How To Manage A Toddler That Wakes Up Too Early – 12 Effective Strategies for a Happier Morning

Getting your toddler to sleep through the night can be a challenge for many parents. One common issue is when your child wakes up too early in the morning. If you’re struggling with how to manage a toddler that wakes up too early, rest assured that you’re not alone.

Parents often look for ways to encourage their toddlers to stay up later, but addressing early morning waking can be the most difficult aspect of managing your child’s sleep schedule. Early morning waking is typically defined as occurring between 4:00 and 6:00 am, while any waking before 4:00 am is considered a nighttime disturbance. When we refer to “early morning wakings,” we are specifically talking about infants who wake up before 6:00 am.

Why Do Parents Experience This

Toddlers between the ages of one and three need 11 to 14 hours of sleep per day, which includes naps and overnight sleep. When a toddler wakes up too early, they may be losing out on necessary sleep.

If your toddler goes to bed too early, they may be getting more sleep than necessary, which can result in waking up too early. On the other hand, if your toddler stays up too late, they may not get enough sleep, leading to exhaustion or feeling sleep-deprived.

An imbalance in your child’s sleep pattern and bedtime routine may be the cause of your toddler waking up too early. Typically, between 4:00 and 6:00 am, a baby’s sleep pressure is lower. However, this time of day is ideal for falling asleep at bedtime. The darkness outside, cooler temperature, tired muscles, and your brain’s need for rest make it the perfect time of day for sleeping.

Why Is My Baby Waking Up Early

1. Sunlight is coming into the room

Even a slight change in the amount of light in the early morning hours can signal to a baby’s body that it’s time to wake up and could explain why your infant is waking up early.

Remember that 4-6 am is when we all get the least amount of sleep. It can be quite challenging for a newborn to go back to sleep after light seeps in

2. Your baby’s first nap of the day is too early

An early first nap can reinforce early morning waking. The very early nap is viewed by your baby’s body as an extension of the previous night’s sleep, thus early morning waking will persist.

3. Your baby is sleeping too much during the day

Sometimes, babies wake up early because they are no longer tired. Babies frequently don’t sleep as long at night when they receive more sleep during the day than they require.

The time for naps will need to change as your child grows older. It could even be appropriate to think about forging a nap.

4. Your baby needs to eat.

Most imagine hunger when babies wake up too early in the morning. It’s a fairly typical notion because this is a simple go-to issue with a prompt resolution.

It isn’t always the case, though. The first thing you should consider when your kid wakes up early in the morning is not necessarily hunger if he is consuming enough calories during the day.

How To Manage A Toddler That Wakes Up Too Early

1. Schedule an Appropriate Bedtime

Sometimes adjusting your toddler’s bedtime can lead to later mornings right away. Studies suggest that setting a regular and age-appropriate bedtime helps kids sleep longer, behave more nicely, and have better learning abilities. 

Toddlers’ bodies are wired to go to sleep between 6:30 and 8 p.m. Your baby will sleep better at night if you cooperate with your toddler’s body clock and offer a bedtime that naturally fits his or her body clock. Your baby will likely sleep longer at night and wake up less frequently as a result.

2. Change nap schedules

It might be time to go back to just one nap each day from two. Or perhaps you might progressively cut back on your nap periods.

3. Have busy days and calm evenings.

For toddlers to sleep soundly at night, they need to play, run about outside, and burn off energy throughout the day.

4. Take your child outside every day, ideally for an hour in the morning and the afternoon.

Your child needs to burn off enough energy to be able to quiet down and fall asleep, so spending time running around the yard, climbing on the playground, or taking a stroll around the neighborhood will help.

5. Make the environment favorable for sleeping

Install shades to block out light, or add a white noise machine to block out the noises of early morning garbage trucks and especially raucous birds.

6. Keep the room dark

If your toddler gets up with the sun, drape blackout drapes over her windows. Minimizing early morning light exposure will keep your child in bed for longer.

Before you turn off the lights at night, make sure the curtains are closed because darkness tells the brain to release melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep.

7. Ensure that your child feels safe at bedtime.

If your child fears going to bed or being in the dark, you can encourage and reward them whenever they show courage.

It can also help to stay away from scary movies, TV shows, and video games. Having a night light can help some kids who are afraid of going to bed.

8. Serve a wholesome, satisfying dinner

Simple carbohydrate-rich processed foods are unlikely to keep your toddler satiated all night. To prevent nocturnal hunger, include foods heavy in protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.

If your child wakes up early to nurse, keep in mind that they might need food as well as comfort. While some kids wean at night, getting up in the middle of the night to nurse is also typical for prolonged breastfeeding.

