Early Morning Wakings: Why Your Child is Waking too Early and How to Fix It
Are you a parent who feels like you're starting your day before the sun even rises, all because your little one is up at the crack of dawn? Early morning wakings in babies and toddlers can leave us parents feeling exhausted and frustrated, but don’t worry.
Understanding why these early risings occur and implementing effective strategies can help both you and your child get some extra rest in the mornings. It’s important to note that there’s no quick solution that will fix the problem within a day. It will take patience and consistency to help your child get out of the cycle of waking up early
Understanding Early Morning Wakings:
Early morning wakings, are wakings that occur before 6 a.m., and is a common issue among infants and toddlers. Ideally we want to aim for getting your child 10-12 hours of overnight sleep, so keep this in mind when deciding if their early morning is actually “early”. If baby went to sleep at 6:30pm and is now waking at 5:45 am, this may just be due to the fact that baby has all the sleep that they needed for the night.
While it may seem like your little one is programmed to rise with the sun, various factors contribute to this phenomenon. One primary reason is insufficient sleep pressure, meaning your child hasn't accumulated enough sleep debt to sleep through the night fully. Additionally, disruptions in sleep cycles, hunger, discomfort, or environmental factors such as light or noise can also play a role.
Reasons why your baby is waking early and solutions to fix it
Sleep environment
Sleep environment plays a crucial role in their ability to achieve deep, uninterrupted sleep, and certain factors within this environment can contribute to early morning awakenings. For instance, inadequate room-darkening measures might allow too much light to filter into the room, signaling to the baby's internal clock that it's time to wake up prematurely. Similarly, noise or sudden disruptions in the environment can disturb their sleep cycles, prompting early awakenings. In terms of noise, this may be something as small as a neighbor starting their car, a dog barking, or maybe even a parent getting ready for work. Temperature extremes, whether the room is too hot or too cold, can also disrupt their comfort and lead to waking earlier than desired.
Ensuring a sleep-conducive environment, with black out shades, white noise machines, and maintaining a comfortable room temperature, can significantly reduce the likelihood of early morning awakenings and promote more restful sleep for the baby. TIP: If you place your hand in front of your face and can see your hand, the room is probably too bright.
Too little or too much sleep during the day: Believe it or not, daytime sleep impacts nighttime sleep. The delicate balance of daytime sleep plays a significant role in a baby's nighttime sleep, and deviations from this balance can contribute to early morning wakings.
When a baby receives too little daytime sleep for their age, they may become overtired by bedtime, leading to difficulty in settling down and maintaining sleep throughout the night. Overtiredness can trigger a stress response in the body, leading to increased levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with alertness and wakefulness. As a result, even though they may be exhausted, overtired babies often struggle to achieve and maintain deep, restorative sleep throughout the night. This can manifest as frequent awakenings, difficulty in self-soothing, and increased irritability, ultimately contributing to disrupted sleep patterns and early morning wakings
On the opposite end of the spectrum, if a baby receives too much daytime sleep, they may not accumulate enough sleep pressure to sustain them throughout the night, resulting in frequent awakenings, including early mornings.
Two things I always recommend parents get familiar with: 1. How much daytime sleep does your baby actually need for their age. 2. What is the age appropriate wake windows for your child. Having this knowledge will make it easier to assess whether your child may be overtired or under tired, leading to those early mornings.
Want an easy way to reference your child’s wake windows as they grow?
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Baby starts their day at an early hour and take first nap early
One of the common things that I see with my clients is their baby wakes for the day at 5am and they immediately start their day and start the first wake window for the day.When a baby's day begins at such an early hour, it can disrupt their natural circadian rhythms and set a precedent for an early wake-up time.
Example: A 4 month old wakes at 5am and parents get them out of bed, offer them a feed, and even let them play. That would mean they were being put down for a nap a 6:30am. This just reinforces baby to wake early and they will treat this morning nap as an extension to their night sleep.
