Baby Fighting Sleep at 2, 4, 6 and 9 Months

What does it mean when a baby fights sleep?

Your baby is plainly tired, but as sleep gets close they arch, cry and pop their eyes open. Ireland's HSE lists the signs that a baby is ready to sleep as staring into space, fussing or grizzling, crying, frowning, arching their back, not being able to be distracted, and jerky arm or leg movements. Several look exactly like refusing sleep.

Two HSE lines explain most of it: "If your baby is overtired, it is much harder for them to get to sleep", and "Keeping your baby awake during the day will not help them sleep better at night." A baby who fights sleep usually needed it earlier; our page on overtired baby signs covers that pattern. What changes through the first year is why the window gets missed.

Fighting sleep by age, at a glance

Why is my 2 month old fighting sleep?

At two months your baby is still in the most tearful stretch of early infancy. The NHS says the amount babies cry "tends to increase when they're around 2 weeks old and then gradually reduces at around 3 months old", and that afternoon and evening are the most common times for crying that cannot be comforted.

Your baby is also more awake: the HSE's two-month milestones describe a baby who "becomes more alert" and "is awake for longer". It puts naps at around four a day, about one to two hours apart, and says a newborn will probably be tired after more than an hour awake.

Start the wind-down before the crying. The HSE advises against talking loudly or playing with a baby who seems sleepy, because "this may encourage them to stay awake", and the NHS notes that "sometimes too much rocking and singing can keep your baby awake". Our wake windows page explains why a clock is only a rough guide.

Why is my 4 month old suddenly fighting sleep?

The HSE says that "at 3 to 4 months, babies begin to settle into a sleep and wake routine", needing 12 to 14 hours across day and night, about three to four hours of it as naps, with about two to two and a half hours between naps.

By four months the HSE also expects a baby to laugh out loud, move towards a voice and focus on people who are talking, and some start to roll from front to back. This is the stretch usually called the four-month regression; our page on sleep regressions explains why that is a parenting term rather than a diagnosis.

The HSE's routine for this age is an hour of winding down before bed with lights dimmed and voices soft, outdoor light early in the day, and putting your baby in the cot "while they are drowsy but awake". If your baby has started rolling, see rolling onto their front in sleep.

Why is my 6 month old fighting naps?

The HSE says that by about six months a baby "will stay awake for longer and be more alert between feeds" and is "less likely to sleep after a feed". It gives about 10 to 11 hours a night and three naps of about one to two hours, noting that "the third nap can be shorter".

That third nap is often the battleground: between six and nine months, the HSE says, children usually reduce to two naps; see dropping to two naps. Nights change too: for babies aged six months to a year the NHS says "teething discomfort or hunger may wake some babies during the night", and the HSE's six-month milestones include getting upset when they cannot see their main caregiver.

Why is my 9 month old fighting sleep?

By nine months the HSE expects most babies to crawl on their hands and knees, pull themselves to standing, and be shy around strangers and less familiar people. They are also starting to understand that things continue to exist when out of sight, which is part of why leaving the room can now cause a protest.

The HSE gives about 10 to 12 hours a night and two naps of about one to two hours at nine months, and says babies over nine months should not sleep after 3.30pm, so they are tired enough for a bedtime between 7pm and 9pm. Give the new skills plenty of floor time in the day, keep the bedtime goodbye short and predictable, and see separation anxiety at night if the fight is mostly about you leaving.

Why does my baby fight sleep at night?

The NHS advice is to make night different from day: keep the lights low, talk little and quietly, put your baby down as soon as they have been fed and changed, and do not play. The HSE adds a dim yellow or red light and no phone or screen during night wakings. If your baby will only settle in your arms, see a baby who only sleeps when held; for fussy weeks and leaps, see our Wonder Weeks page.

When to speak to a health visitor or doctor

The NHS says that if your baby is crying constantly and you cannot console or distract them, or the cry does not sound like their normal cry, it can be a sign they are ill. Contact a GP or NHS 111 if they have signs of being unwell, such as a high temperature or not being interested in feeding.

Call 999 for the emergency signs the NHS lists, which include a fit; blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue; being floppy, unresponsive or hard to wake; difficulty breathing; and no wet nappy in the past 8 hours. Our page on when to call a doctor or emergency services has the full list.

For sleep itself, the NHS says to speak to your health visitor if your baby is having problems sleeping; in Ireland, the HSE says to talk to your GP or public health nurse if you are worried your baby is not getting the right amount of sleep.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my baby fight sleep so much at night?

Often because they were ready earlier. The HSE says an overtired baby finds it much harder to get to sleep, and the NHS says crying that cannot be comforted is most common in the afternoon and evening. Start the wind-down sooner, keep the room dim and quiet, and avoid play once tired signs appear.

Is it normal for a 2 month old to fight sleep?

Yes. The NHS says crying increases from around two weeks and gradually reduces at around three months, so two months is still within the most tearful stretch. The HSE says babies this age are more alert and awake for longer. Watch for early tired signs after about an hour awake and settle before the crying starts.

Why is my 4 month old fighting naps all of a sudden?

The HSE says babies begin to settle into a sleep and wake routine at three to four months, with about two to two and a half hours between naps, and by four months babies turn towards voices and focus on people who are talking. The HSE advises a steady wind-down and putting your baby down drowsy but awake.

Why does my baby fight sleep and cry?

Crying is on the HSE's own list of tired signs, alongside grizzling, frowning and arching the back. A baby crying as sleep approaches is usually past the easy window rather than refusing sleep. If the crying is constant, unlike their normal cry, or comes with signs of illness, contact your GP or NHS 111.