A–Z Glossary

Sleep association

A cue a child links to falling asleep and may need again after a normal arousal.

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Baby only sleeps when held

Baby only sleeps when held

Why babies often sleep better when held Holding offers several cues that help an immature nervous system settle. A caregiver’s body provides warmth, rhythmic movement, gentle pressure, familiar scent, and auditory input such as breathing and a heartbeat. These cues can reduce the abrupt sensory change that occurs when a baby is placed on a […]

Baby wakes every hour

Baby wakes every hour

Why a baby may wake every hour Infant sleep is biologically different from adult sleep. Babies spend substantial time in active sleep, a lighter phase that may include facial movements, brief vocalizations, limb movements, and irregular breathing. They may appear awake even when they have not fully emerged from sleep. As one sleep cycle ends, […]

Self-soothing myths explained

Self-soothing myths explained

What self-soothing actually means In everyday conversation, self-soothing can mean anything from sucking a hand to falling asleep without being held. In infant sleep research, it is usually narrower: the infant returns to sleep after a nighttime arousal without a parent intervening. This is not evidence that the baby has no needs, did not wake, […]

Nighttime Teething Comfort Without Extra Feedings

Nighttime Teething Comfort Without Extra Feedings

Understand What the Waking May Mean A baby can wake during teething for several overlapping reasons. Tooth eruption may produce localized gingival tenderness, increased salivation, chewing, and irritability. At the same time, normal infant sleep includes brief arousals between sleep cycles. If feeding has become the most reliable way to return to sleep, a baby […]

Child wakes up at night and early waking explained

Child wakes up at night and early waking explained

What counts as normal waking during the night? Sleep is not perfectly continuous. Children, like adults, cycle through lighter and deeper stages, and they may briefly rouse between cycles. A child who turns over, mutters, opens their eyes, or calls out once and then settles again may simply be showing normal sleep fragmentation rather than […]