The Simple 3-Step Fix for Split Nights in Babies

If your baby wakes up in the middle of the night and stays awake for 1–2 hours, you are most likely dealing with a split night, one of the most confusing sleep issues parents face.

The good news?
A split night baby is not “broken,” “overtired forever,” or “just a bad sleeper.”
This issue is almost always caused by low sleep pressure, too much day sleep, or an overtired schedule  all of which can be fixed.

Hi, I’m Rinie, Double certified  pediatric sleep consultant
Today, I’ll walk you through a simple, gentle, and effective plan to help your baby sleep through the night again.

What Is a Split Night?

A split night happens when your baby:

• stays wide awake, alert, or even playful,
  
• and takes more than 30 minutes to fall back asleep.
  

Unlike regular night wakings, split nights in babies happen because your baby isn’t sleepy enough. Their body simply doesn't have enough sleep pressure to drift back to sleep.

This often shows up alongside other issues like:

• inconsistent nap timings
  
• too much daytime sleep
  
• bedtime being too early or too late
  
• long periods of overstimulation before bedtime
  

Let’s fix that.

3 Steps to Fix Split Nights Quickly

Step 1: Don’t take your baby out of the dark room

When your baby wakes at 2 a.m. and won’t sleep, it’s tempting to turn on the lights or bring them out to “reset them.” or just to get them to stop crying.

But this teaches your baby’s brain that nighttime = playtime.

Keep your baby in:

• a dark room
  
• a quiet environment
  
• a low-stimulation space
  

You can comfort, rock, pat, or sit with them  but avoid making it feel like daytime.

Doing this protects their circadian rhythm, which is essential for ending split nights.

Step 2: Don’t let your baby sleep in after a rough night

If your baby finally sleeps again at 4 a.m., it feels logical to let them sleep 1-2 hours beyond their usual wake up time.

But this creates a baby version of jetlag, which keeps the cycle going.

Letting them sleep in shifts nap times and bedtime later. 

It also sets the pattern of your baby expecting that they will be allowed to catch up on sleep later so it’s okay to continue to wake at night for prolonged periods.

So the solution is - Wake your baby at their usual wake-up time, even if the night was tough. It will be harder as your baby will fuss and cry. It’s okay, just push through, wake them gently and then expose them to natural daylight for 20-30 min immediately upon waking to reset the body clock.

Step 3: Reduce Daytime Sleep if It’s More Than Age-Appropriate

This is the most common cause of split nights.

If your baby is taking too many naps, naps are too long, or the last nap is too late in the day, their sleep pressure at night stays low.
And when sleep pressure is low, your baby may wake up in the middle of the night feeling wide awake — leading to a split night.

To fix this, focus on the basics:

• Follow age-appropriate wake windows
  
• Stick to a predictable baby nap schedule
  
• Adjust naps when nights start shifting or split nights appear
  
• Keep the last nap early enough so bedtime remains stable
  
  

Simple guide showing age-appropriate number of naps and wake windows by age

This visual guide is just a small excerpt from my Baby and Toddler Routines Playbook, where I break down:

• Exact nap counts by age
  
• Ideal wake windows
  
• Sample daily routines
  
• How to adjust naps when nights fall apart
  

If you’re constantly guessing whether your baby is sleeping too much or too little during the day, this playbook removes all the confusion.

👉 Get the Baby and Toddler Routines Playbook

Bonus: What if your baby also wakes every 1–2 hours?

If you’re dealing with both split nights and frequent night wakings, the root cause may be:

• strong sleep associations
  
• an inconsistent bedtime routine
  
• overtired wake windows
  
• lack of independent sleep skills
  

This is where structured sleep support makes the biggest difference  because fixing split nights alone won’t solve repeated wakings.

Ready for Smooth Nights? Join My Infant Sleep Training Program

If you’re exhausted from:

✔ split nights
✔ hourly wakings
✔ unpredictable naps
✔ long rocking or feeding sessions

my Infant Sleep Training Program gives you the exact step-by-step plan to fix nights  gently and effectively.

Inside the program, you’ll get:

•  A personalised sleep schedule
• Age-appropriate nap timings
• Bedtime routines that support sleep
•  Gentle sleep training methods you can choose from
• Daily guidance from a certified baby sleep consultant in Singapore

👉 Join the Infant Sleep Training Program  and start fixing nights in just a few days.

 Look at our Reviews