year, the baby stops eating at night.

It is necessary to wake the baby for feedings in the first month, but initially it is worth looking at how long the baby will wake up on its own. For example, if the interval is 2.5-3 hours, and the child wakes up on his own after 3.5 hours, this is acceptable. But the situation when the newborn is sleeping is completely incorrect 9-10 hours and does not receive food all this time.

- Advise parents who want to adjust their feeding schedule.

- You can increase the intervals between feedings over time and gradually, and in the first months you need to see how much the baby is gaining weight. If the increase is adequate, it means that the child needs so much food, perhaps an indulgence. If the increase does not correspond to the desired, then, on the contrary, it will be necessary to supplement the baby more actively. With older children, they are guided by the child's behavior during the day, his weight and height gains.

Read also: How to create a feeding regimen and daily ration for a newborn who is breastfed, formula-fed or formula-fed

— When can a child sleep through the night without feeding?

— Children are all different. Rare babies begin to sleep at night from the third month. If a child eats his daily allowance during the day and at the same time gains weight normally, there is no need to force-feed him. But there are children who wake up for feeding and a year. The norm at this age is one nightly feeding. By about fourteen or fifteen months, babies stop eating at night, in terms of nutritional needs. After pediatricians do not recommend feeding at night.

It's not just that you need to refuse a child food at night - you should pay attention to his food during the day and assess its sufficiency. At the same time, it is recommended to deal with the sleep regime: when the regime is violated, overwork occurs. Perhaps the child does not know how to prolong sleep on his own, and he needs a breast or a bottle to fall asleep. Then night feedings appear, without which he cannot sleep.

— Is it better to feed at night: breast milk, infant formula or complementary foods?

Breastfeeding: give breast or bottle expressed breast milk.

Mixed feeding: breast milk if the mother is trying to keep lactating, or bottle formula if the mother is weaning.

Artificial feeding: dilute a portion of the mixture according to age and doctor's recommendations.

Complementary foods are not suitable for night feeding, because they require feeding from a spoon. Do not bottle feed your baby anything other than breast milk, adapted formula, or water.

— How many times should a baby be fed at night?

— When a child wakes up and asks for food, then they feed him, or on the advice of a doctor. If the child needs additional food, but he does not ask, the mother should still feed him in the amount in which the doctor prescribed it.

Night feeding rules

Night feedings usually accompany sleep and do not require waking up.
The more calm conditions (dimmed light, silence) created during feeding, the better.
Frequent awakenings at intervals of 40-60 minutes or 1 hour 30 minutes, especially in a child older than four months, usually do not indicate hunger, but an association with falling asleep or prolonging sleep only with breast / bottle sucking.
With the exception of periods of lactation crisis, when the baby often asks for a breast, nightly intervals between feedings should be the same as during the day, or more. Gradually, the intervals between feedings should be increased.

— Does the quality of food at dinner affect your night's sleep?

— Nocturnal awakenings are influenced not so much by the last feeding as by the food of the day as a whole. It is a mistake to believe that if you give your child a huge portion at night, he will sleep better. On the contrary, it is more difficult to fall asleep on a full stomach. And, with the exception of very young children, it would be rational, as the child grows, to increase the interval between the last feeding and going to sleep.

A 1-month-old baby will fall asleep on the breast or at the bottle: at this age, the wake time is short and feeding usually causes the baby to fall asleep. The process of eating for him is a big burden, but at the same time, sucking relaxes and calms.
After three to four months, you can gradually separate feeding from falling asleep and make longer intervals - starting from 10 minutes, reaching 1. 5-2 hours by the year.

Being full before bed does not reduce awakenings, so the baby should be fed as usual. At an older age, one of the complementary foods can be given at night: porridge with milk or meat puree with vegetables, but one should not think that they will somehow affect nighttime awakenings if the child ate little during the day.

— How to wake up a newborn to feed at night?

- To feed a baby, it is enough to offer a breast or a bottle and not wake him up - with a maximum probability he will start sucking. There are situations when the child is very lethargic and you need to fill his nutritional needs. In this case, you can “wake up” and use tactile or sound stimuli - take the baby in your arms and change the position of his body, undress him, stroke him, start talking to him quietly so as not to injure or scare him. Any impact should be smooth and progressive until the baby wakes up. But he can suck in a dream.

