Split Nights: Why Your Baby Is Wide Awake at 3am (And What You Can Do About It)
You’ve ticked all the boxes: dinner, bath, bedtime routine, the room is dark, the white noise is on….and finally, your baby is asleep.
You crawl into bed only to be awoken at 2am by your baby. Wide awake. Not crying. Not upset. Just… awake. And apparently very much ready to party and you are on the guest list!
Welcome to the world of split nights.
If your baby is suddenly wide awake for long stretches in the middle of the night - cooing, crawling, babbling, or rolling around in the dark - it can be completely baffling. Especially when they’re not upset… just inconveniently cheerful.
And you’re definitely not!
So what’s going on? And how do you help your baby (and you) get back to more restful nights?
Let’s take a closer look.
What Is a Split Night?
A split night is when your baby wakes during the night and stays awake for a prolonged stretch - often one to two hours or more.
These wakes are different from typical night waking. They’re usually periods of alertness rather than distress.
Your baby might be calm, content, playful, or quietly practising new skills, but completely unable to drift back to sleep.
Which leaves you lying there wondering whether they napped too much, aren’t tired enough, or think it’s morning already.
Split nights are confusing not because they’re unusual, but because they don’t behave the way we expect night waking to behave.
Why Do Split Nights Happen?
The most common reason for split nights is a mismatch between two key systems that regulate sleep: your baby’s circadian rhythm and sleep pressure.
For sleep to flow smoothly overnight, these two systems need to work together. When they’re slightly out of sync, your baby can wake fully between sleep cycles and simply not feel ready to sleep again yet.
This doesn’t mean anything has gone wrong. It means the balance is temporarily off.
If you’d like to understand what really supports sleep (without needing rigid routines), this blog on the 3 things that really matter is a great place to start.
Here’s why that might be happening:
Too much daytime sleep
If your baby is sleeping too much during the day, they may not have built up enough sleep pressure by bedtime. There's only so much sleep they can take in a 24-hour period so if naps are long, night sleep often shortens or splits
Bedtime is too early
Early bedtimes can be a helpful tool during nap transitions but consistently putting your baby to bed at 5:30 or 6pm can backfire.
For example: if your baby goes to sleep at 6pm and wakes at 3am, they’ve already had 9 hours of sleep which might be enough depending on their sleep needs.
So a very early bedtime can easily lead to split nights or early rising.
A gentle, predictable daily rhythm can really help with night sleep - especially when your baby’s internal clock needs rebalancing.
This post explains how to build a daily routine that actually supports sleep without rigid schedules or stress.
Developmental changes
Learning to roll, crawl, stand, walk, talk… it’s all very exciting for your baby’s brain! And that excitement doesn’t just turn off at night.
Split nights are common during major developmental leaps. If this is the cause, you may just need to ride it out (I know, I know). It usually settles within a week or two.
Let’s bust a common myth: “They must be overtired”
This one gets repeated a lot - but actually, split nights are more often caused by under tiredness than overtiredness.
Babies who haven’t had enough active awake time - or who go to bed too early - often wake fully rested partway through the night. Their little bodies and brains simply aren’t ready to sleep more yet.
Why Split Nights Can Keep Happening
A split night happens, and understandably, parents try to help their baby catch up on sleep.
Earlier bedtimes and extra naps feel logical, but they can reduce sleep pressure further, making another split night more likely.
Understanding this pattern often brings relief. It explains why trying harder hasn’t helped, and why the answer isn’t usually more sleep, but better balance.
So… What Actually Helps?
Supporting split nights usually involves looking at how sleep is distributed across the full 24 hours and making small, thoughtful adjustments over time.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, which is why many parents find personalised guidance helpful.
If you’re reading this in the middle of the night and thinking, “Okay, but what do I actually do now?” I’ve created a guide that walks you through how to support split nights calmly and realistically, without rigid schedules or sleep training.
It covers:
what to do during those long night wakes
how to rebalance sleep gently over time
how to stop the split-night cycle repeating
You can find the Split Nights Guide here (COMING SOON!)
Final Thoughts
Sleep isn’t linear. There’ll be bumps, regressions, and odd phases (like this one!) along the way.
This blog on handling sleep setbacks is a great reminder that you're not failing and this phase will pass.
Split nights don’t mean you’re doing anything wrong and your baby definitely isn’t broken.
They’re just working through a temporary disruption in their sleep rhythms. With a few small tweaks, you can help bring things back into balance.
And until then?
Brew the tea, lower your expectations for the day, and know that better nights are possible and closer than they feel.
