Preparation, 6 tips from our sleep coach for Christmas, you'll want to know this

Many parents enlist my help because their little ones sleep through the night, until 4:00 AM or 5:00 AM in the morning

We often call them early birds, but did you know that an early bird can also sleep until at least 6:00 AM? With the right tips and solutions, I teach parents during my coaching programs how they can help their little ones with this. Why is this important? Between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM, children sleep another cycle in a very deep sleep, and they need this to start the day well-rested. I can feel the question coming as you read this...how so?!?

The possible causes of waking up early summarized

– A room that's too bright in the morning;

– Your child is going to bed too sleepy;

– Too little or too short naps during the day;

– Hunger;

– An overly long wakeful period between the afternoon nap and the night's sleep;

– A bedtime that is too late.

Tip 1 Buy blackout curtains

Our circadian rhythm (biological clock) is strongly dependent on light. Is your child's room very bright in the morning? Then this is certainly a cause of waking up too early. By keeping your child's room well darkened, you help your child sleep better in the morning.

Tip 2 Put your baby down sleepy but awake in bed

The most important lesson you learn during child sleep coaching is that you should put your child to bed drowsy but awake. It's important that your child is tired enough to sleep, but doesn't fall asleep as soon as they touch the mattress. Falling asleep on their own is a form of self-soothing, and to learn this, your child needs the opportunity to do so. Therefore, provide this opportunity.

Tip 3 Extend daytime naps for rabbits

This may sound contradictory, but catnaps during the day can also lead to waking up at night and waking up early. Sleeping during the day affects nighttime sleep. If your child sleeps too little during a 'nap', help them fall back asleep by offering reassurance (but avoid creating sleep associations). This is the most difficult time for children to fall back asleep because they have already slept for a while. So give your little one time to fall back asleep and don't immediately take them out of bed as soon as they wake up.

Tip 4 Eliminate hunger

Is your baby younger than 8 months? Then hunger could naturally be a cause. Do you suspect this is the case? Then a 'dreamfeed' between 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM might be a solution. If in doubt, also check with an expert. For a good dreamfeed, you sneak into the room which you keep as dark as possible. Then you offer the feeding while your baby is still deliciously sleepy (just awake enough to take the feeding) and once the feeding is done, you put your baby back to bed sleepily. Avoid a lot of active interaction and only change a diaper if it's really necessary.

Tip 5 Stick to an age-appropriate wake window

It may sound contradictory, but an overtired child takes longer to fall asleep and wakes up more frequently during the night. Therefore, ensure an age-appropriate wakeful window and prevent the wakeful window between the afternoon nap and nighttime sleep from ever exceeding four hours.

Tip 6 Avoid a late bedtime in the evening

I still occasionally meet parents who are completely shocked when I tell them that a normal bedtime for children (depending on age) is somewhere between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Does your little one consistently go to bed later? Then there's a high chance that the nights will be more restless and that your child will wake up earlier in the morning. So choose a bedtime that suits your little one's age.

I hope these tips will set you on the right path! If you tackle this and ensure that every time your little one wakes up before 6:00 AM is treated as a night waking, then every early bird is capable of sleeping until at least 6:00 AM. Between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM is actually a great window for a child to wake up. Bring on those well-rested nights!

Sleep well!

-Xoxo-

ALETTA SLEEP COACH