If the child gains weight adequately, eats enough during the day, feels well, then the absence of awakenings should not be frightening. The priority is how the child develops: with adequate development, night feedings are not insisted.

— Let's discuss the problems that parents face during night feedings.

The child often wakes up at night and cries

- Often the child wakes up at night not from hunger, but to calm himself and prolong his sleep, but he does not know how to do this except with a breast or a bottle.

Parents often underestimate the regime, but it is extremely important, because the violation of the regime significantly affects the functioning of the nervous system. If sleep is not organized, then any irritants are quickly unsettled, the baby can react violently to everything. It is worth paying attention to the rituals that precede going to sleep, associations that accompany falling asleep, living conditions - separate and / or joint sleep. Some babies sleep very restlessly after feeding. There may also be reasons for sleep disturbances.

Refusal of night feedings

— Parents face a problem when they decide to stop night feedings prematurely. Within reason, you need to follow the child, give him the opportunity to regulate his desires. Ideally, you do not need to feed specially or, on the contrary, stop force-feeding the baby, although there are exceptions in case of violations of his health.

The baby does not want to eat or eats little and falls asleep

- The baby sucks sluggishly if he does not like the shape of the nipple, bottle or is uncomfortable at the breast and it is difficult to get milk. If the baby falls asleep after a short suck, but he needs to be given a certain portion of milk or formula, then he needs to be woken up and fed. During sleep, it is sometimes easier to feed than during the day.

If the child wakes up and does not want to eat, but at the same time he adds normally, then you need to deal with other reasons for awakening. In a healthy child, they look at the organization of sleep, wakefulness and nutrition during the day. Neurological symptoms against the background of sleep disturbance require examination of the baby by a doctor.

— How to normalize sleep and nutrition in infants?

— The norms of sleep and feeding are conditional, therefore, first of all, it is necessary to observe the behavior and physiological needs of the child. If he gains weight well, develops adequately without striking deviations from the norm and negative conditions, then there is no point in adhering to strict rules.

Norms are a guide that allows you to quickly react in a situation where something is wrong with your child. If the baby is very worried, often wakes up at night, gains weight poorly, is naughty during the day, then the norms will help correct his condition. If the child develops well, he is active, stable, there is no reason to adapt to the pattern.

Every age has its own dietary and sleep norms. A child under one year old quite justifiably asks for food at night, and it makes no sense for him to refuse it. In the event of a lag in weight and height for some time, the baby will have to be fed more actively, even if he does not ask, until his condition and parameters return to normal. Some children stop eating at night earlier, and if they develop well, do not lag behind in weight and height, then this can be considered the norm.

*The ideal food for an infant is mother's milk. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. MAMAKO® supports this recommendation. Before introducing new foods into your baby's diet, consult with a specialist.

How to wake up a baby for feeding and whether to wake up a baby in the afternoon

05/29/2020

For any parent, the question of whether to wake up a baby is not easy. On the one hand, there are fears that a child who has been sleeping for a long time will not be able to fall asleep in time later, and on the other hand, how to raise such an angel who has been put to bed for so long...

so that his sleep is not affected.

Let's start with the smallest children. You've probably heard the phrase "never wake a sleeping baby." But it is not always fair. Some newborn babies wake up on their own for feedings, while others need to be awakened. Whether or not you need to wake your baby depends on their age, weight, and overall health.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waking your baby for feedings if he sleeps more than 4 hours in the first two weeks of life. On average, a baby needs feeding every 2-3 hours.

Frequent feeding is very important for several reasons:

The baby's stomach is very small, the baby quickly digests breast milk. Faster than a mix. Therefore, physiologically, the child necessarily needs frequent feedings every 2-3 hours.
Babies can sometimes sleep even when hungry, thus malnourished, which affects their development.
After birth, the baby loses 5-10% of its body weight. And in the first weeks he needs to gain weight. Lack of milk or formula slows down this process.
A short interval between feedings helps to maintain lactation. That allows you to avoid problems with a shortage of milk in the future.

