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Early Morning Wake Up’s
September 16, 2024
Reasons and Solutions for Those Early Morning Waking Up’s
Does your baby wake up before it’s time to start the day ready and eager to go? If so, you are not alone! The good news is that with some patience and maybe a few tweaks, you can push those early morning waking out!
So, first, let’s define what an early morning wake-up is. If your child is waking up before 6:00 am then they are waking too early, and this is where we can help our child shift to a wake-up time that is more acceptable. It is completely normal for a child to wake up between 6:00 am and 7:00 am. Children are biologically made to wake up during this time. So, if your child is consistently waking up before 6:00 am, then we will want to find out what the reason is and how we can encourage a later wake-up time.
Reasons and Solutions for Those Early Morning Waking Up’s
Reason:
Often a baby will wake up early if their bedtime is too late or if they are overtired from lost day sleep. Logically, parents often think that if they put their child to bed later or skip a nap, they will sleep later! Makes logical sense, right? But we need to look at the biology behind this. A child that goes to bed too late, takes short naps or skips naps produces a hormone called cortisol which is a stimulant that the body produces. Cortisol gives the body the message to wake up, wake up, wake up.
Solution:
The solution for this is to get your little one on an age-appropriate nap schedule with an early bedtime.
Reason:
Did you know that our circadian rhythms are guided by light and darkness? It’s true. Light tells the body it is time to wake up and darkness tells the body that it is time to sleep (and supports the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone).
Solution:
Make the room very dark! Make sure that there is no morning light coming into the room even if you have blackout shades. The sun will find the smallest separation between the shade and the window to come in and announce to your child that morning is here. When morning is approaching our child’s sleep hormone, melatonin, is beginning to wear off so when you add light to that, your child’s body and mind are encouraging a wake-up.
Reason:
There are external noises that start either within the house or outside of the house as the world begins to wake up. Are neighbors leaving the house for work? Are pets being let out and barking? If you are room sharing is someone in the room snoring or moving around? Since your child’s sleep hormone is beginning to wear off as morning approaches, a baby will wake easier from any of these external sounds.
Solution:
White noise can help create a barrier between your baby and those external noises. If you room share, put the white noise machine between your bed and their crib. If the noises are coming from outside, then put the white noise near an external wall.
Reason-Your child has a reason for wanting to wake up early! Often the activities we do within the first few minutes of getting a child out of the crib or bed can reinforce the waking up. If for example, your child watches their favorite show as soon as they get up or has a feeding the moment you get them out of the crib, this can push a child to start the day as soon as they begin to wake up. Children will also often get in the habit of waking up if the moment they start making noises, they are taken out of bed and get to have play time with their favorite people.
Solution:
Evaluate what you are doing right after you get your child out of bed. Then, leave about 10-15 minutes before having breakfast, turning on the TV, or having play time. This will help separate the association between waking up and the reinforcer. Set an “OK to Wake Time,” Keep Your child in bed until that time. If your child gets up before 6:00-7:00 do not reinforce the waking. Instead, keep them in the room until your “ok to wake time.”
Reason:
Is your child working on a new skill such as learning to sit up, stand up, cruise, or have a verbal burst? If so, you will often see them practice those amazing new skills early in the morning after they have had a good stretch of sleep and have some alone time. They will practice right in the crib.
Solution:
Let them be. Give them the time to practice their skills, no need to interfere. Also, when you see these new emerging skills, do a lot of daytime playtime practice. The sooner they master the skill the sooner it will become boring, and they will get back to the business of sleeping!
Extra Tips to define the start of the day!
• Set an “ok to wake time” between 6:00-6:30. If your child wakes up before this time, consider a night waking and keep your child in the crib or bed. This will give your child the opportunity to go back to sleep. If your child is old enough, get an "ok to wake" or a toddler clock to help them understand when it is time to start the day.
• When it is “ok to wake time,” wake up the room! This will help define for your child the reason you are going in. Go into the room, say “Good morning sunshine,” open the blinds, turn off the sound machine, and go over to your child giving hugs and kisses! What a great way to define the start of the day!
