Why is my Baby Waking Up Too Early?
Why is my Baby Waking Up Too Early?
Learn how to improve early mornings step by step.
Wondering why your baby wakes up too early and how to get her to sleep in longer in the morning? If your baby or toddler wakes up at 5am every day, you’re most likely exhausted and ready for a miracle.
In this post, I’ll dig into the reasons behind those early morning wakeups and share some simple, concrete solutions you can try today so you and your babe can both start the day at a more reasonable hour. It is possible to have both a happy, well-rested baby and a hot coffee/workout/quiet start each day.
Why is my baby waking early in the morning?
Mama, I see you, padding down the stairs in the dark with your babe in your arms while the rest of the world sleeps on. I know all too well the bleary eyes, foggy mind, and heavy heart. You feel alone and defeated, because no matter how much wishing, hoping, or praying you did, your little one is awake at 4.30am again, and you’re wondering how you’re going to make it to naptime.
I know you’re exhausted and really just want to know what to do to get your toddler to stop the 5am bedside wakeups and sleep a little bit longer, but taking a minute to understand the science behind the early mornings will actually help you solve them.
Inadequate sleep pressure
As parents, we’ve all heard the term sleep drive, but what does it really mean? Sleep pressure, also known as sleep drive, is simply our body’s need for sleep after a period of time awake.
Think about this like you crawling into bed at 2pm. Even though you might feel drowsy from the post-lunch slump and could definitely do with a 30 minute nap, your body just isn’t ready for 8-10 hours of sleep at that point in the day because you haven’t built up enough sleep pressure.
The amount of time your baby or toddler spends active and awake will affect her sleep drive as well. Too little time awake can result in low sleep pressure, which often shows up as short naps or early mornings for babies and toddlers. The secret is knowing how much time awake she can handle without getting to the overtired stage.
Change in melatonin secretion
We hear about the miracles melatonin can bring in the news, but how does it really help us sleep? Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. It makes us feel drowsy and helps us get into those first stages of light sleep.
The production of melatonin is linked to our bodies’ circadian rhythms, or natural body clocks. As we’re exposed to darkness in the evening, melatonin levels rise and stay elevated throughout the night until the early morning. A decrease in melatonin levels due to environmental factors, overtiredness, or a shift in circadian rhythm can make early morning wakeups more likely.
Drop in body temperature
The temperature of our bodies is also connected to our circadian rhythms and is naturally at its lowest point in the early morning hours, typically around 4am. If you’re anything like me, you’ve woken up one too many times in the middle of the night wishing you’d grabbed an extra blanket before bed.
It’s exactly the same for your baby If he’s not dressed warmly enough during the nighttime, this dip in body temperature can be a contributing factor to early morning wakeups. Even if you add an extra layer at 5am, it can be very tricky for him to get back to sleep because his sleep drive will be much lower at this point in the night.
Sunlight
Full disclosure: I am a bit of a diva when it comes to sleep. I like my own pillows, I love crisp, cotton sheets, and I sleep with a mask over my eyes. If I travel and forget my mask, I can also forget about a great night’s sleep. Although the sunlight streaming in the window at 5am is lovely to look at, it might be the culprit behind your toddler waking up at 5am every morning.
When our eyes perceive light, a message is sent to the brain and melatonin production is suppressed. Remember, melatonin is that hormone that makes you feel drowsy and helps you sleep. Even though a sunrise is a beautiful way to wake up, it can really impact sleep in the 4-7am part of the night. This depends on where in the world you live and the season, but exposure to light is an important consideration in solving early mornings.
Lighter stage of sleep
Many of us are in a lighter stage of sleep in the hours between 4-5am, and it’s very easy to be woken by environmental noises out of our control. Think traffic outside, the furnace or A/C kicking in, construction starting up, dogs barking, even the shower running in the bathroom. After sleeping for 8-10 hours at this point, it can be tricky for babies and toddlers to get back to sleep, especially if they’re accustomed to having help to do so.
How to know if your baby is waking too early
Recently, a client told me that her toddler was waking at 4.45am every day, like clockwork. She had reached out for support because bedtime was a battle, and when I told her we would also work on getting her little guy to sleep until at least 6.30am, she was astonished at the possibility of that happening.
