When a toddler or baby wakes up before the normal bed time, you may be wondering what to do about it. There are numerous ways to help them go back to sleep, but it’s important to make sure you are doing the right thing. Keeping them awake for too long will only make things worse, so this blog is going to look at what you can do to help them fall back to sleep on their own.
Just as you’re getting comfortable in your sleep, you hear a little chirp from below the covers. Eyes still closed, you reach blindly for the alarm on your phone and hit the snooze button—but then you hear another chirp. You jump out of bed and check the time; it’s already past the time you set the alarm for. You quickly grab your phone and scroll through the alarm settings, but you can’t find anything that will actually shut off the alarm. So, you grab all the pillows in the room and cover your head.
The most important thing to remember when trying to get a good night’s sleep is to let yourself get into a routine. Try to find a time where waking up and going to bed is the same each night, and stick to it. If you wake up before it’s time to get up, You can go back to sleep until it’s time to get up again. If you can manage to go back to sleep after waking up, you’re already one step ahead. It might be a small step, but it’s a step that may help you stay up later, and sleep better.
Isn’t it true that when your toddler or infant gets up too early, it’s usually the start of a bad day? I adore my children, but I’m ready to weep if I hear them calling my name before 7 a.m. A mother needs her rest.
When your child doesn’t know how, here’s how to change the timetable. When I revealed how I persuade my kids to go to bed and remain in bed, I got a lot of good comments, so I contacted Nicole, a baby sleep specialist, for help since I don’t have the answers!
When Your Toddler or Baby Wakes Up Too Early, What Should You Do?
Nicole Johnson, the Lead Baby Sleep Consultant and Owner of The Baby Sleep Site, offers her suggestions on what to do if your baby or toddler gets up too early in the morning. Here’s what she has to say:
It might be a roller coaster ride, but not the enjoyable sort.
The majority of tired parents of infants and toddlers have one objective in mind: getting their children to sleep through the night. That’s understandable; after months (or even years!) of night wakings, a complete night’s sleep feels like winning the jackpot!
However, as those of you who have children who sleep through the night will testify, sleep issues do not magically vanish once you achieve that milestone. Your infant or toddler may be able to sleep through the night for a while, only for another sleep problem to raise its ugly, exhausting head.
A good example is an infant or toddler that wakes up too early in the morning. Many parents contact The Baby Sleep Site with a version of the following story: “My baby/toddler used to sleep all night, but now he/she is waking up far too early! “Are you willing to assist?”
Thankfully, the answer is yes — we certainly can!
– public relations –
Check to see whether you have an early-rising issue.
Keep in mind that the word “early” is subjective; for some parents, a 5:30 a.m. wake-up time is perfect, while for others, anything before 8:00 a.m. is “too early”! Take a close look at your child’s wake-up time: is it later than 6 a.m.?
Consider how your kid wakes up: is he or she cheerful and energized? If your kid wakes up at or after 6 a.m. and seems refreshed and ready to face the day, you probably don’t have an early rising issue (as painful as it may be to hear this!).
For most infants and toddlers, a wake-up time of 6:00 a.m. or later is acceptable, as long as they receive enough nighttime and naptime sleep. If your kid is getting up earlier than 6 a.m., and/or if your child rapidly tires out after waking up in the morning and is weary and irritable, you may have an early-rising problem on your hands.
[Try this cool product: OK to Wake! [Alarm Clock with Nightlight for Children]
Find the source of your child’s early-rising issue and solve it.
Illness, teething symptoms, developmental leaps, growth spurts, life changes (such as the birth of a new sibling or moving to a new home), toilet training, and transferring from crib to big child bed are just some of the reasons that may cause sporadic, occasional early waking. All of them may lead to early morning wake-up calls for a few days or weeks.
Long days may also be a problem at this time of year; if your kid is getting up earlier and earlier, make sure there isn’t too much early sunshine pouring into her room. (If this is the case, get some excellent blackout shades.) Redi Shade’s are inexpensive, portable, and available in a variety of colors.)
If, on the other hand, your kid is waking up too early on a regular basis and has been doing so for weeks or months, you may have a scheduling issue on your hands.
Problems with your schedule that cause you to get up early may be addressed.
So, what kind of schedule issues cause you to get up too early? There are three in particular:
The quantity of sleep you get during nap time is incorrect.
If your infant or toddler doesn’t receive enough nap sleep, he’ll be overtired at bedtime, and an overtired kid is more likely to get up too early than a well-rested child (this follows the “sleep begets sleep” principle). Too much nap sleep, on the other hand, may be a problem.