If you need help with early morning wakeups, please feel free to email me at backtozzzs@gmail.com for information on the services that I offer. My passion is helping your family reach the goal of having healthy sleep habits.
It is coming. March 9th the time will spring one hour ahead. The springtime change means that your child’s sleep may need some adjusting. When we change our clocks on March 9th we will move our clock forward one hour. Your child’s schedule will be off one hour which could result in sleep disruptions and bedtime battles. If your child usually wakes up at 6:00 am, that now means they will be waking up at 7:00 am. This may appear to be a good thing, but that also may mean your child will want to go to bed an hour later. This can easily start the cycle of going into an overtired state. Adjustments will need to be made to prevent this from happening. The good news is your child will adjust to the time change. You just need to prepare, be patient, and be consistent. Here are a couple of methods to help your child deal with Day Light Saving Time. Method One: The Ease into It Approach When daylight savings time is approaching, you can prepare your child ahead of time by adjusting everything little by little. We have to adjust for one hour in their schedule. To do the gradual change, you shift your day forward in 15-minute increments. You can start this a week or more ahead of time allowing for a couple of days at each interval change. We would start the bedtime about 15 minutes earlier each day. For example, if your child’s bedtime is 7:00 PM you would put them down to bed at 6:45 PM for a couple of nights. After a couple of days of the 6:30 PM bedtime, you would bump it up to 6:15 PM. You would adjust the time every two to three days until you reach the one-hour mark. You also want to adjust the morning wake-up and all naps and meals, so everything is in place. In using the gradual method, your child will be adjusted by the time the big day arrives. Method Two: The “Just Do It” Approach For this method, you just rip off the band-aid on D-Day. On the day of the time change, you shift everything accordingly. We also want to keep in mind that your little one might be tired for up to a week as they adjust. If they lose sleep due to the time change then compensate for the lost sleep by offering an extra early bedtime so that they do not collect a sleep debt. Tips For Both Approaches Make sure the room is extra dark for each sleep cycle to help the body shift the production of melatonin as your child adjusts to the new time change. The better rested your child is going into the shift in time, the better they will adjust. Choose a method that fits your child’s temperament best. If your child has a hard time with change or is sleep-sensitive, then the “Ease Into It Method” might work best for your family. If your child is flexible and handles change rather smoothly then the direct “Just Do It Method” might be the option for your child. Help your child adjust to the time change as well as any other disruptions to the sleep schedule by being consistent It is important to have a consistent soothing routine. The sleep routine is a wonderful cue to your child that it is time for their bodies and minds to start to relax and get ready for sleep. It may take about a week until your little one has completely adjusted, so be patient with the process. Consistency is also important when we respond to wakings and protests. While your child adjusts to the disruption in the sleep schedule your consistent response will remind them of the sleep rules and help get them back on track. It may take about a week until your little one has completely adjusted, so be patient with the process. You got this! If you need help with your child’s overall sleep. I offer a free 15-minute introductory call. I can share with you how I work with clients to see if sleep training might be a good fit for your family. Email me at Backtozzzs@gmail.com to set it up.
