8 Amazing Tips for Dealing With Baby Waking up Too Early

Babies frequently wake up very early. After 6 months, their natural Circadian cycle wakes them between 6 AM and 7:30 AM, and your baby will normally wake up around this time, or at another consistent hour. Then one morning they are startled awake. Then the following. Then came the next… And so the cycle continues. They have awoken.

This is referred to as an early rise. It may startle you and occasionally impede sleep training, but it is usually nothing to be concerned about. It could be an indication that your munchkin is ready to cut back on nap times, that he or she is approaching a growth milestone, or that he or she is simply sleepy.

You may have concerns about your infant waking up early, such as whether it is bad if your little one is waking really early, how you help your baby sleep later, etc. We’ll answer those and any other questions you had concerning early risers and sleep training here.

How Do You Define Early Morning Wakings?

For the sake of your discussion, early morning wakings occur between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM. A night awakening is defined as any time a baby wakes up before 4:00 AM. However, after 6:00 AM, you’re just waking up for the day! That would not be considered a baby waking up too early. A regular and healthy wake time for babies is between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM. This is just a regular infant circadian cycle, even though we all know 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM would be much better. When we talk about early morning wakings, we mean babies that wake up before 6:00 AM.

How Much Sleep Do Newborns and Toddlers Need?

Infants require a lot of sleep, so if your infant is getting up early, it could be a symptom of something serious that requires a trip to the doctor. Most of the time, though, this can be anticipated and prevented with a few creative tricks.

At six months, most babies require 12 to 15 hours of sleep every 24-hour cycle, with 10 to 12 hours spent sleeping and the rest split between daytime naps. If your child isn’t getting enough sleep, keep reading to learn about some common sleep disorders and how to solve them.

Reasons Behind Your Baby Waking up Too Early

There are various reasons why your child can wake up in the middle of the night, ranging from tiredness to hunger to plain old morning bird syndrome that a lot of kids have.

Your Baby Is Hungry

If you suspect your infant is waking up due to hunger, attempt to incorporate additional calories into their daily routine. Adding a few extra ounces to bottles, an extra nursing session, or assisting them in eating more snacks should help them stay content longer, reducing the likelihood of them waking up early to feed.

Their Bedtime Is Way Too Early

In two different conditions, an early bedtime can contribute to an early rise. First, we observe this when a child gets enough sleep but their entire routine is altered to an earlier time. For example, if the kid in your life can only sleep 11 hours per night and his or her bedtime is at 6:00 PM, even if you do everything correctly, he or she will wake up at 5:00 AM. In that situation, we’d have to rearrange the entire timetable to move the wake-up time later.

Second, we observe that too early bedtimes produce problems when the last nap is very close to bedtime. This results in insufficient sleep pressure before bed, which can result in shorter sleep.

It Can Be In Their Personality to Wake Up Early

In the cute world of babies, there is a concept that certain youngsters, sadly for parents, are simply programmed to wake up early. Whatever time your child goes to bed, they may wake up between 5 AM and 5:30 AM. If this is the case with your little bundle of joy as well, simply put them to bed early to ensure good sleep and enjoy your calm evenings.

There Can Be Some Underlying Medical Conditions

If your child does not often wake up early but is suddenly acting this way, it could be due to an underlying medical condition. They may have a cold or flu and are having difficulty sleeping owing to a fever. If you are doubtful, you should consult your pediatrician.

The Sleeping Environment Might Be Interfering

The sleep environment of a young child can make all the difference. They may prefer an environment reminiscent of their time in the belly. You might be amazed at how loud a womb can be. Blackout curtains and white noise devices may lull your infant to sleep.

Your Baby’s Bedtime Is Too Late

Going to bed too late can also contribute to early rising. In fact, one of the most prevalent causes of youngsters waking up too early the next morning is overtiredness before bedtime. We propose early bedtimes to reduce overtiredness and lengthen total night sleep.

The Delay Can Be Due to a Developmental Advance

A rapid period of development, often known as a growth spurt, can result in a sudden shift in sleeping habits, even sleep regressions. While irritating, keep in mind that these setbacks are just temporary. This is a wonderful sign of healthy development because of the overflow of biochemical shifts occurring in your baby’s body.

Your Baby Is Experiencing Drowsiness

Your child may not be getting enough sleep—seems paradoxical, doesn’t it? Have you ever been so exhausted that you couldn’t sleep? This is comparable. If your child does not get enough sleep, they may be waking up drowsy.

They’ve Gotten Enough Sleep

On the contrary, your child may be getting enough sleep and is awake and ready to face the day, albeit much earlier than you would desire. Try putting them to bed a little later. Gradually increase the time, 10 or 15 minutes at a time, and watch how your child improves.

Best Tips to Deal With Early Rising

Is your baby waking up too early and you have no idea how to solve the problem? Do not worry!

We have got your back. Here are a few tips for you:

Try to Set an Earlier Bedtime

What time do you put your child to bed? It may appear counterintuitive, but keeping your youngster awake later may be the root reason for his or her early rise. When you put your child to bed fatigued and overtired, he or she has a more difficult time settling down and getting adequate sleep. Most parents find that putting their children to bed between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM allows them to sleep comfortably and not wake up too early.