She felt that those early morning wakeups were par for the course as a parent, and that her son just didn’t need any more sleep. After a few short weeks, bedtime was going smoothly, her son was sleeping until about 7am each day, and she was starting her day off on the right foot.
Unless your entire family is catching an early morning flight for the adventure of a lifetime, I can’t think of a single reason why your baby needs to be getting up at 5am. But sometimes it’s hard to know just how early is too early to start the day.
I think we can all agree that 4am is not an ideal wakeup time, but what about 5am? 5.30am? It can be difficult to determine if your baby is actually waking up too early or if she’s just an early riser. Although some of our kids are larks, and some of our kids are owls, none of them are really ready to be getting up at 5am.
Anytime between 4-6am is typically considered an early waking. If your babe is consistently waking up in this window, she’s most likely not getting an adequate amount of restorative nighttime sleep. If she’s waking at 6.00am or later, and she’s happy, she’s probably just an early bird, and there’s not a whole lot you can do about that.
Most newborns, babies, toddlers, and children need approximately 10-12 hours of sleep each night to stay happy, healthy, and well-rested. In addition to that, babies and toddlers need naps during the day. Your child’s daytime sleep needs will slowly decrease as he gets older and he’ll eventually no longer need a nap, probably somewhere between 2-4 years of age.
After the newborn stage, the majority of babies and toddlers thrive with a bedtime somewhere between 7-8pm, because that’s typically in line with their circadian rhythm. Newborns often do best with a later bedtime (8-9pm) for the same reason.
If your little one is asleep at 7.30pm, aiming for “morning” to be 7.30am is a great place to start. If your baby is asleep at 7pm and waking up happy at 6am every morning, 11 hours of nighttime sleep might be exactly what she needs. Unless your babe is in bed very early in the evening, waking up anytime before 6am usually doesn’t allow for that 12 hour stretch at night.
Want to get your baby sleeping longer in the morning? Here’s how:
“I feel human again.”
“Our whole family is happier.'“
“She’s waking up relaxed and happy.”
“This is life-changing.”
These are some sentiments real-life moms have shared with me after their babies and toddlers stopped waking up at 5am and started sleeping longer in the morning. Their little ones are thriving and so are they.
These women are showering and getting ready for the day before their babies wake up.
They’re having hot coffee and scrolling in peace.
They’re waking up next to their partners in their own beds.
They’re eating a hot breakfast, sitting down, by themselves.
They’re doing yoga, getting out for walks, or hopping on their bikes.
Solving early mornings will change your life; I’ve seen it time and time again. Now it’s time to get into the nitty gritty. You know why your baby is consistently waking up at 5am, and you ready to take steps to change that.
For kiddos who are generally pretty good sleepers, early mornings can be often be fixed with small adjustments. If your little one is a chronic short napper, a bedtime battler, or is up multiple times through the night, you’ll probably need to do some additional work around independent sleep.
Either way, there’s no quick fix or magic trick when it comes to early mornings. Use the checklist below to figure out a plan based on your baby’s needs, and give yourself lots of time and grace as you put changes in place. The best way to support your baby through it all? Be consistent - with your plan and with how you respond to your little one.
Is your baby’s room dark enough?
Babies spend their first nine months in utero, where it’s very dark and cozy, and replicating that darkness for sleeping can significantly improve early morning wakeups. Exposure to sunlight in the early morning can suppress the secretion of melatonin (that hormone that makes us drowsy) and can promote the secretion of cortisol (another naturally occurring hormone that makes us awake and alert).
Creating a pitch dark sleep environment is the best way to avoid this. Aim to make the room so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face, even when the sun is shining outside. Blackout curtains or blinds work well, and black garbage bags are a quick, easy, inexpensive option in a pinch.
It might not be the light and airy nursery you dreamed of creating for your babe, but if it gets her sleeping later in the morning, it’s worth it, right?
Is your baby sleeping too much during the day?
As a mama of two, I understand just how important naptime is for everyone. It keeps your little one well rested, and it gives you a minute to catch your breath, get to work on your list, spend time with your older children, or maybe get caught up on your favourite series. That said, too much sleep during the day can actually be the cause of early morning wakeups.
It’s helpful to think about your baby’s sleep needs in a 24 hour period. Most babies and toddlers need 10-12 hours of sleep at night as well as naps, depending on their age. If your little one spends too much time napping during the day, he just won’t need that long stretch at night.
