How To Stop Your Baby Waking Early in the Morning!

86 Comments

  1. M

    Hi
    My 16 months on 2naps, been waking up around 4am-5am rolls around for an hour and falls back to sleep till i wake her up around 730am. Is there anything I can do so she doesnt wake up for an hour at night? How come she’s doing this now where as before she might only wakes up for 20 mins? thank you

    Reply
    • Artemis

      Hi,

      There could be a number of reasons why your little one is waking for so many hours. To figure it out, we need to work with you and have a better overview of your little one’s daytime habits and sleep patterns (and your lifestyle). Then we can easily get her sleeping 12 hours straight, without waking up! We can help you do this in our program here:

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/baby-sleep-consultant

      Hoping you sign up so we can get started!
      Artemis, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  2. Ashley

    Hi,

    We’ve already done sleep training with our 7 mo but he continues to wake at 5:30 on the dot every day (sometimes earlier but never later). He awakes tired and goes back down for his first nap of the day at 7:30. Room is dark, he is sleep trained, and he has been night weaned. We don’t get him until 6 (it used to be 6:30 but he is waking earlier and earlier). Could he just be hungry? I’ve tried adjusting bedtime both ways and have played with cumulative nap duration in the day time from 2-4 hours… sleep doesn’t beget sleep in our case and nor does less napping. I’m beginning to suspect it is just hunger and then once he is up, he wants to play. I know we are in a potential nap transition as well and his Dr said to try putting him to bed at 8pm instead of 7pm. Help!

    Reply
    • Artemis

      Hi Ashley,

      thanks for reaching out. I’m sorry about your situation, but this is exactly what we help parents fix in our brand new course Early Wakings No More. You can find it here:
      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/early-wakings-no-more-baby-toddler

      It’s got a lot of detail about Early Wakings and will work great with your sleep trained little one. Looking forward to seeing you in there!
      Artemis, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  3. Mariel

    Hello, how can I tell the difference between early waking and a night feed? My baby has always fallen asleep between 7 and 7.40 at night. For about 40 days now, he has one 5am night feed. I leave him in bed with a tiny night light while I get his milk ready, I come into his room with the milk ready and change his diaper since he’s had the same one since 7pm the night before. Then I give him his milk. It’s about 5.40 when he falls back asleep but it is a very light sleep. He wakes up 10 minutes later wanting to play. I keep everything dark and about another 20 minutes later he falls asleep for 45 min/an hour. At 7.10 we play in mom and dad’s bed and get up at 7.30. He has had moments without any night feeds. I decided to introduce a 5am bottle because I saw hunger cues when he woke up. I imagine there will be a moment when he doesn’t need to 5am bottle anymore. I had tried not giving him a bottle but he would wake up every 5 or 10 minutes.
    Is there anything I should fix in our routine?

    Reply
    • Artemis

      Hi Mariel,

      This is quite normal as sleep is lighter between 4-6 am. If your little one is 9 months or older (and their doctor haven’t specifically said they need night feeds), they can go all night without feeding.

      We would love to help you with this in our weaning night feedings guide here:
      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/weaning-night-feedings/

      Hope to see you in there!
      Artemis, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  4. Kerry

    Hello,

    My 10 month old wakes at 4:45am-5am every single day. I’m exhausted. He does not go back to sleep & will just scream & scream. His bedtime is 7:15pm, he eats well & has all his bottles. His room has blackout blinds etc

    I just need help

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hi Kerry,

      It is SO exhausting when our LO’s wake up that early. Does your LO fall asleep independently? How do naps look throughout the day? We can definitely help you get your LO’s sleep on track and get your entire family sleeping better! We can provide the best support to your family in our 21 Days to Peace & Quiet program.

      In this program we offer 4 step-by-step sleep training methods. You choose the one that feels best for your LO. We have super gentle & gradual all the way to quick & efficient. Each step of the way you get advice based on your baby’s developmental stage, energy levels, and temperament.

      One of our package options include personalized support and I find this to be so beneficial during the sleep training journey! Jilly and members of our support team answer questions 7 days a week in our private FB group and we host 3 Zoom calls per week! You will always feel like you have the support you need every step of the way.

      Program Link: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/baby-sleep-consultant

      I used the program with both of my two girls and it has been a lifesaver for my family. Please let me know if you have any questions!

      Best,
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  5. Faye

    Hello, thank you for these tips. My 7 MO is waking every single morning at 4-4;30am 😩. The environment is what is recommended, her bedtime is 2.5 hours after last nap and she sleeps 2 hours in the day (I wake her up at lunch time so she doesn’t do too long as she was having split nights). I feel like I have done everything advised and she’s still doing this 🙁

    Reply
    • Artemis

      Hi Faye,

      thanks for reaching out. I’m sorry to hear your little one is struggling with sleep. You are indeed doing many things right! But the devil is in the details, as they say.

      We can go through your daughter’s sleep situation step by step in our program below:
      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/baby-sleep-consultant

      In the program, we’ve laid out 7 super easy lessons with tons of detail for you. Many parents find success within a few weeks, and sometimes even only a few days.

      Please email us if you have any further questions, otherwise just join the program and we’ll help you in there. 7 months is the perfect time to start!