Because a child’s overall quantity of sleep in a day is generally consistent, our children’s sleep patterns will change from evenings to naps and vice versa.
As a result, a kid who naps excessively throughout the day may sleep less at night and wake up too early. This may soon develop a habit — for example, instead of sleeping 12 hours at night and 2 hours during the day, your kid sleeps 10 hours at night and 4 hours during the day.
The napping schedule is incorrect.
The total number of naps, as well as the timing of those sleeps, are important. Examine the time between your child’s final nap of the day and night in particular.
If that window of time is too wide, your kid may be overtired before night, leading to an early rise. (Hint: unsure how much nap time sleep your infant or toddler need or when naps should occur? For a starting point, look at our example sleep and eating routines.)
It’s either too early or too late to go to bed.
I know it sounds paradoxical, but keeping a baby or toddler up late does not typically result in a later morning wake-up time! Instead, it may lead to exhaustion, which can lead to even earlier wake-up times.
As a result, avoid going to bed late. However, you must be cautious not to put your child to bed too early. Bedtimes before 6 p.m. are generally discouraged, and older infants and toddlers typically do well with bedtimes at or after 7 p.m.
How to Change Your Early Riser’s Routine
Starting to regard your child’s early morning wake-ups as night wakings is the first step in resolving early rising. This is crucial: if you continue to let your kid get up at 5 a.m. for the rest of the day, you are supporting the idea that 5 a.m. is a perfectly acceptable time to wake up!
Instead, try your best to re-settle your kid when he wakes up early. Offer some comforting pats and kisses, then go, saying something like, “It’s sleepy time – see you in the morning!” If leaving your kid bothers them too much, stay in the room and be as calm and dull as possible.
You don’t want to do anything that would interest or excite your kid; you’re trying to reinforce that it’s time to sleep, not wake up, through your words and actions.
When it’s time to get up in the morning, perform a huge, theatrical wake-up ritual. Open the curtains, put on the lights, and sing a happy morning tune – you get the picture. If you do this on a regular basis, your child’s morning wake-up time will progressively change.
If you have any of the scheduling problems mentioned above, the next step is to change your child’s schedule.
Make sure your infant or toddler takes naps at regular intervals throughout the day, and that the naps are long enough to be restful but not so long that they interfere with night sleep.
If necessary, change your child’s bedtime. Do you need assistance rearranging your child’s schedule? The Baby Sleep Site® offers a wealth of information to assist you in your endeavor. (And, pssst…many of them are completely free!)
Visit now to get your FREE copy of 5 Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through The Night. You CAN get your sleep back…and we can help! Also, during our More Sleep For Moms promotion, get up to $50 off all Baby Sleep Site goods and services for a short time.
Posts on sleep that are related — yawn! — include:
- It’s time to get up! Alarm Clock with Nightlight for Kids
- Summertime travel and bright days baby sleep advice
- How I outsmarted the king of bedtime stalling techniques
- That time when our buddy Olivia made a concerted effort to avoid discussing sleep!
- Why we believe you should give your kid a lovey
- To put your kid to sleep, read this hypnotic wonderful book.
- 5 Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through The Night is a FREE download.
+++ Nicole Johnson is the proprietor of The Baby Sleep Site® and the married mother of two beautiful sons. Her oldest kid had a lot of sleep issues when he was born, waking up every one or two hours all night! She got busy researching literature and scientific studies till she became an expert in sleep techniques, routines, and infant developmental requirements, among other things. She resolved her son’s sleeping problems in a manner that was consistent with her own parenting style, and she felt it was her duty to assist other exhausted parents “find their child’s sleep.” If you’re having trouble sleeping, she may be able to assist you as well.
+++
Having trouble getting your little one to fall back asleep? Maybe you have a toddler who wakes up too early. Well, the good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to help your child drift back to sleep, and the list below can help you get started. Hopefully, you’ll find one or two helpful ideas from this list that will help you cope with your little one, and get him or her on track for a good night’s sleep.. Read more about 3 year old waking up too early and let us know what you think.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do when my toddler wakes up too early?
If your toddler wakes up too early, you can set a sleep schedule on the app. You can also put them in their own room and lock the door to prevent them from getting out.
What do I do when my toddler wakes up at 5am?
If your toddler wakes up at 5am, you should try to get them back to sleep as soon as possible. You can also try playing a game with them before they wake up so that it is easier for them to fall asleep.
What causes early wake up in toddlers?
Early wake up in toddlers is usually caused by a number of factors. Some of the most common causes are teething, illness, and hunger.
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