Early Morning Wakeups
Ok! Let’s talk early wake ups. This is one of the top struggles that my clients deal with. Everything is going well for a few weeks, and then baby wakes up early one morning. You think..’weird, but ok whatever.’ Fast Forward 2 weeks and baby now has a habit of waking every day at 5 am. What do you do ??
There are a couple of things that I look at first when early waking is an issue:
Number 1— When is your baby’s first nap?
If baby’s nap is too early (anytime before 8 am) or too long, baby will learn to rely on that nap to catch up on nighttime sleep.
Number 2 — When is baby’s bedtime?
If baby is going to bed too late…and is overtired going to bed… it can cause multiple night wakings PLUS early wakings. Look at your baby’s daytime schedule. Perhaps they are ready to transition to less naps… or maybe their daytime sleep needs to be capped in order to get to bed earlier. What’s going on during the day can be very indicative of what’s going on at night!
Number 3 — How are you responding?
When baby wakes at 5 am are you bringing them into bed with you? I know it is so much easier to just bring baby to bed with you. Especially when youre desperate for some sleep. However, this creates a real incentive for your little one to call for you when they stir even the slightest bit. If this is happening, review your sleep plan and stick with it. Pick your “ok to wait time” and follow through. Your response to waking at 5 am should be the same as if baby wakes at 11pm, 2am, etc…
Number 4— Lighting and sound.
Lighting is especially important during the summer months when the sun comes up early. If sunlight is streaming through your baby’s window, you can be sure that baby is going to be up with the sun. Black out curtains are often a huge help. If you are not ready for new window treatments, get creative. Hang up towels, a blanket or trash bags.
Sound- Is there a trash truck that goes down your street? A neighbor’s dog that barks early? Turn that sound machine up! Don’t be concerned about it being too loud. It should be as loud as the shower running. We want to drain any of those environmental sounds out!
Your Sleep Bestie,
AM
AM Smiles is a highly effective baby sleep coaching service designed for busy families.
I help you harness the power of sleep training to improve the spirits and lives of you and your family through proper rest. I’d love to talk to you about your little one and help you get back to living life well rested! ❤️
