⏰ Please keep in mind that an early wake is classified as anything before* 6:00am, due to the natural rise and fall of our sleepy hormone, melatonin 😴. Therefore, if your baby is waking on or around 6:00am, this is biologically normal 🥲. However, there are a few steps you can take to encourage a slightly later wake time that may better suit your routine 🤞🏻
❗️Opening their curtains
Going into your baby’s room too soon and opening their curtains can reinforce early wakes. Instead, we would encourage you not to intervene (provided they are awake and happy), as this can inadvertently stimulate them and encourage early rising 😩. However, if they are upset, stay with them and provide lots of reassurance in the dark on or as close to their scheduled wake time 🩷🌸
❗️Offering the breast or bottle
If your baby wakes 30-60 minutes before their scheduled wake time and you immediately* offer the breast or bottle, this can encourage them to progressively wake earlier and earlier due to genuine hunger 🍼. To prevent this, gradually delay their first feed by 10-15 minutes over a few days so that they aren’t fed as soon as they wake. You can do this by taking your time to get them up and out of bed, removing their swaddle or sleeping bag, and changing their nappy before offering a feed 🥰🩷
❗️Sleeping more during the daytime:
A common misconception is that if your baby wakes early, you should compensate for their lost sleep with longer naps during the day 🙂↔️. Unfortunately, this can encourage early rising as they end up sleeping more during the day and less at night. So, if you are wondering why you are stuck in a cycle of early rising, this may be one contributing factor 😬
If you baby continues to wake far earlier than you would like and it has been happening far longer than you would like, please book a consultation, or download our Sleep Essentials Guide via www.settletosleep.com.au to restore sleep for you and your family 💫🩷🌸