Early-rising child? Let's work on that!
You don’t need me to tell you that an early-rising child can be absolutely exhausting. And I’m always honest that an early rise isn’t the easiest thing to move away from.
I know that’s probably not what you wanted to hear! But it’s tricky because we don’t have biology on our side at this time...
The biology behind your early-rising child
Your Small’s sleep pressure is at its lowest
Their melatonin levels are also low
Their wake-up hormones and digestive system start to kick in.
If they wake up they can find it hard to get back to sleep.
So my approach to early rising isn’t about getting your Small back to sleep if they wake early.
Because that’s a pretty big ask and it might not be possible for them.
It can get frustrating and feel like a fight really quickly.
It’s about exploring if we can nudge their early rising later to a more civilised time!
Realistic early rising expectations
Going to be honest again...and you might hate me for it!
There’s a LOT of pressure to get your Small to sleep until 7 am. It’s somehow become the gold standard of sleep!
But here’s the thing, there’s only so much sleep your Small needs in a day or 24-hour period.
I call this their bed bank.
And they might not need or be even capable of sleeping until 7 am.
Plus some Smalls are simply early risers (Sigh!)
I really do understand though (I am writing this after a 5 am start myself - the irony!). Early wake-ups are hard.
It can feel like you are failing and shattered before your day even properly starts.
And it can feel like a cycle you can’t get out of. So let’s look at some things that could help…
If you want to hear more about early rising expectations, I run through it in more detail in this workshop
The early bird basics
Do you have an early-rising child or do you just want them to wake later?
Anything from 6 am onwards is early for sure but it’s an acceptable wake-up time for Smalls to start their day.
Is the room getting light in the early hours and disturbing them?
If so blackout blinds could be your best friend.
Is there a noise that’s happening most mornings that’s waking them?
If so using white noise in the bedroom could help.
Are they actually waking and asking for your support?
Sleep is at its lightest in the early hours and it’s normal for them to look restless and even shuffle around a lot.
But it doesn’t necessarily mean they are awake or even asking for your support!
If they’re laying down, emotionally easy and not crying it’s worth giving them practice and patience to put themself back to sleep again.
These might sound basic but checking them could make a big difference!
Is bedtime working for them and their sleep needs?
If it’s too early they might wake early because they’ve filled their bed bank.
And sometimes going to bed too late for them can cause an early wake too.
Do they need less nap time in the day now?
As your Small gets older their nap needs can change and too much nap time can cause an early wake time.
The early-rising child chicken and egg cycle
Early rising can often feel like the classic chicken and egg cycle.
What comes first…
The early bedtime so they wake early or the early rise so they need to go to bed early?!
If you’re feeling stuck in this cycle you are not alone.
And hopefully, these three things could help with early rising:
Even if they wake early and it’s a bit of a stretch try not to make their first nap too early. Generally, I suggest napping no earlier than 8.30/8.45 am. This may seem impossible if they’re waking really early so you might need to nudge the nap super slowly by 10/15 minutes every few days.
If they’re on two naps a day try not to let them nap too long for the first one. There’s honestly no hard or fast rules but I’d usually suggest an hour (ish!)
Try not to bring bedtime super early. Generally, I suggest bedtime no earlier than 6.30/6.45 pm IF you can. But again you can always slowly nudge this later if needed.
And one last bonus early-rising tip!
If the above simply feels like an impossible stretch offer them a reverse cat nap!
And let them snooze for 15/20 mins early on and start your day from there.
I really hope this blog is reassuring and it helps you and your early-rising child x
Explore: my Courses could help you manage your child’s sleep
Are you exhausted from your Small rising early? The early-rising workshop is here!
Join me for this workshop and I'll talk you through:
- Realistic early rising expectations
- The early bird basics
- The chicken and egg cycle of early rising
- How to move away from the early rising cycle
An Introduction to my 4 sleep steps to a settled night’s sleep without tears or training.