      Artemis, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  6. Baran Toppare

    Hello, my 11.5 months old daughter had sleep training at around 9 months and everything was perfect. Fall asleep byherself, sleep all night until 7am etc.
    However at 10.5 months she learned to sit up by herself and now she cant go to sleep byherself anymore because as ason as we out her to bed (or she wakes up) she sits up. Even if she is very sleepy she cant lie down again byherself and continue to sit up. The only way she goes back to sleep is if we lie her on the bad and touch her back until she falls asleep again. Sinve this problem she also wakes up at 05:30 everyday. What should we do to train her again to sleep by herself?

    Reply
  7. Christina Gherman

    Hello! I have never taken my son out of his crib before 6am. He turns 11 months in a couple of days. The problem is he wakes up from 4-5am. He doesnt cry he just rolls around in his crib. It really messes up his daytime wake windows and it’s been a struggle keeping him awake when he gets dropped off at grandmas before work. The past week I tried going in giving him a bottle and putting him right back in his crib and he goes back until 6:30am. Is it possible he’s just hungry? Will he ever sleep later? I’m so tired.

    Reply
    • Artemis

      Hi Christina,

      Oh wow, 4-5 is no time to start the day. You must be exhausted!

      There are a few things that could be going on, early wakings are tricky that way. Sleep training is definitely the way to solve it, and since you’ve already been maintaining healthy sleep habits, I’m sure he’ll be easy to sleep train.

      You can have a look at our program and email us if you have any questions. Otherwise, just sign up and we’ll be waiting to help you guys get the sleep you deserve!

      Program: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/baby-sleep-consultant
      Email: support@babysleepmadesimple.com

      Looking forward to hearing from you,
      Artemis, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  8. Christina Lemus

    My daughter just turned 4 months. How long does her awake window before bed need to be? She has been doing about 90 mins before bed. If it need to be longer do i do that slowly or just all at once?

    Reply
  9. Jessica Hamelin

    Hi there !

    My 4.5 month oldest sleep is all over the place and I am so exhausted (so is he).. his naps are only 30 mins (sometimes shorter) unless I rock him once he wakes up (I normally only do this one time per day and get get 1.5-2hr nap on that stretch only if he stays on me..) his night sleep is also everywhere now and wakes up 3x per night where he usually was able to wake only once for a feed, now the other times I rock him back to sleep..
    Is this all a regression? It’s been like this for a little over 2 weeks now, (although his naps were mostly always on the shorter side, the odd unicorn hour nap on his own but none of that in almost a month..
    What can I do to help him (and ultimately myself) get more sleep? His room is pitch black with a sound machine and a comfortable temperature.. I have no idea what else to do.. some are telling me to wait it out but it is so exhausting and with my husband working shift work it makes it even harder ..

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Jessica,

      This definitely sounds like the 4 month regression! I have 2 daughters, so I can definitely remember how exhausting this stage is! This is really often one of the biggest regressions. Your LO’s brain is just in overdrive and learning new things rapidly. The good news is that your little one is SO close to being developmentally ready to self-soothe. We often recommend waiting to start sleep training until around 5 months. Better sleep is just around the corner 🙂 I am going to attach some information below for helpful tips to navigate this regression and get some more sleep while waiting for your baby to be ready for sleep training!

      SLEEP GUIDE: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/4-month-old-not-sleeping
      REGRESSION: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/4-month-sleep-regression-tips-video

      We can definitely help you get your LO’s sleep on track and get your entire family sleeping better when this regression passes! We can provide the best support to your family in our 21 Days to Peace & Quiet program.

      In this program we offer 4 step-by-step sleep training methods. You choose the one that feels best for your LO. We have super gentle & gradual all the way to quick & efficient. Each step of the way you get advice based on your baby’s developmental stage, energy levels, and temperament.

      One of our package options include personalized support and I find this to be so beneficial during the sleep training journey! Jilly and members of our support team answer questions 7 days a week in our private FB group and we host 2-3 Zoom calls per week! You will always feel like you have the support you need every step of the way.
      You can find out more info on the program here: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/21-days-to-peace-quiet-program
      When you are 100% consistent in following the steps of the program, your baby will be sleeping amazingly within 1-3 weeks. It depends on the method you choose as well as your baby’s adaptability, but we cover all of this in the program!

      Happy to answer any questions you have. We hope we get the chance to help you and your LO on this sleep journey!
      Have a great day!
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  10. Leanne P

    Hi, please help.
    My son is 14 months old. My husband is currently his primary care giver as I have cancer. His is no longer breastfed or bottle fed.
    Baby shares a bedroom with my 4yo. He wakes between 4-5am every day with very loud crying. My husband is often so exhausted he takes him in the car just to settle him not long after waking as usually he will cry constantly even when taken into another room with cartoons etc which is where I suspect we are going wrong. Sometimes he will go right back to sleep for around 30 mins.
    He naps at 9:30 for 1 hour and 2:30 for 90 mins and bedtime at 6:30 and settles himself to sleep. His room is very dark. We are just conscious of him waking his siblings so need to settle him ASAP.
    Please help!

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Leanne,

      I am so sorry to hear that things have been so tough. It can be so challenging when our LO’s wake up so early. We would love to help you. Is your LO falling asleep at night independently? Does your LO fall back asleep after waking up between 4-5am? I would focus on the awake times of 2.5 hours before nap 1, 3 hours before nap 2, and 3.5 hours before bedtime. Having more awake time can definitely help! Check out our 1 year old sleep guide for more help.

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/1-year-old-sleep-tips-toddler

      Best,
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello!

