Why is my baby waking early?
This is one of our most common questions, and before we get into possible contributing factors let’s go over a few things. Early wakes occur between the hours of 4am-6am. Anything prior to 4am is a “night waking” and anything after 6am, is a morning wake, and time to start the day! I know we all wish our babes would sleep in past 7 or 8 consistently, and while there are a few exceptions, most babies circadian rhythms are programmed to wake between 6am-7am. Also, while baby’s sleep pressure is the heaviest at bedtime, baby’s sleep pressure is the lightest between 4-6am. It’s important to remember these key things while we also consider these factors that may be contributing to your babe’s early wakes! Below is just a general outline for you to refer to, but I would love to walk you through any of these factors you may think are the culprit, and support you more thoroughly!
Reasons for Baby‘s Early Morning Wakes
Overtired
You’ve heard it before, but sleep begets sleep! Baby going down too tired at night is one of the most common reasons he or she is waking in the early hours of the morning. Try bringing bedtime back 30 minutes earlier, often this can be a quick fix!
Bedtime is Too Late
To the point above, we see so many parents pushing bedtime later and later in hopes baby will sleep in. Makes sense right? If baby is struggling to sleep in past 6am, often he or she will actually do better when put to bed earlier. So try it tonight!
Hunger
Depending on the age of the baby, hunger could be an issue. If baby is six months and older however, this is usually not the case! (Always talk to your pediatrician if you are concerned about baby’s feedings, growth etc).
Light is Peaking Through
Even the littlest bit of sun coming through the shades can signal to baby it’s time to wake up! Do what you can to block out the light. Buy black out curtains, or tape trash bags or cardboard to the windows!
Too Much Daytime Sleep
When was the last time you adjusted baby’s naps? If baby’s exceeding her age appropriate nap allowance per day, this could be why she is waking up early. She’s met her sleep quota for 24 hours! So try cutting down on the nap length.
Not Enough Daytime Sleep
On the flip side, baby could not be getting enough sleep in the day, and hence, overtired! Remember to check what’s appropriate for his age, and examine his sleep patterns here. What can be adjusted?
First Nap Is Too Early
Older babies should be practicing awake time starting close to the actual awake time we want, not the early morning wake time. If a baby with a 2hr wake window is constantly waking at 5am, and going back down at 7am for first nap, baby is depending on that first early nap to make up for lost sleep, therefore the early nap is just reinforcing the early wake. Try stretching the wake window a few minutes each day to get to that desired first nap time. Young babies are more sensitive to wake windows but babies 6mo+ will start to consolidate and adjust into a clock based schedule.
Going to Bed Asleep
Is baby going down asleep? If so, baby will wake up and rely on whatever sleep association or method he had when put to bed, and expect that same technique at 5am :) Practice putting baby down awake if you aren’t already!
Again these are just a few reasons that your baby could be waking up early! At SleepShop we meet you and your baby where you are, and really support you in your unique needs. As always reach out!
