Is Your Little One Waking With The Birds?
Is your baby up before 6 am? It is very common for babies to wake up between the hour of 5 and 6 am (or earlier). Typically, they are in a very light state of sleep then and the littlest things can wake them- chirping birds, a car door closing outside next door, a creak in the hardwood if you get up to go the bathroom….
There are a few simple things you can try right off the bat to help with the early wakes. It could be a simple solution!
Make sure your child’s room is dark. Try blackout blinds! Too much light coming into the room can wake a sleeping baby
If the house noises or external neighbourhood noises are loud, then consider a white noise machine. Set to a straight “white noise” or “rain” setting and keep it on all night long. Or you can use a fan.
Unfortunately, night wakes are not always so simple.
First of all, a 6-7 am wake is an appropriate biological time for a little one to rise- especially if they have had a proper amount of sleep. If this is the case, they generally wake up happy, cheerful and ready to go. However, if your baby wakes cheerful and then is a total grump by 7, you need to work on extending the sleep time.
Things That Can Cause Early Wakes
– Nap deprivation can cause early morning wakes. Make sure your baby is getting enough daytime sleep.
– If your baby is going to bed too late, this can cause early morning wakes
– If your child’s wakeful window is too long from when they wake from last nap to bedtime, this can also cause them to wake early.
– If your baby falls asleep drowsy or you coax them to start their sleep journey, this can cause early wakes as well.
The longer you let early risings happen, the longer it will take to change the pattern. Early wakes generally take a few weeks to sort out and can sometimes take a couple months. Hang in there!