      Thank you so much for your message. It can be SO tough when you are in that limbo phase. Most babies transition to 1 nap around 15 months, but some earlier and some later. I actually think that your LO can be in the middle of the 12 month regression and this can affect sleep for a couple weeks. Check out this resource below for helpful tips!

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/12-month-sleep-regression

      If things are still tough after the regression has passed, we can definitely help you get your LO’s sleep on track and get your entire family sleeping better! We can provide the best support to your family in our 21 Days to Peace & Quiet program.

      In this program we offer 4 step-by-step sleep training methods. You choose the one that feels best for your LO. We have super gentle & gradual all the way to quick & efficient. Each step of the way you get advice based on your baby’s developmental stage, energy levels, and temperament.

      Two of our package options include personalized support and I find this to be so beneficial during the sleep training journey! Jilly and members of our support team answer questions 7 days a week in our private FB group and we host 3 Zoom calls per week! You will always feel like you have the support you need every step of the way.
      You can find out more info on the program here: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/21-days-to-peace-quiet-program
      When you are 100% consistent in following the steps of the program, your baby will be sleeping amazingly within 1-3 weeks. It depends on the method you choose as well as your baby’s adaptability, but we cover all of this in the program!

      Happy to answer any questions you have. We hope we get the chance to help you and your LO on this sleep journey!
      Have a great day!
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  11. Alexandra Marsters

    Hello! Hoping you can help an atypical case! My daughter is 11mo. and after the 8 mo. sleep regression we can’t get her to sleep past 5am (she has never slept later than 6:15). She does two naps a day, one at 8:30/9:00 for an hour and one at 1 for two hours. She sometimes does a cat nap in the stroller in between when we take my 3 year old out to the park etc. She goes to bed 6:30/7, self soothes to sleep at bedtime/naps. She’s a great eater too. She gets VERY upset if anyone goes in to try and soothe her to sleep or calm her down if she is awake. So at 5 am we started feeding her and putting her right back to bed, waking her up at 7/7:30. We just tried letting her cry it out at the 5am wake (because if we go in every 15 mins she gets even angrier) and she got herself in such a snit that we couldn’t calm her down at all. Took 1.5 hours to finally get her back to sleep….HELP!!!

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Alexandra,

      Those early wakings can be SO challenging. Often, early wakings can be fixed by doing some scheduling adjustments!

      We can definitely help you get your LO’s sleep on track and get your entire family sleeping better! We can provide the best support to your family in our 21 Days to Peace & Quiet program.

      In this program we offer 4 step-by-step sleep training methods. You choose the one that feels best for your LO. We have super gentle & gradual all the way to quick & efficient. Each step of the way you get advice based on your baby’s developmental stage, energy levels, and temperament.

      Two of our package options include personalized support and I find this to be so beneficial during the sleep training journey! Jilly and members of our support team answer questions 7 days a week in our private FB group and we host 3 Zoom calls per week! You will always feel like you have the support you need every step of the way.
      You can find out more info on the program here: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/21-days-to-peace-quiet-program
      When you are 100% consistent in following the steps of the program, your baby will be sleeping amazingly within 1-3 weeks. It depends on the method you choose as well as your baby’s adaptability, but we cover all of this in the program!

      Happy to answer any questions you have. We hope we get the chance to help you and your LO on this sleep journey!
      Have a great day!
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  12. Turner Varady

    My almost 11 month old has been waking up around 5am for the past 3 weeks which is way too early. Our DWT is 6:30. First nap is 9:30-11, second nap (which she has not been consistently taking the past few weeks) is from 2:30-3:45 and then bedtime is 7:15pm. Thoughts on what to tweak to stop these early morning wake up times?

    Reply
    • Becca Fuentes

      Hi Turner!

      I am so sorry to hear that you are struggling with some early wake up times. Those are the absolute worst! Even when my twins wake up just ten minutes early, it can set me off to a bad start for the morning. It sounds like she might be going through the 11 month sleep regression since she is struggling with that second nap. I am going to link an article that can help you with that. Until then, I would encourage you to make bedtime earlier on days that your LO does not get a good second nap. Ideal bedtime for her age is anytime between 6:30 and 8 pending on baby so I would scoot bedtime to 6:30 on those days or even a little earlier if you see that it helps. Baby sleep is different from adult sleep in that sometimes we need to make their bedtime earlier to get them to sleep later. When babies get overtired they don’t make up that sleep later, they just struggle to sleep through the night. If you want to know more about baby sleep and continue to get help and support throughout your journey, check out our online programs for night sleep training and Nap sleep training. I will put the links below. I hope this helps and good luck on your sleep journey!

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/11-month-sleep-regression/

      21 Days to Peace and Quiet: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/21-days-to-peace-quiet-program

      Naps – Getting Downtime in the Daytime: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/naps-getting-downtime-in-the-daytime/

      Let us know if you have any additional questions!
      Becca, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  13. Mike

    Hi – my 10 MO keeps waking earlier and earlier. He naps 2-3 hours a day and goes to be between 7:15 and 7:45 every night. His first nap is around 10 am and second around 3 pm so his first awake window is long but his others are 3-3.5 and 2.5. We’ve had a couple of 4:45 wake ups lately and I know something needs to be changed but I’m not sure what. He is happy and doesn’t seem bothered by the lack of sleep so could this just be normal for him?