Tears already signal strong hunger. Therefore, it is better to breastfeed the baby before the baby starts crying. Learn to recognize the early signs of hunger: the baby puts his hand in his mouth, smacks his lips, tossing and turning when he sleeps.

Should the baby be woken up to feed during the day? In general, if an infant sleeps for more than 3 hours in one dream during daylight hours, he must be awakened. Then the mother can feed the already awakened baby. This makes it possible to adjust the work of the biological rhythms of the baby.

How to Wake Up

Help your child gradually fall asleep by stroking their arms, legs or lightly tickling them.
Change diaper. Often this is enough for the baby to wake up and be ready to eat.
Undress and place skin to skin on your chest. You can squeeze a few drops of milk onto your baby's mouth. He will smell and taste it and begin to suck on the breast.
Speak - he will hear your voice and wake up.
Do not turn on bright lights. A dim light is sufficient. The bright light will blind your eyes.
If the baby has attached to the breast but has not begun to suckle, stroke his cheek.

How long to feed

As soon as the baby wakes up and starts to eat, make sure that the feeding is long enough to empty at least one breast. So we will know that he ate hind milk, which is necessary for the growth of the child's body. Some babies take 45 minutes or more to feed one breast, and some do it in 10 minutes.

Sucking reflex promotes falling asleep. Therefore, make sure that the baby does not fall asleep while feeding. If he falls asleep, change position, lift him up to burp, and then start feeding again.

By 6 months you will have a more or less predictable eating schedule. But each baby will have his own. Some of the children eat every 2 hours, and someone is able to stay without food for 3-4 hours by the second month of life. This is especially true for children who are formula fed.

The length of time between feedings increases as the child grows older. By the age of six months, many babies can already go without supplements at night or are able to sleep for longer periods.

If a child wakes up too often after 6 months and asks for food at night, perhaps this is no longer hunger, but a way to relax and fall asleep.

Avoid using a pacifier in the first weeks after delivery. The pacifier helps the child to calm down and prolong sleep. So you may not notice that your baby is hungry. Therefore, start using a pacifier no earlier than 4-6 weeks and when you are lactating.

Should the baby be woken up to feed formula? As with breastfeeding, the newborn needs frequent formula feeding. But the interval will be more than 3-4 hours.

When it is necessary to wake up the child

It is important to wake up the baby in the morning if he has fallen asleep later than 7.00. This is especially true for children who still sleep 1-2-3 times during the day and have already developed a relatively stable routine. So you create the perfect routine in the morning.

After waking up, children need time to work up their tiredness for their next nap, the ideal window for which is around 9 am and 1 pm (depending on age).

Therefore, if the baby slept until 8 am, he simply will not be able to fall asleep in his first daytime sleep.

In order for the baby to wake up calmly without tears, you can enter a wake-up ritual. It allows the child to smoothly transition from a sleepy state to wakefulness.

Example of a wake-up ritual:

Open curtains/turn on lights
Welcome words and a kiss
Snacks, nursery rhymes after sleep
Cheerful song

Then you can get up and start breakfast. For older children, such a ritual is also necessary.

The awakening ritual has different purposes:

Marks the end of sleep,
Teaches a child that everyday sounds are not a reason to wake up,
Helps prevent baby from crying when waking up.

It will also be useful to have a light alarm. If the baby wakes up early, he will stay in bed until he sees the light on the clock.

When to wake up your baby after a nap

Many babies from 4 to 8 months sleep three times a day.

In this mode, it is important to wake up the baby after the third nap no later than 17.00. The duration of this segment is about 45 minutes, but not more than an hour. Then you can easily put the baby to bed by 19 o'clock.

Transition to one nap

At the age of 15-18 months there is a transition to one nap. It can be long and take place in different ways.

For example:

In the morning, the baby falls asleep easily and sleeps up to 2 hours. But then it is difficult to put it in lunch. And by the evening without rest at lunchtime, he is already overworked and falls asleep with difficulty.

So if this is your case, you can pick up the baby after 60-75 minutes. At the same time, move the start of the second sleep 15 minutes later.