It can feel like a juggling act to hit that sweet spot of enough sleep to avoid overtiredness but not so much sleep that it impacts nights. The chart below is a great place to start and a good guide, but remember it’s just that: a guide. Every baby is different, and your child may need a little more or a little less sleep than you see here - and that’s okay.
| Age | Number of naps | Length of nap |
|---|---|---|
| 0 - 6 weeks | 4 - 6 | 30 mins - 3 hours |
| 6 weeks - 3 months | 3 - 5 | 30 mins - 2 hours |
| 3 - 6 months | 3 | 1 - 2 hours |
| 6 - 9 months | 2 -3 | 1 - 2 hours |
| 9 - 12 months | 2 | 1 - 2 hours |
| 12 - 18 months | 1 - 2 | 1 -2.5 hours |
| 18 months + | 1 | 1 -2.5 hours |
Is your baby not napping enough during the day?
When my eldest son was just a babe, and I was just a parent with zero sleep knowledge, I told people he was one of those kids who didn’t need to nap. No matter what I tried, he never slept longer than 20 minutes at a time. Fast forward a few years, and I now know he needed to nap, he just didn’t know how to do it!
Just as too much daytime sleep can result in early morning wakeups, so can too little daytime sleep. All babies (even those ones who have a tough time sleeping) need rest during the day. Not getting enough sleep at naptime can absolutely show up as a 5am cry on the monitor.
When babies or toddlers are overtired, it can be very tricky to get back to sleep when they wake naturally, especially in the early morning hours. The body’s natural circadian rhythm can be thrown off, and this affects the release of that sleepy hormone, melatonin. Having an age-appropriate bedtime and making daytime sleep a priority will help address overtiredness issues.
Is your baby hungry?
This is one of the questions I’m asking the most when I work one-on-one with families. Every parent on the planet wants to make sure their baby has a full tummy at night.
If your baby is not meeting her nutritional needs through milk or solid foods, hunger can contribute to early morning wakings. Feeding looks very different depending on your baby’s age and stage of development, and night feeds are important for young babies whose bodies aren’t ready for long stretches in between meals.
For older babies and toddlers, offering lots of healthy fats and proteins, particularly later in the day, will help combat any early morning wakeups from hunger. Your doctor, nutritionist or dietician is a great resource for additional planning and information on making sure your baby gets all the calories he needs.
Is your baby’s bedtime too late?
Although it may seem completely counterintuitive, an earlier bedtime can make a huge difference when it comes to getting your baby to sleep later in the morning. If you’re the parent of a toddler or older child, you’ll probably know that no matter how hard you wish it to be true, a later bedtime does not equal a later morning. In fact, it often means an earlier morning, and this is due to overtiredness.
Babies and toddlers are only able to manage so much time awake before they’re ready for a rest at the end of the day, and when they’re pushed beyond their limit, the brain steps in to help out. A hormone called cortisol is released by the brain to help stay awake and alert, which in turn makes sleep very difficult.
Think back to caveman days when staying up past your bedtime only happened in a matter of life and death, like fighting off a predator or searching for food. This is what happens to your kiddo when he’s pushed past what his body can handle in terms of time awake.
In older babies and toddlers, this often looks like a second wind or a big burst of energy at the end of the day. Avoiding this situation by doing an earlier bedtime will make it easier for your babe to fall asleep at bedtime and sleep longer in the morning.
Is your baby’s first nap too early?
This is an easy habit to fall into, especially with younger babies. Your little one wakes up at 5am, so that first nap ends up being 6.45am. This means by the time you get to the end of the day, you’ll probably end up with a babe who’s ready for a nap right at bedtime, which is very tricky to navigate.
Babies and toddlers all fall into a certain “wake window”, or amount of time they can sustain awake before they’re ready for a rest. For newborns, this can be as short as 45 minutes. For older babies and toddlers, it might be as long as 4-5 hours.
Doing the first nap very early after a 5am wakeup actually increases the likelihood of those early mornings continuing. If you’re in this situation, try extending your baby’s first wake window by 10-15 minutes every few days until the first nap is happening at a later time. Aim for the first nap of the day to be no earlier than 8am and remember this will be a stretch for your babe.