The 80/20 Rule, for When Life Happens! If you have ever worked with me on sleeping training with your little one, you will know my #1 tool to reach success. It is to be consistent. Being consistent is the key to getting and keeping sleep on track. It is important while sleep training to offer dedicated time with that consistent message so that your little one will have the opportunity to learn the new skills and routines that are needed for successful sleep training. Once you have your little one consistently sleeping well, then what? Does your child’s schedule mean that you can’t celebrate holidays, have day outings, or take vacations? Does that mean you have to decline all offers for fun activities? The answer is no. You can make exceptions and still keep your child well-rested. This is where the 80/20 Rule comes in. What is the 80/20 Rule? The 80/20 Rule means that you stick to your healthy consistent sleep schedule 80% of the time. You then can make exceptions to your schedule 20% of the time. I want to highlight that this rule is for children who are already well-rested and have healthy sleep habits. The 80/20 Rule allows you to “live life” and enjoy those special moments with your family. If your family is celebrating a birthday, a holiday, going on vacation, or has a doctor’s appointment during nap time these are times you can use this rule. 80% of the time you stick to the well-established healthy sleep schedule and then 20% of the time, when you have an event, you have the option to skip naps, go off track on the timing of sleep, take naps on the go, or have a later bedtime. Each child is unique, and their sleep needs and temperaments are different. Some kiddos that are flexible and able to handle change will bounce back without issue. Other children are more sensitive to change and have a harder time dealing with any deviation in timing. For these little ones who are sensitive to change, you might want to consider that the 80/20 Rule isn’t always worth it and be very picky about when you push the limits. You might want to think about a 90/10 Rule. Here are some tips when using the 80/20 Rule: Get right back on track as early as possible. Your child may push back a bit but be consistent. You already know that your child knows what to do. They just need the reminder and the security of their usual routine. Offer early bedtime so that any sleep debt is quickly replenished. Enjoy 20% of your time with your family. Make memories, relax, and know that the healthy sleep habits that you have previously established will allow for more enjoyment during your special family time. I am here to help. If you need help getting your child’s sleep on track so that you can enjoy the benefit of the 80/20 Rule, let’s talk! Email me at backtozzzs@gmail.com to set up a free 15-minute introductory call where I can tell you more about how I work with clients.
It is coming. November 3rd will be the time to move the clocks back one hour! The fall time change means that your child’s sleep will need to be adjusted. Just when you got your little one back on a schedule after the summertime fun, here comes another bump in the road that can mess up your hard work. Your child’s schedule will be off one hour which could result in early wakeups and bedtime battles. If your child usually wakes up at 7:00 am, that now means they will be waking up at 6:00 am. It can also mean that your child will fight when it comes to bedtime as they may not be ready for the usual 6:30 pm bedtime if their bodies are telling them, it is only 5:30 pm. The good news is your child will adjust to the time change. You just need to prepare, be patient, and be consistent. Here are a couple of methods to help your child deal with Day Light Saving Time. Method One: The Gradual Approach You can prepare your child ahead of time by adjusting everything little by little. We have to adjust for one hour in their schedule. To do the gradual change, you can begin to shift your day back in 15-minute increments. You can start 8 days ahead of November 3rd, allowing for a couple of days at each interval change. We would start bedtime about 15 minutes later each day. For example, if your child’s bedtime is 6:30 pm, you would put them to bed at 6:45 for a couple of nights. After a couple of days of the 6:45 pm bedtime, you would bump it up to 7:00 pm. You should adjust the time every two days until you reach the one-hour mark of 7:30 pm (which will be the new 6:30 when the time changes). You also need to adjust the morning wake-up and all naps and meals, so everything is in place. In using the gradual method, your child will be adjusted by the time November 3rd comes along. Method Two: The “Jump Right In” Method For this method, you just rip off the band-aid on D-day. On the day of the time change, you shift everything accordingly. We will want to make sure the room is extra dark for each sleep cycle to help the body shift the production of melatonin as your child adjusts to the new time change. We also want to keep in mind that your little one might be tired for up to a week as they adjust. If they lose sleep due to the time change then compensate for the lost sleep by offering an extra early bedtime so that they do not collect a sleep debt. The better rested your child is going into the shift in time, the better they will adjust. Choose a method that fits your child’s temperament best. If your child has a hard time with change or is sleep-sensitive, then the gradual approach might work best for your family. If your child is flexible and handles change smoothly then the direct approach might be the option for your child. A tip to help your child adjust to the time change as well as any other disruptions to the sleep schedule is to be consistent. It is important to have a consistent soothing routine. The sleep routine is a wonderful cue to your child that it is time for their bodies and minds to start to relax and get ready for sleep. Consistency is also important when we respond to wakings and protests. While your child adjusts to the disruption in the sleep schedule your consistent response will remind them of the sleep rules and help get them back on track. It may take about a week until your little one has completely adjusted, so be patient with the process. You got this!!!