‘Early’ is relative. However, kids getting up earlier than 6 am is early except in unique situations.
Here are possible reasons why your baby wakes up too early and tips to help him get more sleep time.
Babies need enough sleep time. For example, a 6-month-old needs about 12 -15 hours of sleep daily. 10-12 hours at night and 3-5 hours during the day split into two or three naps. If your baby is waking up too early, she may be getting too much sleep during the day which makes her alert at night or too little which means she’s overtired.
“When my son was 4 months old, he started waking up around 3 a.m every day. I did everything I knew but nothing worked. It was a short while later I realized it was hunger that woke up him daily. As soon as I fixed that, he started sleeping through the night again” – Adedayo Tosin Olufemi, Founder, Newmumshub.com
These are other common reasons why babies wake up before the sun rises daily.
1. External Factors
Outside influences like teething, colic, potty training, room temperature, illness, and so on can influence your baby’s sleep pattern.
2. The Nap Pattern
Does your baby nap a lot during the day? She may be overly active at night. The same goes for babies that don’t nap at all. This makes them overly tired at night which makes them restless, awake, and cranky. Check the nap time to be sure it’s not too short or too much.
3. Bedtime may be too early or too late
If bedtime is before 7 pm, chances are your baby will wake up in the early hours of the morning. Late bedtime can also make your baby very restless when she is over-tired.
4. Hunger
Hunger is another major reason why kids wake up early. Ensure they eat enough at bedtime to carry them till dawn. This is applicable to babies who have started solids and toddlers. Breastfeeding babies will most likely wake up early to feed as breast milk digests quickly. You can dream feed breastfeeding babies to help them sleep longer.
5. Uncomfortable Clothing
Opt for layers of fitted clothing instead of thick pajamas. Add extra layers if the temperature is too cold and take out layers if it is too warm. Babies sleep well and safely when they’re neither too hot nor too cold.
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