The table below is based on averages, but you know your baby best. Some babies are able to handle a little more or a little less time awake than others.
| Age | Wake Window |
|---|---|
| 0 - 6 weeks | 45 mins - 1 hour |
| 6 weeks - 3 months | 1 - 1.75 hours |
| 3 - 6 months | 1.5 - 2.5 hours |
| 6 - 9 months | 2 - 3 hours |
| 9 -12 months | 2.5 - 3.5 hours |
| 12 - 18 months | 3 - 4 hours |
| 18 months + | 4 - 5 hours |
Is your baby overtired?
We’ve all heard it: sleep begets sleep. But how to get enough sleep when your toddler is waking at 4.30am every morning is a real conundrum.
A baby or toddler who is well rested will actually sleep better and longer at night. The science behind this is all about hormones. When kids are overtired, not only is melatonin secretion suppressed in the brain, but to make matters worse, cortisol is released. This results in extra energy, alertness, and real trouble getting back to sleep.
Every baby is different and this is reflected in their sleep needs. That said, most healthy infants and toddlers fall within a specific range for the amount of sleep they need in a 24 hour period, depending on their age. Being aware of your little one’s sleep needs and doing your best to get in an adequate amount of daytime sleep and an early bedtime can go a long way to getting her to sleep later in the morning.
Does this mean your kids need to be at home for every nap and never stay up past bedtime? Absolutely not. Visit with friends, stay up for the Friday night movie, go for the adventure. Making naps and bedtime a priority most days means you can make an exception on the important days and still avoid 5am wakeups on the regular.
Is your baby cold?
Our body temperature naturally dips to its lowest point right around 4am every morning, and this is true for babies and toddlers as well. If your little one naturally wakes in the early morning and is cold, it’s very likely that she’ll have trouble getting back to sleep. Just like us, babies like to be comfortable and cozy for sleep.
That said, most of us sleep best in cooler temperatures, so making sure your babe is dressed appropriately for the temperature of your home is important. This might look like an extra layer of a onesie or a warmer sleep sack. If cold is the culprit behind the early morning wakeups, it’s a pretty simple solution.
You’ll often see temperature recommendations of 20-22°C (68-72°F) for your baby’s room. These numbers are a good guide, but even better is to dress your little one as you would dress for the temperature of your house. If you’re comfortable, she most likely will be too.
Is your baby anticipating something exciting first thing in the morning?
Babies and toddlers are smart and they’re very quick learners. If your little one knows something wonderful is going to happen the minute she opens her eyes in the morning, she may start waking earlier so she doesn’t have to wait. This might look like a cuddle in mom and dad’s bed, a feed, a game, a show, and the list goes on.
If you think this might be the case for your babe, simply building in a buffer between the time your child wakes and the time he does the thing he’s waiting for can be a game changer. Try changing his diaper or getting dressed before you offer a feed. Do your cuddle after breakfast instead of first thing. Hold off on the game or show until after breakfast.
Doing these things immediately upon waking can actually reinforce those 5am wakeups. Simply shifting the first thing you do with your babe a few minutes later is an easy change to make.
Is your baby being woken by noise?
In the early morning hours, it’s very easy for your baby to be woken by sudden noises. He’s already been sleeping for 8-10 hours, so his sleep pressure is much lower, and he’s most likely in a lighter stage of sleep.
Depending on the layout of your home and where you live, there are a multitude of noises that could be waking your babe in the early morning. These include traffic or construction, the furnace or A/C kicking in, doors opening or closing, alarms going off, the shower turning on, older siblings or adults moving around the house, dogs barking, and all the other regular noises of the morning.
If your child is consistently waking at a similar time, it’s worthwhile taking a minute to consider if this might be the case. If so, white noise is an excellent solution. It’s simply noise created by combining the sounds of all the different frequencies and it sounds like a radio tuned to an unused frequency or the static of the television once programming was finished for the night (if you remember this, we’re of the same vintage).
White noise works by creating a constant sound that masks those sudden, environmental noises that can easily wake your babe, particularly in the lighter stages of sleep. A simple white noise machine or app that can be left on all night will help to prevent any early morning wakeups due to noise.
Is your baby used to having help to get to sleep?
Before I dig into this final item on the checklist, it’s important to understand a little bit about how we sleep. All of us, including babies and toddlers, sleep in cycles. From about 4 months onward, that cycle consists of 4 stages, and repeats throughout the night.
