Early morning wake-ups can be a frustrating and challenging experience for both parents and children. If you're finding yourself struggling with your child waking up too early, it's important to understand the potential causes and take steps to address them. Here are five common reasons why children wake up early, and tips to help you get your child back on track.
Bedtime is too late. It may seem counterintuitive, but a bedtime that's too late can actually lead to an earlier wake-up time. When children are overtired, they produce more cortisol, a stress hormone, which can make it harder for them to fall asleep and stay asleep. To avoid this, aim for a bedtime that's between 6:30-7:30pm for your child.
Bedtime is too early. On the other hand, if your child's bedtime is too early, they may be waking up earlier than desired. Children need a certain amount of sleep, and if they're not getting enough overnight, they may wake up earlier to make up for it. To find the perfect bedtime for your child, take a look at our article on determining the ideal bedtime for your baby.
Your child doesn't use or have independent soothing skills. In the early morning, the sleep cycle is in its lightest phase, making it harder for children to transition from one sleep cycle to the next. If your child is dependent on external factors to fall asleep, it can make it difficult for them to sleep well at bedtime, during the night, or in the early morning. If you find yourself frequently having to replace a pacifier, rock, nurse, or walk with your child to get them to sleep, it's unlikely they will be able to put themselves back to sleep if they wake up prematurely in the morning. During the early stages of development, it is important to respond quickly to your baby's cries to prevent prolonged crying. However, as your baby reaches 4 months of age, you may start to notice signs of self-soothing. This is a good indication that you can begin to use techniques to help them learn how to connect sleep cycles independently. By teaching your baby how to self-soothe, you can help them establish healthy sleep habits that will last a lifetime.
4. Environment isn't optimal for sleep. Having a sleep environment that is conducive to sleep is crucial for ensuring that your baby or toddler is able to get the rest they need. A few key elements of a good sleep environment include:
Darkness: The darker the room, the better your child will sleep. This is because darkness signals to the brain that it is time for sleep, and it helps to regulate the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Darkness is key to a good sleep, and if there is light peeking in your child's room, it can make it harder for them to settle back to sleep. To combat this, make your child's room as dark as possible.
Temperature: The ideal temperature for a baby or toddler's room is between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. Being too cold or too hot can make it difficult for your child to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Noise: White noise, such as the sound of a fan or a white noise machine, can help to block out any outside noise that may disturb your child's sleep.
Minimal distractions: Keep your child's room as neutral and free of distractions as possible. This means avoiding bright colors, excessive toys, and other items that may overstimulate your child.
Consistency: Maintaining consistency in your child's sleep environment is also important. This means that your child should sleep in the same location and under the same conditions every night. This helps to create a sense of routine and predictability that can make it easier for your child to fall asleep and stay asleep.
5. Your child is used to getting out of bed before 6am. If your child is used to getting out of bed early, they may continue to do so. Keeping your child in bed until 6 am at the earliest will help to reset their internal sleep and awake clock. This means that you should avoid stimulating your child or starting their day before 6 am, even if they are awake. This includes activities such as turning on lights, playing, or giving them milk or food. Instead, try to keep the environment calm and dark, and use soothing methods such as gentle rocking or singing to help your child stay calm and relaxed.
By consistently keeping your child in bed until 6 am, their body will learn to associate this time with the start of the day and wake-up time. This will help to regulate their internal sleep and awake clock, which will lead to better sleep patterns and ultimately, your child will learn to sleep later in the morning. It's important to note that this process may not happen overnight, it may take several weeks or even months before your child's internal clock is fully reset, but consistency is key.
6. Your child is going through a milestone. During the first two years of a baby's life, they will go through a variety of developmental milestones that can affect their sleep. These milestones, such as learning a new skill or going through a transition, can cause interruptions in their sleep. To help prevent this, it is important to give your baby ample opportunities to practice and master new skills during their awake hours, rather than during nap or bedtime. This can help reduce the likelihood of night waking caused by developmental milestones. Additionally, it's important to note that even though this is a temporary issue, it's important to be patient and persistent with your efforts to help your child learn independent sleep skills. This can include things like creating a consistent bedtime routine, creating a dark and quiet sleep environment, and avoiding stimulating activities before bedtime.
7. Your baby is not getting full durings the day or snacks a lot. When a baby is not getting full feeds during the day, they may be snacking more frequently and as a result, their metabolism may adapt to this schedule. As a result, they may wake frequently overnight due to hunger, as they are not getting enough calories during the day to sustain them through the night. Additionally, if a parent uses feeding as a soothing method for every night waking, this can also contribute to the baby waking up frequently overnight. To prevent this, it is recommended to aim for full feeds (4-5.5 ounces) every three hours during the day, which will help the baby wake less frequently at night.
8. Nap schedule is off. If your child is waking up early in the morning, one potential cause to consider is their nap schedule. Specifically, the timing of the first morning nap can play a significant role in perpetuating the early waking cycle. If the morning nap is too early, it can act as a continuation of night sleep, throwing off the child's circadian rhythm and leading to an extra early bedtime. This can create a vicious cycle where the child is constantly waking prematurely in the morning. To prevent this, I recommend that the first morning nap should not be earlier than 8:00 am. Additionally, the timing of the last nap of the day should also be considered, as ending it too far in advance of bedtime or too soon before bedtime can also affect morning waking.
Modifying the habit of early wake-ups requires persistence and consistency. If you don't see improvement right away, don't give up. It's possible that your child is naturally alert and awake during the 6:00 to 7:00 a.m. timeframe, which is considered normal for babies. To ensure success, it's important to adjust your child's schedule accordingly. If necessary, adjust their bedtime to align with their wake-up time to prevent them from becoming overtired at bedtime and avoid going to sleep over-tired.
If you are still having trouble with early mornings risings before 6:00 am after reading this, feel free to book your FREE 15 minute discovery call with me to discuss how we can further troubleshoot this annoying habit!
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