This discussion of night waking babies brings to my mind the points that Dr.
Sears makes in his book "Nighttime Parenting"  if I"m wrong here forgive me.
 Anyway this book is a great one for parents who are going threw this
difficult time.  He realates that infants go through developmental stages of
sleep too.  They start out with lots of REM (active) sleep then progressively
have more periods of deep sleep.  In REM sleep a person more easily arouses.
 He also states that a new babies frequent waking is their defense mechanism.
 A new baby can't push covers away when he is too hot, or go get a drink when
he is thirsty or pull his foot out from a crib without crying for help.  When
I'm working with parents who are going through this time I try to listen,
remind them that they need to take turns being up with the baby, take them to
bed with them and take naps whenever possible.

Now I can't wake them up for nothing!
Linda Rosetti RN, IBCLC