Why does my baby always wake up so early?
A common question I get from parents is why does my baby wake up so early? They are missing those 8am mornings from the past. 6am or 7am is a little too early for the night owls.
Here’s what happens. Once a baby’s circadian rhythm starts shaping, the times of a child’s schedule changes. They tend to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. The sun tends to predict their wake times more than all of your well intentioned wishes. A normal, acceptable time for a baby to wake up is between 6 and 7am. I tend to recommend starting the day no later than 7am as to keep on the regular bedtime schedule. If you don’t start your day around the same time every day then your days start to get longer and longer and your bedtimes get later and later. This doesn’t mean your child will get any more sleep per say. They will probably just wake up early anyway and be tired and grouchy.
If your baby is waking up before 6 am, there are some factors that could be contributing.
#1 Your baby could be under tired. This means they may have had too much daytime sleep the night before.
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#2 Your baby could be hungry. If you are still in the age range of nursing or bottle feeding, they may just be waking, because it has been 10 plus hours of sleep and they are hungry. It is sometimes possible to feed them and get them back to sleep until 6 or 7.
#3 Habit. Your baby has been waking up early for a long time and now is just used to getting up at this time. Similar to us waking up to alarms daily and on a weekend we don’t know how to sleep in. This one is tougher to work on, because usually they make up for their lack of sleep during naps. It can be tweaked slightly but may take more detective work
#4 They are uncomfortable. Your baby may have a routine of pooping in the early mornings and they wake up to do that and need a diaper change. There are some things you can do to attempt to change bowel movement times, but typically they won’t just easily sleep through a dirty diaper.
#5 It’s too bright in their room. Once the weather is nicer, the sun comes up early. If you don’t have blackout shades or curtains on those windows, you baby is likely to start waking up earlier. Make sure the room is really… REALLY… DARK.
If you are struggling with early wake ups, or sleep training in general, I can help! Schedule your free sleep assessment call or book your three week program to get hands on, comprehensive help from me! I will hold your hand all the way through the process, and you will get a year of support after the three weeks is up!
Let me help you make bedtime and mornings more enjoyable!
xo, Melanie
