Why Does My Baby Keep Waking Up Shortly After Bedtime?
You’ve made it through bedtime—your baby is down, the house is quiet, and you finally exhale. A long day is over and it doesn’t matter even if your baby is sleeping well. The days are still a marathon. Maybe you even sit down with a cup of tea or turn on a Netflix show… only to hear your baby cry 30–45 minutes later. You feel that dread in the pit of your stomach and think now what?
These wake-ups at the beginning of the night are incredibly common and can be so frustrating. In the sleep world, we call them false starts—and the good news is, they’re usually fixable with a few adjustments. Just like early morning wakings, they can be caused by opposite things sometimes.
As a baby sleep consultant who works with families in Vancouver and virtually, I see this issue all the time. Let’s talk about why false starts happen, what they mean, and how to help your baby stay asleep after bedtime so that everybody can fully unwind and not be sitting at the edge of your seat wondering what will happen.
What Is a False Start?
A false start is when your baby falls asleep at bedtime, but wakes up again within the first sleep cycle—typically within 30-45 minutes. It can feel like the night is starting over, and sometimes, it takes a long time to get them back to sleep because at that point, they have just had what their body almost registers as a nap and sleep pressure is much lower than at the very beginning of the night.
Some babies are more prone to false starts than others. For some, it’s a simple fix and for others it requires diving deep into the whole picture around their sleep.
Why False Starts Happen
There are a few common reasons babies experience false starts. In most cases, one or more of the following are at play:
1. Not Enough Sleep Pressure
Sleep pressure is your baby’s drive to sleep after being awake for a certain amount of time. If your baby hasn’t been awake long enough before bedtime, throughout the day—or had a late nap—their body simply might not be tired enough to stay asleep. This makes it more likely to register that first sleep cycle as a nap as their body is actually craving more awake time.
💡 Fix: Try gradually increasing your baby’s last wake window before bed or throughout the day. For example, if they’re currently awake for 2 hours before bedtime, try extending that to 2.25 or 2.5 hours and observe what changes.
2. Overtiredness
Ironically, too much wake time can also lead to false starts. This is where opposite things can cause the same result. An overtired baby has elevated cortisol (the stress hormone) in their system, making it harder for them to settle into a deep, restorative sleep and therefore they can’t connect that first sleep cycle. I find over tiredness to be the most common cause of false starts as well as number 3 below.
This is especially common when naps have been short, wake windows are too long, or bedtime has gotten too late.
💡 Fix: Evaluate your baby’s schedule if it is age appropriate with the right number of naps, wake windows and that the last window before bed isn’t too long.
3. Lack of Independent Sleep Skills
If your baby is falling asleep drowsy or they are being fully transferred asleep. Drowsiness is the first stage of sleep so if your baby is not fully getting there themselves, they still might not be able to connect that first sleep cycle. One of the number one sleep associations I find that can cause false starts is the pacifier. Babies often need this to be reinserted right at the 30-45 minute mark. However, anytime a baby is not falling asleep independently, they come out of the sleep cycle and have no idea how/ why they are asleep in their crib. This is where they will look to have whatever got them to sleep initially to be repeated.
💡 Fix: Aim to put your baby down fully awake, not drowsy, at bedtime and teach them how to fall asleep independently. This helps them practice the skill of initiating sleep on their own—leading to longer, more consolidated sleep and the ability to connect that first sleep cycle.
4. Discomfort or Hunger
Sometimes a false start isn’t about sleep habits at all. A gassy tummy, teething pain, or true hunger (especially in younger babies) can cause those first sleep cycle wakings.
💡 Fix: Make sure your baby has a full feed before bed, and rule out any signs of physical discomfort.
5. Too Early of a Bedtime
If bedtime is too early, most likely there isn’t enough melatonin output yet and your baby will treat it as a nap. This can sometimes be the downfall of a wake window approach. Parents follow wake windows and if naps are short, suddenly bedtime falls around 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. This will not register as bedtime for your baby and most likely they will wake up after a sleep cycle and have a very hard time settling for actual bedtime. Babies have a very strong circadian rhythm and will generally internalize their preferred bedtime.
💡 Fix: Try putting your baby to bed no earlier than 6:45/7:00 p.m. I find 6:30 p.m. is the absolute earliest a baby will accept, without treating it as a nap. Every baby has their own preference around their optimal bedtime. If naps are short, I recommend either stretching some wake windows or adding a nap rather than putting your baby to bed very early.
When to Reach Out for Help
If you’ve tried adjusting wake windows, timing of bedtime while establishing independent sleep habits and your baby still wakes up shortly after bedtime night after night, it might be time for personalized support.
False starts can feel like a mystery, but they’re often your baby’s way of telling you something’s off. As a sleep consultant in Vancouver(serving families both locally and online), I help parents get to the root of these disruptions so their baby—and the whole family—can finally rest.
Final Thoughts
False starts are frustrating, but they’re also a helpful clue that your baby’s sleep needs a little tuning. Whether it’s tweaking wake windows, building stronger independent sleep skills, or adjusting your bedtime, small changes can make a big difference.
And if you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure, you don’t have to figure it all out alone. I’d be happy to support you on your family’s journey toward better sleep.
Book a free consultation with me today to discuss how I can help your family get more sleep!