The main reasons why your baby wakes up very early in the morning

If your baby has had enough sleep through the night, it's normal for him or her to start his or her day and wake up full of energy starting at 6:00 a.m. However, if your child wakes up at 5:00 a.m. or before, you have an early bird . By adjusting your little one's sleep routine or preparing his or her room for a good night's sleep, you can reverse the causes of those early morning wake-ups.

Tips to correct the reasons why your baby wakes up too early

First of all, it is to be expected that your baby's daytime and nighttime sleep will be affected if he or she is experiencing developmental leaps , teething , social activities, sudden changes in his or her environment, etc. In any of these cases, it is normal for your baby's sleep to be interrupted and cause him or her to wake up earlier than usual.

However, if your baby wakes up too early for a week or more, you have an early bird and you will need to identify the cause to correct it:

1. Create an ideal environment to promote your baby's sleep:

• Darkness is key, as a change in light during the early hours of the morning can cause your baby to wake up earlier than usual. If your baby's room isn't dark enough, try Mamás Mateas' portable blackout curtains .

• If there are outside noises and your baby is having trouble falling back to sleep, you can use the Mini Rest® white noise machine to isolate the disturbing noises and help prolong your baby's sleep.

• Make sure the room temperature is neither too cold nor too hot. A cool environment is preferable .

• Make sure to dress your baby in appropriate sleepwear for the season and the temperature of his or her room .

2. Provide your little one with a good daily caloric intake :

• Waking up too early may be due to your baby being hungry . It is important to ensure a nutritious diet and adequate milk for a night's sleep without waking up.

3. Put a diaper one size larger on him at night:

• A wet or dirty diaper at 5:00 a.m. can cause your baby to wake up and not be able to go back to sleep.

4. Apply the appropriate sleep windows according to your baby's age:

• Make sure your little one gets an age-appropriate amount of daytime sleep . Remember that overtiredness is one of the most common reasons why children wake up in the middle of the night.

• If you notice that your little one is overtired when you put him to bed at night, it's possible that he's not getting enough sleep during the day or that his last sleep window isn't the right one. On the other hand, if you notice that he's overtired , he's sleeping too much during the day or his window is too short.

• For short naps , consider putting your baby to bed earlier than usual to make up for some of that lost daytime sleep.

• Pay attention to the first nap in your baby's sleep routine, as if it is too close to the time he wakes up, this increases waking up before 6:00 am. The reason for this is that your baby experiences a very early nap as an extension of nighttime sleep.

5. Don't put your baby to sleep too late at night:

• For most babies, a later bedtime does not help them “fall asleep.” On the contrary, it may cause them to wake up earlier.

• If your baby is younger than 3 months , sometimes a bedtime between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. can help him sleep later in the morning. This only applies during the newborn stage .

Correcting an early-rising baby 's morning wake-ups will take time and consistency. Try out any changes you feel are necessary for at least a week to assess their effectiveness.

Don't forget that every baby is unique and some are just naturally early risers. Annoying, but true! Many little ones start their day around 6:00 am and are very happy with that.