Early Morning Wake-ups
Does your baby wake up early? Early morning wake-ups are the death of me (and many, many parents). If you're like me, you plan out your days (especially mornings) by the minute. When my kids wake up before they are "supposed to," it makes me so upset, which isn't a good way to start the day!
For babies and toddlers, we consider “early morning wake-ups” anything before 6:00am. The “typical” time for a child to wake up is between 6:00am-7:00am. Anything before 6:00am is considered a night wake-up.
Early morning wake-ups are usually a result of...
Too much daytime sleep or not enough daytime sleep: Your baby’s age determines how much sleep they should be getting during the day. Sleep begets sleep, to a point. If they’re getting MORE daytime sleep, they’ll sleep better at night. But, we have to make sure they’re not getting too much daytime sleep. Depending on the age of your child, they have a certain amount of daytime sleep needs. For example, a 4-5 month old baby needs 3.5-4 hours of daytime sleep in order to sleep 11-12 hours at night. 6-8 month old babies need 3-3.5 hours of daytime sleep. 9-10 month olds need 3 hours of daytime sleep. To check how much daytime sleep your baby needs, I have a free download here you can have to see your baby’s sleep needs at every age. While I know this sounds crazy, an overtired baby will not sleep more or better at night. It sounds ridiculous and illogical, I know. But really, overtired babies sleep worse. If you are struggling with naps and getting your baby to meet their daytime sleep goal, I have this free 50-page nap guide to help you have more successful naps.
The sleep environment is off: Do you have black-out shades? Especially in the spring and summer, light creeping into your little one's bedroom can signal, "Time to wake up!" Make sure the room is as dark as possible. You don't even want to see your hand in front of your face. Do you have a sound machine? Summer months = more stimulation outside. Birds, dogs, etc. Check your baby’s sound machine decibel (dB) level. It should be between 50-60dB. Install a free app on your phone and place the phone in your child’s crib to make sure it’s loud enough. More often than not, parents do not have the sound machine loud enough. Make sure your child’s sound machine has white noise (not stimulating nature sounds or lullaby music). I prefer The Hatch sound machine because of the variety of sounds and colors and volume.
They didn't independently put themselves to sleep: However your baby falls asleep will be what they seek when they wake up. Did they independently put themselves to sleep? That matters. Put your baby down FULLY awake (yes, not drowsy) at bedtime so they know how to put themselves back to sleep when they wake up. At any age, a strong bedtime routine is necessary. Do the same routine, night after night, to help your child fall asleep independently. Babies and toddlers are more auditory than we think they are. The last step of your bedtime routine should be a bedtime phrase. Have a bedtime phrase that you say every night as you’re leaving their bedroom. This will signal, “Mom is leaving. It’s time for me to go to sleep.” Bedtime phrases could be, “You got this,” “I love you,” “See you in the morning,” “Goodnight sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.” You are creating an independent sleeper!
Rushing in to get them every day at that time: How do you respond to the wake-up? If you go in and get them, they will continuously wake at that time every day, and possibly even earlier and earlier. Implement your sleep training technique until your desired wake time! If you get them early, you’re reinforcing the wake-up. You’re telling them that their 5:30am wake-up is acceptable and OK. If you have a toddler, you can gradually build them up using a sound machine that has a color element (again I highly recommend The Hatch). For example, if they chronically get up at 5:45am but you want them to get up at 6:30am, have their color change on their sound machine at 5:55am. Celebrate and make it a BIG deal they stayed in their room until their light changed. The next day, make it 6:00am. The next day, make it 6:05am. Work yourself up to 6:30am. Toddlers do not know how to tell time. They don’t know that it’s early AF! Build them up and make them feel successful.
They're going through a regression. Some regressions impact certain babies more than others. Remember, regressions occur around month 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24. When we encounter regressions, the biggest thing to remember is to stay consistent. Use your training method. Do not regress and fall back into old habits. Be consistent and you'll get through it. Regressions can last 2-6 weeks. Remember, regressions can be a good thing… your baby/toddler is learning something brand new. They’ll come out of it with a new skill such as talking more, pulling themselves up, walking, crawling, sitting up, etc.
If you’re struggling with early morning wake-ups, please reach out and I can help problem solve and get your baby (and you) sleeping later!
