Starting your day before 6am is not fun for anyone!
When we first go to sleep, we have a long period of deep sleep, from which it is difficult to be woken. As the night goes on, our sleep drive decreases. Sleep from 3am onwards is only light, we drift in and out of light sleep, so even small things can wake us.
Let’s explore some reasons why early morning wake ups may be happening and how to prevent them.
Is something waking your child in the morning?
Even a small sound can be enough to wake them- birds, the neighbours, a truck, a parent getting ready for work. Sounds that would not wake them early in the night will wake them in the early hours of the morning. You can check by listening in the room your child sleeps in at the time they wake for any noises.
Solution- use white noise on an app or a white noise machine to block out external sounds and create a consistent sound for the entire night sleep.
Are they cold?
Our core body temperature is at its lowest at 3-4am, the external temperature is at its lowest just before sunrise. Their clothing and bedding may be perfect for the beginning of the night, but not once the temperature drops. Until the age of 3 very few children have the ability to pull up a blanket, quilt or doona to adequately cover themselves, so will often wake because they are cold.
When your child wakes do a quick check to determine if their wake up was due to being cold. Place your hand under their sleep clothes, on their skin, on their back or tummy. They should feel nice and warm, not hot and sweaty, not sticky or cold. Do not use temperature of hands and feet as a guide, they are often a lot cooler than the rest of the body- we want to test their core.
Solution- try not to have the bassinet/cot/bed under or next to a window to avoid any draughts. The ideal room temperature for sleep is 18-20°C, regulating room temperature is ideal. Other options are to use pyjamas and a sleeping bag that are made from Merino wool or other natural fibres that can help your child regulate their temperature.
For more ideas check out my blog post on TOG ratings and sleeping temperature
Is there light coming into their room?
Even just a small amount of light can be enough for your child’s circadian rhythm to adjust their wake up time. Light is the number one factor in entraining our sleep-wake cycle.
Solution- invest in some black out blinds (Sleepy Sundays is a great brand) or buy black out fabric from Spotlight which you can attach to the window frame. For a short term solution stick foil or garbage bags on the windows.
Are they Hungry?
Some children still need a breast feed or bottle overnight until they are 9 months old. For older children a hypoglycaemic dip in blood glucose levels or a deficiency in certain nutrients can cause a wake up.
Solution- try to include lots of protein, low GI carbohydrates, foods high in iron and magnesium in your child’s diet.
Is Bedtime too late or too early?
Overtiredness can cause early morning wake ups. Is your child overtired by the time they go to bed? When we become overtired our bodies are flooded with hormones like adrenalin and cortisol to keep us awake. You may notice your child gets a “second wind” or becomes a bit “hyperactive” in the evening. This is a sign that they are overtired.
Solution- try an earlier bedtime, but not before 6pm. We can expect children to sleep for 11-12 hours overnight, so if they are consistently going to bed at 6pm, then we can’t reasonably expect them to sleep beyond 6am. 6-7pm is the ideal bedtime for a child aged 3 months to 5 years.
Are naps too long? Too early in the day?
A long or early nap in the morning is like a continuation of night sleep and it can reinforce the early morning wake up.
Solution- try making the nap a little later. Reduce the length of the nap so they are not catching up on missed night sleep by having extra nap time. You need to break the cycle for them.
Is there social interaction and food as soon as they wake?
Do you go straight in to your child as soon as they wake? Do you feed your child as soon as they wake? Our bodies become accustomed to wake up time being the time when social interaction and food becomes available.
Solution- delay going in to your child for as long as possible. If you need to go in to comfort them, do so in a very calm, quiet manner, still in the dark. Delay giving a milk feed or breakfast until closer to the time that you would prefer your child to wake.
Not knowing when it is okay to get out of bed?
Toddlers just get out of bed when they wake up! They do not understand when it is still time to be in bed, especially once it is light outside. Solution- for toddlers a sleep trainer clock is a great tool. It is a visual cue that it is wake up time. They know that when their clock is “awake” they are allowed to get out of bed. Some great brands are Groclock and Momo. A small light attached to a timer that turns on at wake up time (can be bought from Bunnings) is also effective.
Early morning rising can be difficult to resolve, especially if it has been happening long term.
I would love to help you one on one with your unique early morning riser.
Heidi Beech
I am the owner and founder of Family Harmony, certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant, Early Childhood Teacher and mother of 3. I work with families to improve their children’s sleep- children from 3 weeks to 5 years old. With a strong focus on the holistic nature of sleep and taking the time to understand your child and unique family. Learn more about me
