It’s 5am and you hear a cry out. “why are you awake? whhhyyy?”. It’s another early morning waking…Does this sound familiar to you? Do you have a child who wakes at the ‘crack of stupid’? This is the most common issue that I hear from parents. I am going to give you my tips on how you can get rid of those early wakings once and for all!!
#1 reason your child is waking early could be – your child is overtired. They could be going to bed too late. Maybe your child is not napping well or at all. So what can you do??
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- Put them to bed earlier. Simple enough…
- Sometimes 15 minutes is all that is needed, but if your babe is continuing to wake up ridiculously early, keep pulling it back (try for a few days and then move it earlier) until you find the “sweet spot” and stick there for eternity…or until he or she is better rested. Just make sure that you don’t fall back into old night-time/late bedtime habits!
Make their room optimal for sleep
- Use Black out blinds – this will help their body create melatonin (natural sleepy hormone)
- White noise – a constant noise that doesn’t shut off. I personally like the static setting or waves
- Temperature – make sure that your child is not sweating. A more cooler environment is best for sleep
When they wake at the hour that you didn’t know existed…leave them.
- Leave them. Let them hang out in their crib space. You know that they are safe, sure they may not be happy because you aren’t responding the same way that they are used to…(ya, I am looking at you mom with the bottle in your hand!). Give your child the opportunity to surprise you. They may fall back asleep- then you can enjoy that glorious hour or so of zzz’s catching! Keep consistent with this response!
When it’s time to Rise and Shine
- Go in with a HUGE smile on that pretty face (don’t worry about your hair), pull open those blinds and in a “sing-song” way say “Gooood Morning my precious little _____” (insert name *not what you may want to call them…*). Praise them. Hug them. Call your baby a great little sleeper (it will happen).
Lastly, stay on routine. Don’t sleep in – I know I am a really mean person (sorry, not sorry)! Give your child their nap at your child’s best time and offer that early bedtime. Take these tips and show that early morning that you aren’t going to take it anymore!! (We could break out into song “We’re not going to take it”- Twisted Sister).
*Disclaimer- this will NOT happen in 1 day, it might take several. Take your time. Gather up your patience and be consistent. Without consistency, the early morning will show return to its ugliness… With these tips, you should be able to get rid of those early mornings, once and for all!