    Thanks,
    Mike

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Mike,

      Have you checked out our 10 month old sleep guide? It will provide you with a lot of helpful tips. We always recommend shorter awake times in the morning and longer as the day goes on! This could really help.

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/sleep-training-10-month-old

      Best,
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  14. Kat

    Hello!

    I have a almost 8 month old hat started sleeping. Through the night at six months with sleep training. We have had issues early morning wake you in the very beginning he usually wakes up around 5:00/530 and then Sometimes falls back asleep we have been trying not to go to him until 7 AM in hopes that that will be his natural wake time. He has two naps today the first one from 9 AM to 10 AM and then the second one typically around 1 PM to 3 PM and then he goes down for bed at 7 PM. He is great with naps goes quickly to sleep at bedtime. He knows how to put himself to sleep, we just cannot get him to sleep soundly past 5:30 AM. Any help would be greatly appreciated I feel like we are hitting all the right wake windows and sleep times. What am I missing ??

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Kat,

      Thank you so much for your message! Early wakings can be SO tough! Check out our 8 month old sleep guide for more helpful tips. For early wakings, often scheduling tweaks can really help!

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/how-to-beat-the-8-month-sleep-regression

      We can definitely help you get your LO’s sleep on track and get your entire family sleeping better! We can provide the best support to your family in our 21 Days to Peace & Quiet program.

      In this program we offer 4 step-by-step sleep training methods. You choose the one that feels best for your LO. We have super gentle & gradual all the way to quick & efficient. Each step of the way you get advice based on your baby’s developmental stage, energy levels, and temperament.

      Two of our package options include personalized support and I find this to be so beneficial during the sleep training journey! Jilly and members of our support team answer questions 7 days a week in our private FB group and we host 3 Zoom calls per week! You will always feel like you have the support you need every step of the way.
      You can find out more info on the program here: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/21-days-to-peace-quiet-program
      When you are 100% consistent in following the steps of the program, your baby will be sleeping amazingly within 1-3 weeks. It depends on the method you choose as well as your baby’s adaptability, but we cover all of this in the program!

      Happy to answer any questions you have. We hope we get the chance to help you and your LO on this sleep journey!
      Have a great day!
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  15. Cory

    Help! My little guy is almost 6 months old and is waking between 4:15-5:30am! I move him from the crib in my room to his crib in his room and he usually falls back asleep within 30 minutes and up by 6:15 (which is great if he slept until then) He eats 32 ounces thru the day! Takes two naps that are around an hour and a half and fights his 3rd catnap. But if he doesn’t take that then his wake window is like four hours! Bedtime is between 6:30-7 and he knows how to put himself to sleep!

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hi Cory!

      Those early wakings can be SO tough! I am attaching our 6 month old sleep guide to provide you with some helpful tips with timing recommendations!

      If you are looking for more support, we can definitely help you get your LO’s sleep on track and get your entire family sleeping better! We can provide the best support to your family in our 21 Days to Peace & Quiet program.

      In this program we offer 4 step-by-step sleep training methods. You choose the one that feels best for your LO. We have super gentle & gradual all the way to quick & efficient. Each step of the way you get advice based on your baby’s developmental stage, energy levels, and temperament.

      Two of our package options include personalized support and I find this to be so beneficial during the sleep training journey! Jilly and members of our support team answer questions 7 days a week in our private FB group and we host 3 Zoom calls per week! You will always feel like you have the support you need every step of the way.
      You can find out more info on the program here: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/21-days-to-peace-quiet-program
      When you are 100% consistent in following the steps of the program, your baby will be sleeping amazingly within 1-3 weeks. It depends on the method you choose as well as your baby’s adaptability, but we cover all of this in the program!

      Happy to answer any questions you have. We hope we get the chance to help you and your LO on this sleep journey!
      Have a great day!
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  16. Denisse Felix

    My baby is 11 months old and at around 10 months he finally dropped his 3-4am bottle and started waking up at 8am.. that only lasted about a week. Now he wakes up crying between 5-6am and doesn’t stop and only cries more and more and when I give him a bottle he goes back to sleep and wakes up around 7:30-8.. Im not sure if he’s teething or going through a sleep regression. Is he actually hungry? Or is he going back to having a “night bottle”?? Please help! It’s been a whole year of not sleeping through the night or waking up at 6am crying :’(

    Reply
    • Micaela

      Hello Denise, at 11 months he should not need any night feed (unless your doctor tells you otherwise). The best way to night wean him is to teach him how to fall asleep on his own so that he will be able to fall back asleep whenever he wakes during the night.

      21 Days to Peace & Quiet has step-by-step information on how you can reduce, or fully wean, your baby’s night feeds.

      In general, most babies younger than 7-8 months still need a night feed. The program shows you how to have one short and sweet night feed and have your baby easily go back to sleep (a 15 minute process.)

      Of course, if you want to fully wean off night feeds, you can do this too. This information is included.

      We’d love to have you join our step-by-step program here: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/21-days-to-peace-quiet-program
      Micaela BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  17. Hannah Talmage

    My daughter is almost one year old. We sleep trained her about 2 months ago now and she currently sleeps through the night but has early wakings at up 5:15 am. She doesn’t eat throughout the night. I don’t get her out of bed until 6 am. She has her first nap around 9:30-10:45 and then another around 2:30-3:45. She usually goes to bed around 7:30. I feel like I’ve tried everything and she just doesn’t wanna sleep in. I don’t know what to do.

