5 Best Tips to Combat Early Morning Wakings

When it comes to sleep questions, early morning wakings and short naps take up the majority of my inbox. I’ve compiled a list of 5 things to check off to ensure you baby is set up for sleep-in success.

First things first - it is very normal for babies to have 11-12 hour nights. I never guarantee a set amount of sleeping hours to inquiring parents. This is because each baby is so different. Routines are different, their environment is different, and frankly - your BABY is unique. Babies are not little robots that do whatever it is that we say.

When looking at an appropriate morning time - anything before 6am is considered ‘night.’ Any time after 6am is fair game and can be considered morning time.

*If you are frequenting 6pm bedtime and your child keeps waking at 5-5:30am, you may need to try pushing bedtime back to 6:30-7:00pm to ensure a longer night*

1. Make sure the room is DARK.
   This is our very first line of defence. HOW dark is your child’s room? No morning sun should be peeping into their room at 5am to sound the alarm that morning is here. Blackout blinds can work perfectly to combat this problem. Personally, I love the BlackoutEZ Blinds. They are affordable, easy to use, and customizable. Some other options include taping up tin foil, black garbage bags, pinning up blankets or large sheets, and even rolling up towels to prevent light from sneaking in underneath the door frame. Darkness helps immensely in the production of melatonin - and without complete darkness, we are preventing our children from maximizing this naturally-occurring process.

2. Sound Machine is LOUD - we want the sound machine to mimic the noise of a shower that is on inside the room. I once visited a family for a sleep consult and the mom brought me over to the nursery and said that she wanted to show me their setup. The nursery was beautiful and while I was admiring the design, she asked if her sound machine was loud enough since they actually left it on 24/7. I was like “what sound machine?” And she pointed to a perfectly positioned sound machine in the corner that was playing noise so softly, you couldn’t even tell any noise was coming from it.
   THAT IS MUCH TOO QUIET.
   We want the noise machine loud enough that you don’t have to have the TV on whisper mode every night after your baby goes to bed. We don’t want you cringing if someone rings your doorbell or if your garbage truck beeps down the street.
   My favourite sound machine is linked here for Canadians.

3. They aren’t cold.
   Our body temperature drops around the 4am mark. If your child is cold, they will wake up! By making sure they have a proper sleep sack or blanket (after 18 months) set up, you will eliminate this problem. It is very typical to use a sleep sack rated 1.5-2.5 TOG for winter time and a lighter one 0.5-1.5 TOG for summer time. Even on very warm days, I still highly recommend using a sleep sack. You can always dress your baby “down” if you think they may be too hot.

4. Bedtime food was filling.
   This is specifically for children who are eating solids, or even eating solids with a mixture of breastmilk or formula. Sometimes we feed our children what is easiest - sweet potato puree, berries, etc. BUT these foods aren’t long-lasting and filling. By ensuring your child has a full breastfeeding session or a full feeding of formula, OR if they’re older - making sure they eat supper and even a bedtime snack, we can avoid waking in the early morning hours from hunger.
   Some good bedtime snacks can include:
   - Oatmeal
   - Apple Sauce
   - Hard Cheese (cheese stick or cheese slices)
   - Full fat greek yogurt with granola
   - Banana
   - Multigrain Toast with Nut Butter

5. You are responding consistently.
   This one is HUGE. If your child wakes up at 4am and you wake up and start your day, this is messing with their internal body clock and they are going to start thinking that 4am is an acceptable time to wake up for the day. By encouraging them to stay in bed and reassuring them that it is still nighttime, you are doing a huge favour to yourself (and them!). If you have a toddler, a wake-to-rise clock is ideal. Here is a link to my favourite one!
   If sometimes you let your child come to bed with you in those early morning hours, but other times you make them stay in their own bed, it’s going to send a really confusing message to them about what is acceptable.
   The best thing you can do is remain consistent in whatever approach you choose.

So there you have it. My 5 Best Sleep Tips to combat early morning wakings. If you’ve tried something and it worked like magic for you, I’d love to hear about it! Comment below to let me know.

Xo,

Bailey

ps. I do have a sleep guide that is ALL ABOUT early morning wakings. It goes into much greater detail - if you’re still struggling after implementing these 5 tips, I’d recommend checking that out here.