Help Your Infant Adapt to Falling Asleep on Their Own Without Your Help

Most babies are biologically capable of learning to fall asleep without parental assistance, such as being held or nursed to sleep, by 6 months of age, and can sleep through the night without parental involvement.

If your kid is 6 months or older and waking up too early, sleep training might help them establish independent sleeping abilities. It’s crucial to remember that there are various sleep training methods, including having the parent stay in the room to limit cries.

Related Read: Sleep Training Method

Rule Out the Hunger Factor

Because hunger can make it harder to sleep, consider whether you have room for additional nourishment in the evening. Not all night-weaned youngsters can sleep for 12 hours or more between their meals. Some parents discover that rescheduling dinner or including a pre-bedtime snack will help their child sleep later in the morning.

Monitor the Wakefulness Windows

An excessively long period of alertness between the completion of your baby’s afternoon nap and nighttime can result in early rising. Most toddlers have an average waking window of 4 hours. If you have a child who wakes up early and the preceding tips aren’t working, there are some other things you can try to help prevent early rising. (Keep reading).

Try Experimenting With White Noise

Continuous background noise is an excellent approach to mute household or neighborhood noises that may be waking up your kid in the early morning hours. White noise can be especially useful for families with multiple children who need to shut out sibling disturbances.

Because the maximum volume of white noise generators can exceed the advised noise level for children, it is critical to keep the volume below the maximum level. Maintain at least 7 feet of distance between the noise machine and your child’s sleeping area.

Rule Out Any Medical Conditions

You might be startled to learn that untreated sleep apnea, along with allergies, and the common cold, is a prevalent cause of early awakening. This is due to the fact that these disorders constrict the nasal airways. Babies, especially newborns, are solely nose breathers, making it difficult to breathe and thus difficult to sleep. If you hear your child snoring in their sleep, do not ignore the signs and seek medical attention. Keep in mind that this applies to all children, not just infants.

Buy a Toddler Clock

When young children get up early, it can be very difficult to keep them in bed. Toddler clocks can help provide an additional incentive to stay in bed until it’s time to get up.

A lot of parents think that employing an external visual signal, particularly when accompanied with encouraging reinforcement and schedule modifications, can assist children in breaking out of their initial waking cycles. Specific praise, such as ‘great job staying in bed until the alarm on your clock came on’ might be used as positive reinforcement. Even minor gifts like stickers work magic.

Make Your Baby Sleep in a Dark Bedroom

A dark bedroom makes it simpler to sleep in. If this is the situation in your toddler’s bedroom, consider obtaining room-darkening to completely block out the light. Our circadian cycles affect all of us, but none more so than our children. Overexposure to light can cause your child to wake up earlier than they usually do, so ensure that their sleeping area is sufficiently dark.

When Do Infants Begin to Sleep Through the Night?

Sleeping throughout the night might mean many things to different children. While babies are capable of sleeping for 10-hour stretches, this isn’t always the case when they’re young.

Sleeping during the night is typically defined as a baby sleeping for six to eight hours without waking up. Sleeping for these longer periods normally begins between the ages of three and six months.

While this may appear to be the promised land of snoozing, it does not guarantee that you will spend the entire night dreaming. Even if you put your baby down at 8 p.m., he or she could wake up at 2 a.m. after sleeping for six hours.

Summing It Up

We often compare resolving early waking concerns to completing a puzzle. To move the morning start time later, we must ensure that all of the parts are in place and that each factor is addressed in the proper order. The frustrating part for many parents is that there are so many factors that it can be difficult to know what to modify, and the wrong move might backfire and worsen sleep problems.

So, stay calm and go with the flow!

Best of luck.

FAQs

Is It Okay for Toddlers to Wake Up Too Early?

Babies frequently wake up too early, especially during the first couple of months of life. However, if your kid frequently wakes up too early and does not receive enough sleep, this might result in sleep deprivation and negatively impact their development and happiness.

Can Your Little One’s Diet Affect His or Her Sleep Patterns?

Yes, what your little one eats might have an impact on his or her sleeping patterns. It can assist to enhance their sleep quality if they are well-fed before night and avoid meals that can cause unease, such as hot or acidic foods.

When Should You Start Getting Worried About Your Newborn Waking up Too Early?

Consult your pediatrician if your kid consistently gets up too early and exhibits signs of sleep deprivation such as moodiness, fussiness, difficulties concentrating, or delayed growth. They can rule out any underlying medical concerns and advise you on how to improve your baby’s sleeping habits.

What Are Some Cues That Your Baby Is Waking up Too Early in the Morning?

Trouble falling or staying asleep, irritability, anger, and afternoon sleepiness are all signs that your infant is waking up too early.

How Can You Assist Your Newborn to Sleep Longer in the Morning?

You can gradually alter your baby’s bedtime later, making sure they get enough naps during the day, maintaining a pleasant sleeping environment, and refraining from any stimulating activities before night.