    Reply
  18. SUZANNE GARCIA

    I have a 7 month old who is asleep by 7:30pm – 7:40pm at the latest every night. He has dropped to one feeding a night 5 days ago. He eats solids 3x a day and drinks a bottle of 5-6 oz every 4 hours. First nap of the day typically last about an hour. 2nd nap about an hour as well. Since dropping the feed he is waking at 5:00-5:30am every morning. We used to wake him at 6:15am to get ready for work. Any advice? His babysitter is having issues with him napping. He will nap at 12 and wake up at 2 and stay awake until 7:30pm to sleep. He has dropped his 5:00pm nap. First time mom here.

    Reply
  19. Elaine

    My child is turning 14 months in one week. Since daylight saving in March, he’s been waking up 5-5:30 at least three times a week, and other days 6:30. He used to sleep until 7:30am. He does sleep through the night fine and if he does wake up he is able to fall back to sleep. But when it comes to him waking up at 5, he cries and cries and is unable to fall back to sleep. I’ve been trying to get him back to sleep by cuddling him if he wakes before 6. It will take me an hour to do that and he will get up between 8-8:30. Whether he gets up at 5:30 or 6:30, he naps once a day between 10:30-1. His nap is consistently 2 hours long. If the day he naps only 1 hour he takes a second nap around 3. I would say he has mostly dropped his second nap and stays awake until 7:30 or sometimes 8 and we start our quick bedtime routine and he’a fallen asleep by 8:30. What can we do about the 5am wake time?? Note, we are holding him to sleep at night and have dropped his bottle right before sleep for weeks now. Once he falls asleep we put him in his crib and the transition is fine.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello!

      I would work on getting your LO to fall asleep independently and aim for for 5 hours of awake time before the nap and 5.5 hours of awake time before bedtime. I would definitely aim for a schedule like this:

      6am-out of the crib/wakeup (a consistent wake up time helps)
      11-1-nap
      6:30-bedtime

      An earlier bedtime can usually help early wakings 🙂 A baby that is a bit overtired will often wake up earlier.

      Best,
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  20. Brian Moulaison

    Hi, thank you for taking the time to reply! My baby is 8-months old. He usually sleeps through the night. Routine starts around 6:20pm (bath, cuddles, stories and last bottle of the day (8 ounces)) and he is usually asleep by 7pm. However, he tends to wake around 5:45am each morning, but usually just to “chat” here and there until 6:05-6:10am, then starts crying in spouts. His first nap is around 9am and will sleep between 30 minutes to an hour (average of 40 minutes). His second nap is around 1:00pm and will sleep between 1h30 to 2h00 (usually wakes at one point, cries a bit, then goes back to sleep). Is there anything we can do for the “early” wake (as I get that some parents have it worst then we do…) as we would like for him to sleep until at least 6:15-6:30am (without him waking at 5:45am…). If ever he wakes throughout the night, we use a soothing technic from outside the room (“it’s night time, go to bed” in a soft soothing fashion), but that seems to frustrate him in the morning more than anything else (especially if after 6am) and we do not use it as soon as he wakes up (5:45am) since we do not want to intervene when he is not crying.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Brian,

      Those early mornings can be tough! I would move your bedtime earlier. For an 8 month old, we don’t want the awake time to be longer than 3/3.5 hours before bedtime (and that means asleep by that time). An earlier bedtime can often mean that your LO will sleep in longer!

      Best,
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  21. Cassie

    My baby boy is 6 and half months. He takes 3 naps a day nap one I do around 9 or 915 for an hour then nap 2 I do around 1230 or 1245 for about and hour half or hour and 40mins and then nap 3 is just a short 25 to 30 mins that is around 430-5 nothing past 5. He normally goes tk bes around 730. My ideal wake up time would be 630 but he keeps waking up anywhere between 515 and 545. He’ll just play or babble sometimes fall back alseep but it will take him sometimes 45 mins to and hour then basically its time to get him up. Help me!!

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Cassie! Check out our 6 month old sleep guide for more helpful tips! I would aim for 2-3 hours of awake time during the day with the shortest awake time being in the morning. Start your day at 6am, first nap 8-9:30, second nap 11:45-1:15, third nap 3:30-4:00, with a bedtime of 6:30/6:45pm. It can take a couple weeks for your LO’s body to adjust! Best, Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/sleep-training-6-month-old

      Reply
  22. Madison

    Hi! I have a 15 month old who recently had an allergic reaction and was prescribed prednisone. With prednisone they warned me that he will experience insomnia he woke up at 4 or 5 for the week we were on it. It’s almost been a week off of it and now he just naturally thinks this is when he wakes up. He goes to bed around 7:30 and used to sleep until 7 before the medicine. He used to have a 2 hour nap from 12:30-2:30 but now after an hour he will wake up and want to be held and not go back in his crib. I’m not sure how to get him back to his regular schedule..
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Madison,

      I am sorry to hear your LO was sick! I would definitely work on getting back on a schedule. It can help to leave your LO in the crib until the desired awake time for both bedtime and nap time. If your LO wakes earlier and is content just hanging out in the crib, then keep him in there until the desired time. If he is upset when he wakes up, try keeping him in the crib for an extra 15-20 minutes over the course of 2 days and then gradually extend it until he is waking later. It may take 1-2 weeks to get back on track, but with your consistency, he will get there! Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  23. Mel

    Hello!
    My 8.5 month old is suddenly refusing to sleep between 4-6am. He normally goes to bed at 5.30pm and will wake close to 6am. His normal wake windows are 2/3/3.5 and he takes two naps. The morning nap is longest (1.5hrs) and the second nap is 45mins-1hour long. He eats meals three times a day but doesn’t consume much so he normally wakes for a milk feed around 3-4am but normally goes back to sleep afterwards. He is currently teething now too. Is this a regression??

