How to Identify and Correct Early Rising in Babies
Babies often wake up pretty early. After 6
months, their natural circadian rhythm wakes them between 6am-7:30am, and
usually your baby consistently wakes up around this time, or another consistent
time. Then suddenly they wake up early one morning. Then the next. Then the
next…. And we mean wake up wake up, not just a “I lost my paci” wake up.
They’re
awake.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
This is called early
rising. It can surprise you, and sometimes complicates sleep training, but it’s
usually nothing to worry about. It can be a sign your baby’s ready to reduce a
nap or is going through a development leap or is simply overtired (more about
that later). And, yes, it can be corrected.
You may have questions about early rising, like
“Is it bad if my baby wakes up really early?” and “How do I help my baby sleep
later?” Here we’ll answer those questions and others you may have about early
risers and sleep training.
The
Smart Sleep Coach by
Pampers™
offers fantastic science-based and parent-proven techniques to
establish healthy sleep habits for babies from birth to two years.
Why is My Baby Waking Up So Early?
Here are a few of the
reasons a baby who’s sleeping consistently may suddenly be waking up earlier
than they usually do, or waking up too early for your preferred daily routine.
Overtired
Your
baby can become overtired because they had a late night, they aren’t
napping well or even because they had a super stimulating day. When this
happens their natural sleep rhythms get confused as to whether they should be
awake, sleeping, eating, and when. This confusion leads to disarray and makes
it difficult for your baby’s body and mind to sync, relax and get ready to
sleep.
So how does this lead to
early wakeups? The final stage of your baby’s sleep cycle is lighter, which
offers a greater chance that they wake up early and cannot fall back to
sleep.
Developmental Leaps:
Your baby’s body and brain
are maturing at a rapid rate – faster than any other time in their lives. This
requires a lot of sleep, yes, but these development leaps can also disrupt your
baby’s sleep. For example, learning to roll over can lead to a brief
sleep regression.
While this sleep set back
can be startling, especially if you are sleep training, it’s a great milestone
to be celebrated!
Reflux, a Cold, or Apnea:
Sometimes having a cold can
lead to early rising in your baby. If your baby appears healthy, the issue may
be internal, such as acid
reflux or GERD, or sleep apnea. If you suspect
something of this nature, consult with your pediatrician.
Too Much Nap Time:
Your baby’s sleep cycles are evolving as they
grow. When they’re newborns, they sleep most of the day; as they get older, the
schedule’s more varied – they need more naps and sleep for longer stretches at
night. This is a process that happens in stages. At a few points they’ll be
getting more sleep than needed, usually during a nap, and may start waking
early in the morning.
If this happens, consider shortening their
afternoon nap or moving that nap up in the day to extend wake periods. This can
help realign their wakeup schedule.
The
Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ is a wonderful tool to help you
track and manage your baby’s sleep schedule. Just by entering their sleeps, you
will receive a daily and weekly sleep report along with expert coaching to help
you manage early rising and get your mornings back on track.
Growth Spurts:
Even after your baby sleeps well and consistently without night feedings, there may be times when they wake suddenly and need to eat. This may be happening because they’re growing rapidly. That said, growth spurts are just that, spurts - they typically only last a few days, your baby will get their sleep back on track soon enough.
What To Do If Your Baby Wakes Up Early:
- Create a Dark Sleep Space:
Your baby will sleep deeper and longer in a cool, dark room. That’s
because early rising could be due to the sun coming up and shining into
their room. To prevent early rising, and to help your baby sleep better in
general, invest in blackout curtains and consider a sound machine. For a
more complete “Sleep Training Checklist,”
read our article on everything you
need to sleep train your baby.
- Adjust Naps: If your baby’s been
sleeping until a consistent time, you haven’t changed their routine in any way
(that is bedtime is still the same time) and yet they suddenly begin waking up
earlier, it’s possible they’re getting too much sleep at naptime. If you
believe this is the case, consider shortening your baby’s afternoon nap to
expand their wake window before bed. This can help your baby sleep longer at
night.
- Watch Wake Windows: The
period between naps or naps and bedtime, the time your baby is awake, are known
as ‘wake windows’ or ‘awake intervals’. If your baby stays awake for longer
than their recommended wake window, they may become overtired and have trouble
sleeping – and, yes, that can lead your baby waking up too early. To help
prevent early rising, and to maintain healthy sleep overall,
always track
their wake windows
and start your bedtime routine early enough to
ensure you don’t go beyond the suggested awake interval.
- Earlier bedtime:
This may seem counterintuitive,
but contrary to adults, putting your baby to bed later will NOT help them sleep
longer in the morning. In fact, it will simply contribute to their overtiredness,
and they may start waking even earlier.
Instead, opt for an earlier bedtime help them catch up on those much-needed Zzzzs to help them reset their internal sleep clock.
- Make “Good Morning” Unique:
There are two types of wakings: night wakings (waking for a feeding or new
diaper in the middle of the night), and day wakings – when you start the day or
after a nap. One way to help correct your baby’s early rising is to treat early
rising as a night waking.
As an example: Let’s say
your baby usually wakes at 6am but starts waking up at 5am. If you go to see
them at 5am, treat that visit like a night waking: keep the lights low or off,
speaking in a soft voice, and resist cuddling. This is not “good morning.”
“Good morning” should still begin at the usual time.
Even if you’re in your
baby’s room ten minutes before your baby’s usual day waking, step out of the
room and then enter again as if it’s the first time that morning. Say “good
morning” and start the day as usual. Yes, even if it’s 5:50am and your baby
usually wakes at 6am. Step out at 5:59am and back in at 6am as if it’s a whole
new day.
By doing so, you teach
your baby that the earlier wake up was not the official start of the day. This
process can work wonders in helping correct early rising.
- Try a Dream Feed: To
prevent your baby from waking up too early in the morning, one potential
solution is to dream feed. Dream feeding is when you gently rouse but
don’t wake your baby and feed them while they’re drowsy.
-
Gently lift your baby
from the crib without waking them.
-
Next, place your breast
or a bottle to their mouth.
-
If your baby’s hungry,
they will latch on without waking up too much. If they don’t latch on, put them
back in their crib. You don’t want to force them to eat, but if they do eat,
that can work wonders at helping them sleep longer in the morning.
Bonus Tip: If
your toddler or preschooler is waking early, try a simple clock that shows a
sun when it is time to wake up and a moon when it is sleep time.
How Long Will This Last?
Remember – early rising is
normal, natural, and temporary. It can be surprising but can also show that
your baby’s growing, developing, and learning the ropes of their natural sleep
rhythm – this is fantastic news!
As with all aspects of coaching
your baby’s sleep, the key to moving beyond early rising is consistency and
time. With both, early rising will soon be a memory.
For more insights into your
baby’s sleep, download the
Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ everything you need to support your baby’s sleep, all in one easy-to-use, science centered app designed by Parents, for parents! It’s got it all – so you can handle it all.
Sources:
“Is Sleep Apnea Waking Up my Child? Addressing
Early Rising,”
The Sleep Lady.
“Reflux and Baby Sleep: Helping Your Infant with
GERD,”
The Sleep Lady.
“The sleep patterns of infants and young
children with gastro-oesophageal reflux,”
Journal
of Pediatrics and Child Health
.
“Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Infants,”
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.