Parenthood comes with its fair share of mysteries, and one of the most confusing is split nights - those stretches when your baby suddenly wakes up in the middle of the night, wide awake and ready to party!

So what causes these long, frustrating night wakes, and more importantly… how do you fix them?

Common Causes of Split Nights

1. Bedtime is Too Early

It might feel counterintuitive, but sometimes an early bedtime can backfire. If your baby goes down too soon, their sleep pressure (the drive to sleep) hasn’t built up enough. The result? A long wake-up in the middle of the night. Finding the sweet spot with an age-appropriate bedtime is key.

2. Awake Window Before Bed is Too Short

The final awake window before bedtime plays a huge role in night sleep. If your little one isn’t tired enough when they’re put down, they may crash initially but then wake later - because their body simply wasn’t ready for a full stretch of consolidated sleep.

3. Too Much Day Sleep

Yes, naps are essential, but too much daytime sleep can spill into the night. If your baby has exceeded their age-appropriate nap needs, they’ll have less sleep pressure at bedtime and may wake for hours in the night.

4. Developmental Phases & New Skills

Rolling, crawling, pulling up, standing - each new milestone is exciting for your baby, but it often comes with restless sleep. Babies love to practice at night, which can look like a frustrating split night. The good news? This phase is temporary.

5. External Sleep Associations

Sometimes, the “way” your baby falls asleep at bedtime stops working overnight. Rocking, feeding, or patting may settle them at the start of the night, but when sleep pressure wears off at midnight, those associations often aren’t strong enough to carry them back to sleep.

How to Fix Split Nights

• Adjust Awake Windows: Make sure your baby’s awake time before bed is age-appropriate so they’re genuinely tired enough to sleep through.

• Monitor Day Sleep: Track naps and trim them back if they’re exceeding daily totals for their age.

• Encourage Daytime Practice: If a new skill is disrupting nights, let your baby practice rolling, crawling, or standing during the day. This often shortens the phase.

• Evaluate Sleep Associations: If your baby is relying on something external that no longer works overnight, consider gently shifting towards more sustainable sleep habits.

The Bottom Line

Split nights aren’t random. They happen for a reason, and with the right tweaks, they can absolutely be resolved. By balancing naps, bedtime, awake windows, and sleep associations, you can help your baby sleep longer stretches overnight.

If your nights feel like a puzzle you can’t quite solve, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
✨ Our age-based sleep guides walk you step-by-step through the routines and strategies that stop split nights for good.
✨ Or, if you’d love personalised support, you can book a call with one of our amazing sleep consultants and get a plan tailored to your baby.

👉 Ready to say goodbye to 1am parties? Shop our sleep guides here or book your consult today