It’s normal to wake at the end of a sleep cycle when you’re in a lighter stage of sleep. As adults, we rarely notice this, because most of us get back to sleep quickly and easily. You might remember glancing at the clock, fluffing your pillow, or pulling up the blankets, but it doesn’t cause much of an interruption in our sleep.
For babies and toddlers, this brief wakeup at the end of a sleep cycle can cause major sleep issues if independent sleep skills are lacking. If your little one depends on something external to get to sleep (feeding, rocking, bouncing, patting, singing, driving, a soother, or having mom or day lay with her) it can be incredibly difficult for her to get back to sleep on her own when she wakes at the end of a sleep cycle, particularly when it’s early in the morning.
If this sounds like your babe, you’ll most likely be experiencing some other sleep issues, apart from early morning wakeups. Naps might be short, bedtime might be a struggle, night feedings might be marathons, or maybe you’re spending hours each night rocking your babe to sleep and attempting to sneak out of her room without making a noise.
In this situation, giving your child the opportunity to develop his own, independent strategies for sleep will make naps, nights, and mornings infinitely easier for everyone. You most likely won’t be able to solve the puzzle by only addressing the early morning piece. Sleep is complex, and the kindest, easiest, quickest way to learn those skills is by working on nights, naps, and early mornings at the same time.
Next Steps
I’ve been where you are. I know what it’s like to climb wearily into bed every night wishing and hoping those cries won’t come over the monitor at 4.30am. I know how you never really sleep well because you’re on high alert just waiting for the wakeup. I know how sleep deprivation affects every nook and cranny of your life and how different things could feel if you could just get a good night’s sleep.
Early mornings can be incredibly challenging for your whole family. Getting your baby or toddler to sleep in later in the morning might feel out of reach right now, but there is a reason behind those 4am wakeups, and once you figure out what that is, change is possible.
Your baby can wake up giggling. Your toddler can feel pride after he slept all night. Your kiddos can be happier and the morning routine can be a time your family enjoys instead of a bleary-eyed struggle.
If you’d like a custom plan to fit your family and daily support to solve your little one’s early morning struggle, I invite you to book a free call. Let’s chat about exactly how I can help you all to get the sleep you need, including the hours of 4-6am.
FAQS about getting your baby to sleep longer in the morning
How many hours of sleep does my baby need?
It’s useful to think about your baby’s total sleep needs in a 24 hour period. Keep in mind that the numbers below are a guide; every baby is different and sleep needs can vary.
| Age | Nighttime Sleep | Daytime Sleep | Total Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 6 weeks | 10 - 12 hours | 3 - 8 hours | 15 - 18 hours |
| 6 weeks - 3 months | 10 - 12 hours | 3 - 6 | 12 - 16 hours |
| 3 - 6 months | 10 - 12 hours | 3 - 6 hours | 12 - 15 hours |
| 6 - 9 months | 10 - 12 hours | 2 - 3.5 hours | 12 - 14 hours |
| 9 - 12 months | 10 - 12 hours | 2 - 3.5 hours | 12 - 14 hours |
| 12 - 18 months | 10 - 12 hours | 0 - 2 hours | 12 - 14 hours |
| 18 months + | 10 - 12 hours | 0 - 2 hours | 11 - 14 hours |
How do I get my baby to fall asleep on his own?
If you’re helping your baby to get to sleep and it’s not a problem for you, then it’s not a problem. If you’re spending hours each night rocking, singing, feeding, bouncing, or patting to get your baby to sleep and you wish you weren’t, then it may be time to consider giving your little one the opportunity to develop his own, independent sleep skills.
In a nutshell, this looks like removing the sleep prop (the thing he’s using right now to get to sleep) and offering comfort and reassurance while he figures out his own strategies for getting to sleep. It’s challenging for kiddos who have been depending on someone or something external to fall asleep, but it’s most definitely doable.
What time should my baby go to bed?
All babies and toddlers are different, and your ideal bedtime will depend on what time you need to be up (and potentially out of the house) in the morning. Aim for your baby to get 10-12 hours of consolidated sleep each night, and work backwards from there.
If your toddler has to be up by 7am to get ready for daycare, then a 7pm bedtime is appropriate. If your newborn is waking consistently at 8.30am, then an 8.30pm bedtime should work well.