Why do some babies don't sleep well?

The first and foremost cause that is worth mentioning is that 'the baby has not established the biological rhythm'. Most babies will be able to sleep well all through night by 2nd month of age, with simple intermittent waking for feeds. Some babies may take more long for this cycle to be well-established.

Every baby has a 'natural window time for sleep' when it is easiest for them to fall asleep. If you miss this time, then the baby gets overtired and will have erratic hormone release, making it difficult for him/her to have a sound sleep.

Many parents think that day-time napping prevents proper night sleep. That is wrong! Infact, day-nap deprivation is a common cause of difficulty is sleeping through night.

Some underlying health reasons can also prevent the baby from sound sleep. Adenoid enlargement, reactive airways, and reflux are common causes for sleep disturbances in apparently healthy children and they may go under-diagnosed.

Some babies haven't yet learnt the art of falling asleep. All of us wake up every 3 to 4 hours naturally and then fall asleep. Some babies may need more time to do so.