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello! This definitely sounds like a regression. Your LO is getting an appropriate amount of sleep for his age. Read over our regression guide for helpful tips! I would stay consistent with your routines and timings because regressions will normally pass in just a couple weeks 🙂

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/how-to-beat-the-8-month-sleep-regression

      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  24. Melanie

    Hi there,
    My 8.5 month old is suddenly waking between 4-5am and is refusing to go back to sleep. He normally wakes for one feed around 3-4am and will usually go back to sleep but lately he won’t. His normal wake windows are 2/3/3.5 and takes two naps, the morning nap is usually longest at 1.5hrs and the second nap may be 45mins-1 hour. He normally wakes at 6am and goes to bed at 5.30pm. He doesn’t eat too many solids either but does eat 3 times a day. Is this a regression?? He is teething atm too.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello! This definitely sounds like a regression. Your LO is getting an appropriate amount of sleep for his age. Read over our regression guide for helpful tips! I would stay consistent with your routines and timings because regressions will normally pass in just a couple weeks 🙂

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/how-to-beat-the-8-month-sleep-regression

      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  25. Nadiya

    Hi, my LO is 16m, we successfully weaned him off night time breastfeeding over last month or so and has been falling asleep independently for his bed time and nap times for the last 2 months or so. This has reduced night wakings significantly, but he now wakes an hour earlier. He used to wake 6-6.30 but now he is waking between 5-5.30!

    i have implemented all the above tips. He is normally asleep around 7.30pm. If he wakes in the night, we pat him and if this doesnt work then we give him a cuddle. Also he is in a toddler bed rather than a cot. He would normally take a nap 3-3.5hours after waking, a long one in the morning and a short one in the afternoon around 2-3pm.

    when he is waking before 6 i gently try and comfort him (patting and some kisses but not getting him out of the bed) and tell him its still sleepy time. He will mostly scream at me. Once its after 6 i open the curtains and breastfeed him. but hes getting tired much sooner (seems ready to sleep again by 7.30) . What can be done to stop these early wakings? any tips much appreciated!

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Nadiya,

      Thank you for your post. It is completely normal for early wakings to occur when LO’s start to learn to fall asleep independently. This is because they are getting more quality sleep and waking up more rested. I would definitely stay consistent with 6am wakeup (no fun before 6am to help encourage sleeping longer in the morning). I would also read our 2-1 nap transition guide to see if your LO is showing any signs of being ready for 1 nap!

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/transition-to-one-nap-when-how
      https://youtu.be/bcX1EzhTltw

      Best,
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  26. Elena

    My LO just turned 10 months old. We have been struggling with early mornings for about 2.5 months. We got them a little later after pushing her first nap, but not much. She goes to bed awake but with a pacifier (that doesn’t get replaced if it falls out), there is no light in her room, sound machine on, no nighttime feedings, and room temp is constant at about 70.
    She naps 2-3 hours with two naps (I have tried closer to 2 hours by cutting naps short and also tried allowing for full 3 hours). First nap doesn’t begin till at least 9am. Wake windows are 3/3.25/3.5 for the day. Bedtime is between 6:30-7 generally. Night wakings have pretty much stopped but she will wake up at 4am screaming. Some times she will go back to sleep till 5 or 5:30, but then cries her way to 6am which is the earliest I will get her out of the crib. I keep lights to a minimal when I get her and try to hold off feeding until 6:15 or 6:30 if I can. I am just at a loss of what to try next. Mornings are the worst and I dread them so much.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Elena,

      Early wakings can be so difficult! I would try to shorten up your first awake window. Aim for 2.5 hours before nap 1, 3 hours before nap 2 and 3.5 hours before bedtime. I would continue to treat anything earlier than 6am as a night waking ad make sure your LO is falling asleep independently. Try these new awake times for a solid week to see improvement! Best, Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  27. Lauren

    My little girl is almost 5 months old she goes to bed around 7-7.30pm each night and sleeps until 4-5am, at this time she wakes but doesn’t cry. I have tried leaving her but she doesn’t go back to sleep. If I feed her and put her straight back in her crib she then sleeps until 7-7.30am. (This feeding and changing only takes around 15-20 mins ) I don’t actually mind this but I am wondering do I need to do something to change this as I wouldn’t want her thinking the day starts between 4-5am? I am hoping she will naturally drop that bottle as she grows.
    She eats plenty in the day every 3 hours 7oz (doesn’t finish all the bottles) her awake times are between 1.5/2 hours and she has around 3 hours worth of nap time.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Lauren,

      It is completely fine to continue this 1 night feed, especially since your LO goes back to sleep great after. Many babies don’t drop that last night feed until they are a little bit older! Please let me know if you have any questions!

      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  28. Rachael King.

