Logo - The Possums baby and toddler sleep program.
parents home
librarybrowse all programsfind answers nowaudioprograms in audiogroup sessionsgroup sessions with dr pam
menu icon NDC Institute
possums for professionals
(the ndc institute)
menu icon eventsguest speakers
menu icon the sciencethe science behind possums/ndcmenu icon who we arewho we aremenu icon evidence basendc research publicationsmenu icon dr pam's booksdr pam's books
menu icon free resourcesfree resourcesmenu icon dr pam's blogdr pam's blog
menu icon consult with dr pamconsult with dr pammenu icon consult with dr pamfind a possums clinicmenu icon find a NDC accredited practitionerfind an ndc accredited practitioner
login-iconlogin

Welcome back!

Forgot password
get access
search

Search programs

Baby Sleep (0-12 months) icon

Baby Sleep
(0-12 months)


  • How to avoid the Four Great Disruptors of baby's night-time sleep
  • When your baby won't settle back into the cot at night
  • When your baby is awake for long periods in the night or won't fall back into deep sleep
  • When your baby wakes up screaming in the night
  • When you don't have help with your baby's sleep in the night
  • How to do baby sleep when you've made the decision to wean from the breast?
  • When you're in a sleep emergency and lying awake even though baby is asleep

Listen to audio program

Next article

Sign up now
  • Baby Sleep (0-12 months)
  • S4: Night-times
  • CH 2: Making changes
  • PT 2.2: When baby wakes

When your baby is awake for long periods in the night or won't fall back into deep sleep

Dr Pamela Douglas18th of Sep 202321st of May 2024

baby sleeping on back

Is your baby showing one or more of the following exhausting behaviours during the night, as a pattern over time? Is your baby

  • Awake for long periods

  • Groaning, grunting and backarching or writhing for long periods

  • Breastfeeding for long periods

  • Unable to fall back into deep sleep for long periods

  • Waking as soon as you put her down

  • Only sleeping when in contact with your body?

Then your baby has developed excessive night waking, which can result in quite awful parental sleep deprivation! What's happening is that your baby's two sleep regulators have become disrupted. Her sleep pressure isn't high enough to sustain blocks of sleep, because her body clock is out of sync.

If this is your situation, we have lots to do together! I invite you to experiment with the steps of The Possums Sleep Program. It might take a couple of weeks to return to normal night waking, as you try out various strategies and do a reset, but families typically find that nights - and their lives - with their little one become much easier and much more enjoyable, afterwards.

I suggest that you start by working through the pages called The essentials, starting here.

Finished

share this article

Next up in When baby wakes

When your baby wakes up screaming in the night

baby screaming and crying in cot

Why do some babies wake up screaming in the night?

It's terribly upsetting when your baby wakes up screaming, night after night! Mostly, babies dial up more gradually when they wake, and parents are able to respond before baby moves into a full-blown cry.

Not so with these little ones. Parents in this situation often tell me that their small child goes from "zero to 100" within seconds, on waking. What's going on?

Many babies will occasionally wake up screaming in the night. Often we don't know what has happened. Perhaps she slept on her little hand or ear or foot in such a…

Keep reading
logo‑possums

Possums in your inbox

Evidence-based insights, tips, and tools. Occasional updates.

For parents

parents homebrowse all programsfind answers nowprograms in audiogroup sessions with dr pam

For professionals

possums for professionals
(the ndc institute)
guest speakers

About

the science behind possums/ndcwho we arendc research publicationsdr pam’s books

More resources

free resourcesdr pam’s blog

Clinical consultation

consult with dr pamfind a possums clinicfind an ndc accredited practitioner

Help & support

contact usfaqour social enterpriseprivacy policyterms & conditions

Social

instagramlinked infacebook

Possums acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands upon which The Possums Programs have been created, the Yuggera and Turrbal Peoples. We acknowledge that First Nations have breastfed, slept with, and lovingly raised their children on Australian lands for at least 65,000 years, to become the oldest continuous living culture on Earth. Possums stands with the Uluru Statement from the Heart.