9. Don’t use damp diapers

The sensation of a full diaper can be distressing for some toddlers. By utilizing nighttime diapers or diapers one size larger than their regular size, you can reduce this issue.

Additionally, some parents restrict fluids throughout the nighttime. Your toddler may still require diapers even if they are potty trained and wearing underpants during the night.

10. Reduce fluid intake before bed to adjust physical factors

A child who is potty trained will find it beneficial to use the restroom right before bed. Stick to your regular eating schedule.

11. Wake your child earlier than usual

Some mothers believe it is best to wake your child up even earlier to beat him to it. In this way, he won’t wake up crying later.

In addition, he sleeps more in the middle of the night than at four in the morning. He has a chance to go back to sleep since there are still more hours left.

See what happens if you wake your baby up at 3 am if he usually wakes up yelling at 4 am. For example, you could wake him up to change his diaper or take him to the bathroom.

Then, perhaps, when he goes to sleep again, he’ll do so for a longer period until it’s time to get up for the day.

12. Make little or no exceptions

An exhausted parent’s ideal way to begin the day isn’t dealing with tantrums at four in the morning. It makes sense why so many parents give in and let their children stay up late, wake up early, or do anything else they request of them.

Now that you have given permission, your kid believes it’s okay to get up at a very early hour.

Instead, consider a few unbreakable rules you enforce. You should be as strict about early wake-ups as you would be about other rules in the home.

Despite your baby’s temper tantrums in bed, be firm about staying in bed. After providing toys and books to keep him busy, shut the door behind you. Your child will learn to fall back asleep or pass the time until wake-up time if you repeat these actions every morning.

Toddlers And Sleep Regression

Around the age of 18 months, some usually well-rested toddlers start refusing to fall asleep or wake up during the night and refuse to fall back asleep on their own. This is known as sleep regression.

Even though you certainly didn’t anticipate your baby to sleep through the night, by the time your child is a toddler, you’ve likely developed a convenient bedtime and sleep schedule.

Regression in sleep is often brief and can happen at various times throughout a child’s life.

It is often linked to periods of rapid growth and development, although other circumstances, such as the following, can also cause it:

• Adjusting to a new type of common illness (such as fever)

• Travel or stress

• Teething

• A change in routine

Maintain consistency with nighttime rituals if your kid has sleep regression. Be composed, offer your child any necessary consolation or reassurance, but be adamant that nighttime means it’s time to sleep.

How Long Will It Last

It’s crucial to keep in mind that sleep regression, like all other regressions, won’t last forever. Even one bad night of sleep can leave you feeling fatigued the next day.

This phase is likely to pass in one to three weeks if you maintain your patience and constantly respond to your child’s midnight troubles.

What To Do About Sleep Regression

• Ensure health and safety: First, make sure all of your child’s basic needs are being addressed and they are not in discomfort or agony as a result of an illness or conditions like teething.

• You should try to address any environmental issues that are producing challenges at sleep after making sure your child is healthy and not in discomfort.

• Keep to routines: Examine their normal routine to resolve any problems that might arise during the day or at night. If your toddler won’t nap, try to keep a consistent “quiet time” schedule during the day. Also, try to put your child to bed at roughly the same time each night by following the same routine.

Even though sleep regression is certainly upsetting for parents, children usually go through it and it is a developmental pattern.

It’s critical to address any underlying issues if your child is suddenly resisting bedtime, waking up frequently during the night, or waking up much earlier than usual. Then, practice patience until the regression passes.

Fortunately, this sleep regression will likely pass in a few weeks with persistence and consistency.

To Conclude

When it comes to getting your child to stay asleep in the morning, it often involves some trial and error. However, it’s important to remember that there are many different approaches you can take depending on your family’s needs and preferences.

For example, if you don’t mind your child spending the night in your bed, that could be a solution. Alternatively, you could encourage your child to quietly play in your room until you’re ready to start the day.

It’s important to get creative and try different tactics to see what works best. You might find that your child naturally requires less sleep than others, or that they are simply a morning person. In that case, you can try to encourage them to stay in their room a little longer in the morning.

One approach is to use cues like a clock that lights up at a specific time or an alarm that plays music to signal when it’s time to wake up. You can explain to your child that until they hear the music or see the light, it’s still nighttime. It may take some time for your child to understand this, so be patient and kind as they learn.

Remember, every child is unique, and it may take some trial and error to find the best approach for your family. With persistence and preparation, you can work towards a peaceful morning routine for everyone.