    Hello my LO is 7 months. Have successfully done 2 naps for a few days now.. bed between 630-730. Awake (excluding 3am night feed) 6-630am. Nap 1 930-10am (1.5-2hrs) nap 2 roughly 3 hrs later after that wake up so around 2-3pm then leading into bedtime around 3 hrs after Nap 2 wake up. I felt like a miracle worker organising this and having it work. However… now he was stirring through night (enough for me to feed at 11pm weird time) and then woke at 5am expecting to start the day HELP PLEASE any advice would be very appreciated. Demand fed by breast and white noise and blackout involved.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Rachael,

      I am glad that your LO has been doing well with 2 naps. I would try to tighten up your bedtime a little bit. We really want bedtime to be within a 15-20 minute time frame. This will help keep your LO’s body clock consistent throughout the day. A more consistent bedtime often means a more consistent wake up. I would try working on this first to see if it helps!

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/7-month-sleep-regression

      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  29. Hollie Bell

    Hi all I have an 11 month old, who still feeds in the night sometimes but occasionally is now starting to drop it and sleep through we have been letting him do it on his own he can self settle etc. And does for his day sleep and bedtime. But when he stops that feed he always wakes early say 5.15-5.30 I try to hold off feeding him until 6am. Do I go in and feed and put him back down, sometimes he does go back to sleep doing this other times he won’t.. then do I let him catch up on that missed sleep in his day sleep?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Hollie,

      Given your LO’s age and the fact that he can often go through the night without feeding, I would try to just stay consistent with no feeds until 6am. Let him work on resettling between 5-6am and then feed right at 6am if that is his wake up time. It can take a few nights for his body to adjust to this and to start sleeping until 6am consistently. I would then just follow your nap times and bedtime routine during those few days to keep his body clock in tune! The night weaning can seem daunting, but most babies do really well in just a few days!

      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  30. Emily

    My 9 month old wakes between 545am – 6am every morning (sleeps the night through without wakings). I wait until 9am for her first nap, second nap is 3 hours later then bedtime is 3.5 – 3.75 hours after last nap. Even with that schedule we barely make it to 6:30pm bedtime – I don’t really want to do anything earlier. I would love to get her to sleep until 630 or even 615. If she wakes up before 6 I try not to get her until 6 unless she is really upset. I feel like the time between wake up and her first nap is too long but if i put her down any earlier she has a short nap resulting in an earlier bedtime of about 6pm which seems to early. Any advice??? Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Emily,

      Thank you so much for your post! Check out our 9 month old sleep guide for helpful tips and awake times. Don’t be scared of an earlier bedtime. It can often help LO’s sleep longer! 🙂

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/9-month-old-wont-sleep

      Best,
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  31. Ivy

    My baby wakes up at 6:20 every morning and chills in the crib but I don’t take her out till 7am. I know anything after 6am is baby natural way to wake up. Is there anything I can do so she can sleep those 40-45 mins to 7am.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Ivy,

      How old is your LO and what time is bedtime?

      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  32. Melanie

    Hi, my nearly 9 month old is waking at around 4,has been for the last 10 days. He has 2 daytime nights of approx 1hr15 to 1hr45, prior to this he would have his first nap 2hrs45 after he woke and second nap approx 3hrs-3hrs 15 after he woke. His bedtime was 1845-1900. Currently he is so exhausted his first nap is 730 – 8am. I try to keep his bedtime the same so extend his awake time but he is starting nursery so we have weaned his dummy and white noise; he self settles with his blanket. I would be grateful for any advice? Thanks from a v tired mum!

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Melanie!

      Check out our 9 month old sleep guide for helpful tips! I would recommend 2.5-3.5 hours of awake time. Try 2.5 hours before nap 1, 3 hours before nap 2 and 3.5 hours before bedtime. For awake times, make sure your LO is asleep by that time, so start a nap routine about 15 minutes prior. You really want to follow that awake time (especially before bed), so it is okay if bedtime moves up 15-20 minutes or so here or there to prevent your LO from being overtired. Treat any wakings before 6am as night wakings!

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/9-month-old-wont-sleep
      Best,
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  33. Kristina

    Hello. So we continued our 2 hrs awake periods and 1/2hrs naps but added a dream feed. He fell asleep at 730p. He got a dream feed of breast milk in a bottle 2.5oz (11p) then woke up at 6a. He self soothed for 15min gave him the pacifier and continued to self soothe until 630a when I started to nurse him and finished by 7a. He’ll be ready for a nap 8-10a and then I feed him at 10a (a 3hr feeding stretch) so happy

    Reply
    • Micaela

      Happy to read things have improved 😉 Remember he is in a big development moment and it’s normal for his sleep pattern to change frequently. Once he turns 5mo you can start proper sleep training if you wish <3 Micaela BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  34. Kristina

    Hello my son is 3m old we used to get 10 hrs of sleep (8p-6a) at night now we’re loosing an hour (8-5). He wakes up talking and cooing I offer the pacifier twice (still dark with white noise) but then closer to 6a he gets hungry so I nurse him but since his wakeful periods are only 2 hrs hes back to sleep at 7a drowsy. Should I just let him talk and not offer the pacifier? Put him to bed at 7p not 8p? How do I stop 5a wake ups? During the day I make sure hes awale 2 hrs and sleeps 2 hrs nap then a short cat nap before bed 30/40min

    Reply
    • Micaela

      Hello Kristina, your baby may prefer one 2-hour nap in the morning and several 30-45 minute naps in the afternoon. This is perfectly fine as long as your baby is happy between sleeps, naps for 3-5 total hours each day and you’re keeping awake times around 1-2 hours. Here https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/3-month-old-sleep-schedule/ is our 3-months-old sleeping guide with more info. Micaela BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  35. Samantha

    My almost 4 month old sleeps from 7:30pm-5am almost every night. Occasionally he’ll wake up in the middle of the night for a feed, but usually sleeps through. He takes 2, 2-hour naps during the day. I consider us lucky that he sleeps through the night but I think he’s waking up at 5am because of it. We treat it as a night feed/room is dark/sound machine on, etc. This all started after daylight savings. What do you recommend to get him to sleep until 6am?

