As a parent, it’s distressing when your baby wakes up screaming or crying hysterically, whether from naps or in the middle of the night. You want to comfort and soothe them, but figuring out what’s wrong isn’t always easy.
There’s no single reason babies wake up crying. Common causes can range from normal sleep cycles and developmental milestones to separation anxiety, hunger, or physical discomfort.4,5,6
While you might not always know the exact reason behind your baby’s tears, understanding some of the most common causes can help you respond with confidence and support your child’s sleep.
Key Takeaways
- Babies may wake up crying or screaming due to sleep cycles, hunger, discomfort, or developmental changes.
- Separation anxiety can contribute to nighttime wakeups in older babies and toddlers.
- Sleep regressions often coincide with major developmental milestones.
- A consistent sleep environment can help reduce nighttime disruptions.
- If you’re concerned about illness or persistent sleep issues, talk with your healthcare provider.
If your baby suddenly starts waking up crying or screaming at night, these are some of the most common causes sleep consultants and parents encounter.
5 Reasons Your Baby Wakes Up Crying or Screaming at Night
Whether your 7-month-old wakes up screaming, your 12-month-old wakes up crying inconsolably, or your toddler suddenly starts waking up upset at night, many of the same underlying causes may be responsible. Here are a few reasons why your child might wake up crying or screaming at night and what you can do about it:
1. Sleep Cycles
From birth, your baby will spend time going in and out of sleep cycles, which will evolve over time. By the time your baby is around 3 months old, they should start to develop a sleep rhythm both during the day and at night.1,2 For some, especially newborns and infants, transitioning between sleep cycles may cause them to wake up crying before they’re fully awake, unable to self-soothe back to sleep. During this time, they will have periods of light sleep where they can easily wake or become startled. This could cause them to cry or even scream. Similarly, babies (and even older children) may be suddenly awakened from deep sleep, which can result in crying or screaming.7
What To Do
One reason I suggest using white noise for naps and nighttime sleep is to prevent your baby from being woken up and startled by loud noises.8 The steady white noise also helps provide babies with consistency as they transition sleep cycles. Babies sometimes become upset when they realize a parent isn’t in the room. They may need help getting back to sleep.
If your baby wakes up crying in the middle of the night, give them a few moments before going in. Observe and listen while you wait. Once it’s clear you need to intervene, aim to comfort your baby and help them get back to sleep in a way that works best for them. This might mean rocking them, patting their bum, rubbing their head, nursing them, etc.
Related: 11 Ways to Soothe a Fussy Baby
2. Separation Anxiety
As your baby gets older, they become more aware of their surroundings and dynamics. Separation anxiety is a common reason why babies wake up crying, especially between 6 and 18 months when object permanence is developing. Your little one should realize when you are or aren’t in the room with them. This awareness, also called object permanence, usually develops around the six-month milestone. And it can progress to separation anxiety once your child is 12 months or older.3,9,10
For small children, the idea that their parents are far away can be frightening. This prevents them from calming down and returning to a blissful night of slumber.11
What To Do
One way to teach your child that people are still around, even if they can’t see them, is through games that promote object permanence, such as peek-a-boo. You can also practice hiding their toys under a blanket and revealing them a few seconds later.9 Make sure to do this during the day, not at night. Object permanence teaches a child that something still exists even when it’s out of their view.9 If your child has actual separation anxiety, comforting them, lovingly setting boundaries, and helping your child learn coping strategies are crucial.
Related: 15 Coping Strategies for Your Anxious Child
3. Developmental Milestones
Most parents have heard that their little ones will experience sleep regressions as milestones come and go, but they don’t expect it to be so hard. Sleep regressions are progressions as your child grows.4 These are likely to occur around the 4-, 6-, 8-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month marks.5,11 The reason your child is likely hitting a new milestone at each of these ages might be the ability to roll over, crawl, stand up, and more.5
Whether your 1-year-old wakes up screaming inconsolably or your newborn wakes up crying after a nap, milestone transitions can be disruptive.
What To Do
When your child experiences a sleep progression or regression, the best thing you can do is stick to what you know works. Ensure they’re comfortable, create a good sleep environment (cool and dark), and maintain consistency in their routine.4,5 Depending on your child’s age, you might find support in our guides to must-have baby sleep products for 0–6 months and sleep must-haves for 6 to 12-month-olds to create a cozy, restful space.
It’s always okay if you need to offer a bit more soothing, snuggles, or comfort during this time. But you want to avoid creating entirely new routines or habits that aren’t sustainable in the long term.
Related: Baby Milestones Month by Month
4. Physical Discomfort
With growth spurts, teething, or even an infection brewing, physical discomfort can start early in our kiddos. Be sure to check for a fever and pay close attention if they’re tugging on body parts such as the nose or ears.11
If your baby wakes up screaming from naps or suddenly cries in the night, teething, gas, or illness could be the reason.
What To Do
If you think your child may be physically uncomfortable, consider offering them pain relief through approved medications from your healthcare provider. Or you can try treating them holistically. If your child struggles with nasal congestion or illness, you can run a humidifier and try suctioning their nose to help them breathe comfortably.12
Related: Baby Fussiness: What’s Normal and What’s Not
5. Hunger
In the first few months of life, your baby will likely wake up hungry in the middle of the night and cry. Some little ones wake up so hungry that they start crying hysterically.11 A newborn who wakes up screaming may be reacting to hunger or a disrupted feeding routine. Later, this may be true if you’ve just stopped their bedtime feeds or weaned them from some feedings in favor of solid food or purees.
What To Do
This dilemma can be tricky, but there are ways to tackle it. If your little one is hysterical at night because they’re hungry, try to supplement their mealtimes during the day if you think they aren’t getting adequate calories. It’s common for babies to wake up 1 to 2 times between 6 and 12 months and need a night feed, and it’s completely fine to offer it.13
Related: Frequent Night Waking With Your Breastfed Baby: What’s Normal
How to Prevent Your Child From Waking Up Screaming or Crying
If you want to prevent these distressing nighttime awakenings for both of you, there are some key things you can try. While you may not be able to completely prevent situations where your baby wakes up crying or your 2-year-old wakes up screaming inconsolably, a consistent routine and calming environment can help reduce the frequency. But remember, you can’t completely prevent this from happening.
First, make sure your baby is as comfortable as possible. Then determine whether an environmental trigger, such as light from the curtains, is causing them to wake up at night. They might be too hot or too cold, have a wet diaper, or be in pain from teething or a growth spurt. All these issues are common reasons why your little one might be waking up.11 Eliminating these challenges can be the first step to getting your baby comfortably back to sleep after they wake up crying or screaming in the middle of the night.
A consistent bedtime routine can also help support better sleep. Depending on your child’s age, this might include a bath, pajamas, a feeding, reading a book, or other calming activities before bed. Predictable routines help signal that it’s time to sleep and can make nighttime transitions easier.4,5
It’s also important to make sure your child is getting age-appropriate sleep during the day and isn’t becoming overtired. An overtired baby or toddler can sometimes have a harder time settling to sleep and may wake more frequently during the night.11
Finally, pay attention to your child’s sleep environment. A cool, dark room with consistent white noise can help reduce disruptions and make it easier for your little one to transition between sleep cycles.8
Baby Waking Up Crying FAQs
I hope these tips help your family get better rest at night! If you need help getting your child to self-soothe and eliminate middle-of-the-night wake-ups, consider working with a sleep consultant. An experienced sleep consultant can help you identify what’s contributing to the wakeups and create a plan that works for your child and family.