It’s important to keep baby in their dark sleep environment until the desired wake time and keep nap time in line with what the desired wake time is. I always recommend that nap 1 never starts before 8am. It’s okay that this exceeds the normal wake window. Baby may be fussy, so it’s okay to start slowly with pushing them to the later nap time. If baby was taking 6:30am nap, you’d want to just add 10 minutes every couple of days until you reach 8:00am.
TIP: If your child consistently wakes up too early, gradually adjust their wake-up time by 15-minute increments. This gradual approach helps reset their internal clock without causing undue stress.
Sleep Associations
Sleep associations are the external cues or conditions that babies/toddlers come to rely on in order to fall asleep or return to sleep when they wake up during the night. These associations can range from being rocked to sleep, nursing or bottle-feeding to sleep, or being dependent on the pacifier. While these associations can initially help babies fall asleep more easily, they can become problematic when the baby wakes up during the night. If a baby has developed a strong association between a specific sleep association and falling asleep, they may struggle to return to sleep independently when they naturally wake up between sleep cycles during the night. This can result in early morning wakings, as the baby may rely on the same sleep association they used to initially fall asleep to return to sleep, leading to frequent awakenings in the early hours of the morning.
Helping babies learn to self-soothe and fall asleep independently without relying on specific sleep associations can promote more restorative and uninterrupted sleep throughout the night, ultimately reducing early morning wakings.
Hunger
Hunger can be a significant factor contributing to a baby's early morning awakenings. If a baby's last feeding before bedtime occurs too early or if they have a particularly large feeding interval overnight, they may wake up in the morning feeling hungry. This can disrupt their sleep and lead to early wake-ups as their body signals the need for nourishment. To address this issue, ensuring that the baby has a sufficient feeding before bedtime can help prevent hunger-related awakenings. Additionally, offering a dream feed or a small feeding during the night can help bridge the gap between bedtime and morning, reducing the likelihood of early morning wakings due to hunger.
It's important to strike a balance between providing adequate nutrition while also encouraging the baby to learn to self-soothe and sleep through the night without relying solely on feedings to fall back asleep.
If you have a toddler who keeps waking early and you suspect that it could be hunger related, start offering a pre bedtime snack. Ensure that it’s something balanced and nutritious. I always opt for something that provides them with a protein, carb, and fat. Examples: apple with peanut butter, crackers with turkey and avocado, yogurt with berries, etc.
Sleep Regressions
A sleep regression refers to a temporary disruption in baby's typical sleep patterns, some common signs include: increased night awakenings, difficulty falling asleep, and shorter naps. These regressions typically coincide with developmental milestones, growth spurts, or changes in routine, causing temporary disruptions in sleep.
During a sleep regression, it's not uncommon for babies to experience early morning awakenings as their sleep cycles become more fragmented and less restorative. Factors such as increased brain activity, heightened awareness of their surroundings, or discomfort from teething or developmental milestones can contribute to these early wake-ups.
Remember that sleep regressions are temporary phases that will eventually pass. Stay patient and consistent with your sleep routines and strategies, and trust that your baby will eventually return to more predictable sleep patterns. I always like to remind my clients “it only takes 3 days for a new habit to form”. During this temporary regressions, we don’t want to introduce something that could cause the problem to be more long term term.
Seeking Professional Support
If you've tried various strategies to address early morning awakenings without success, it may be helpful to seek professional support from a pediatric sleep consultant. We can offer personalized guidance and recommendations tailored to your child's specific sleep patterns and needs. Remember that every child is unique, and what works for one may not work for another, so don't hesitate to reach out if you’re ready to get your mornings back!
By implementing these additional strategies and remaining patient and consistent, you can help your child overcome early morning awakenings and enjoy more restful nights for both you and your little one. With time and effort, you'll be well on your way to establishing healthy sleep habits that promote optimal growth and development.
