Causes of Early Morning Risings and Tips to Get Your Toddler to Sleep Later (Guest Blogger)

Written by: Desiree Baird, a guest blogger, fellow twin mom, and certified sleep consultant

Early morning wake ups. We all deal with them from time to time, but what if it starts to be the norm instead of the exception? As a mom of three, including a set of twins, I have had my fair share of early mornings and days fueled with coffee. Since I have studied pediatric sleep I have been able to completely avoid those morning wake ups, and even before I became a sleep consultant I used some tactics that I used on my twins to get them to stay in their room until 7:00am, and I will share those secrets with you too.

Causes of Early Morning Wakings

So why is your little one waking up before the sun rises? The reason is directly related to the brain and how it releases melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone responsible for making us feel sleepy. It peaks between 2:00am – 4:00am, and right around 4:00am there is a sudden drop in melatonin secretion. Less melatonin means the body naturally has a harder time staying asleep. This is why children (and even adults) may have a hard time sleeping more deeply during the early morning hours. This dip in melatonin may cause your little one to be in and out of sleep early in the morning, and even worse, she may wake and be able to stay awake for the day since so much of her sleep needs have been met. 

Early morning rising can also be related to other things like habit, environmental factors, bedtime being too late, bedtime being too early, negative sleep associations, morning nap being at the wrong time, and many other reasons.

How can I get my little one to sleep in?

First things first—take a look at your child’s schedule. Are they taking too many naps, resting too much during the day, going to bed to early or too late, or does their first nap (or only nap) start too early which would reinforce an early wake up?  For example, a toddler that is 18 months and older should have a nap beginning closer to 12:30/1pm, with a bedtime between 7/8pm depending on the quality of her nap for the day.

If schedule doesn’t seem to be the culprit, then evaluate your child’s room environment. I recommend absolutely zero night lights; room should be as dark as possible. Temperature should be between 68-72 degrees, and make sure your little one is cozy (not too cold or too hot). I love noise machines such as the DOHM by Marpac which can help with the quality of your little one’s sleep.

Limit screen time throughout the day, and make sure that you have all televisions off at least 1 hour prior to bedtime. Blue light is emitted from televisions and electronic screens, and this light has been proven over and over again to interfere with sleep quality for children and adults.

If you seem to have tried everything, and you are STILL experiencing early morning wake ups then try an OK to Wake Clock. Show your child how it works, do some role playing so they understand that it is ok to wake when the green light goes on. Make the morning wake up obtainable (between 6:30/7am). You can even do what I did – not only did I have the OK to Wake clock, but I went a step further and provided “special” morning toys my twin toddlers could wake up to and play with if they were up before the green light went on. Of course I could hear them playing, but it gave me an extra 30 minutes to relax in bed before I could hear the pitter patter of their feet down the hallway to start our day. Special toys can be something simple like puzzles (I had a big basket of Melissa and Doug wooden chunky puzzles). When I went to bed at night I would put it in their bedroom, and in the morning I would take the basket out of their room so they didn’t have access to those toys during the day (this is what made them special). I also rotated these puzzles and quiet toys every couple of weeks, so the twins didn’t get bored, and it kept things interesting for them.

At the end of the day, it is important to keep it fun and positive with toddlers. Yes, it can be exhausting and frustrating because you can’t seem to figure out why your little one continues to wake up at the 5:00am hour but be patient and try some of these tips out. 

If you need more help with your twins’ (or single baby’s) sleep feel free to reach out to me and schedule a free discovery call to learn about my sleep packages. You can also learn more about pediatric sleep by following me on Instagram (@the_sleepcoach), and be sure to check out my blog on my website, too (www.pediatricsleepcoach.com).

About Desiree 

Desiree Baird is a certified sleep consultant and a mother of three.  Her two eldest children are boy/girl twins.  As a twin mom, Desiree experienced many sleepless nights the first 5 months of her twins’ life. She felt helpless and decided to study sleep on her own so that she could ensure her twins became better sleepers and were set up for success.  Eight years later when Desiree became pregnant with her third baby, she decided to take her sleep education to the next level by becoming certified.  Her mission is to help moms —especially twin moms — all over the world with sleep consulting.  She resides in Seattle, WA. For more information, visit her website at www.pediatricsleepcoach.com and follow her on Instagram @the_sleepcoach.