    Reply
    • Micaela

      I replied you in the other comment 😉
      Micaela BSMS Support Team

      Reply
      • Samantha

        Sorry! didn’t mean to post twice!

        Reply
        • Alyssa Taft

          No problem 🙂

          Reply
  36. Samantha Funk

    My almost 4 month old sleeps from 7:30pm-5am almost every night. Occasionally he’ll wake up in the middle of the night for a feed, but usually sleeps through. He takes 2, 2-hour naps during the day. I consider us lucky that he sleeps through the night but I think he’s waking up at 5am because of it. We treat it as a night feed/room is dark/sound machine on, etc. This all started after daylight savings. What do you recommend to get him to sleep until 6am?

    Reply
  37. Marta

    Hello!

    As a new parent no one warned me about day light savings time! Now my baby is smiling up a storm at 5am so ce the clocks changed. All this advice is wonderful. I have one question. So far he has been laying in the crib with white noise unil 520 or so and then starts to complain and eventually cry. Should I just let him cry it out until 6am? Thank you in advance!

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Marta!

      Thank you for your message! How old is your LO? We recommend treating all wakings before 6am as night wakings. So if you have already sleep trained your LO, use the same steps you use at the beginning of the night for your 1am or 5am wakings! 🙂 Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
      • Marta

        He is 4 and a half months. Sleep training is still happening so he is able to self soothe only sometimes. He is waking up at 5am and calm in the crib maybe for up to 20min but then hunger gets him upset and asking for me. When this happens I can’t calm him. Should I try soothing anyway ( this would mean handing pacifier and going sh sh) to be there for him or just let him
        cry it out till 6am? This is rough!

        Reply
        • Micaela

          Hello! We usually tell our clients to wait until their babies at 5mo to start sleep training because at 4mo there is a regression that can have a strong impact on our babies’ sleep. Having said that if you have already sleep trained him when you know he is due for a feed (and since he is 4mo he still needs to feed during the night), don’t wait too long to feed him and then makes sure he is not already asleep when you place him back into the crib. Have a nice day! Micaela BSMS Support Team

          Reply
  38. Ruby

    Hi, my bubby Doesn’t want to sleep until 10pm she does often wake at 4am-5am I bring her into my bed we snuggle till 6 in the dark and then she feeds and then goes right back to sleep and wakes up between 8:30-10am I’m just wondering how to stop her waking at 4am5am iv tried settling her in her cot for hours the only way she will settle and go back to sleep is in my bed with me ??‍♀️

    Reply
    • Micaela

      Hi Ruby, I don’t know how old your baby is. If she is a newborn it’s normal for bedtime to be this late. If she is 5+mo then bedtime usually falls earlier than that. I would encourage you to subscribe here https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/exhausted-moms-survival-kit to our FREE Exhausted Mom Survival Kit because it will help you understand better what you can expect from your baby (depending on her age) and also it will give you some great tips to improve your situation. Best of luck! Micaela BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  39. Georgina

    Hey
    My 9month old baby is adamant he wants to drop his afternoon nap and wakes at 1pm but then wants to go to bed at 6pm and wakes at 4am everyday!! Once he wants to go to bed there is nothing I can do.
    Should I persist with taking him for a walk or drive to get him to take an afternoon nap? I also have to drive to collect my daughter from school so that interrupts the afternoon!
    Help I’m so tired! It’s been going on for a good month!

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello! Check out our 9 month old sleep guide for helpful tips and awake time recommendations. Your LO could be going through a bit of a regression and fighting his nap. Be consistent! Most babies drop to 1 nap between the ages of 13-18 months (average is 15 months), so your LO is definitely still needing a morning and afternoon nap! 🙂 Let me know if you have any questions! Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/9-month-old-wont-sleep

      Reply
  40. rose

    Hi,
    Loving this site!
    My baby’s wake window is about an hour and 15 minutes. He is 16 weeks old. How can I only give him up to 4 hours of naps if he has this wake window? He goes to sleep at about 8:30/9 and wakes bw 6:30 and 7 (with waking 2x to BF)

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Rose,

      Thanks so much for your message and congratulations on your LO! For a 4 month old, we recommend wake windows of 1.5-2.5 hours. Most babies can handle less awake time in the morning, but more awake time in the afternoon. I would try to get your LO to stay awake for 1.5 hours in the morning after wake up, and gradually try to increase the wake windows throughout the day (so not every wake window is the same). I am attaching a link to our 4 month old sleep guide to give you more helpful tips! Please let me know if you have any questions! Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/4-month-old-not-sleeping

      Reply
  41. Frida

    With sleep training and ability to self-soothe, you don’t have those problems. You can choose between variety of methods from cry-it-out to hold-with-love, no matter which you will choose, your life will be much easier 🙂

    Reply

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