Toddlers waking up early in the morning can be normal, but when they wake up at 3:00 a.m. or 4:00 a.m., it can become a nightmare for the parents. By breakfast, everyone is grumpy due to a lack of sleep. So, how to stop them from waking up too early?
Handling children can be a handful sometimes when they are cranky and when you do not get enough sleep from a long day at work. When your kid gets up early in the morning, you have to wake up feeling tired and would need extra cups of coffee to get through your day.
But we love our kids no matter what and would not complain about being tired while raising them, and your children might not be waking up early without any reason. Toddlers cannot communicate their needs, wants, and discomfort like adults and need guidance in day-to-day activities.
Many reasons can also cause your child to be an early riser, from an irregular bedtime schedule to bed and bedroom.
We, as adults, have complained about how the mattress can trouble us while sleeping; a bad bedding is equal to a bad night’s sleep. This can also be implied for your tot’s sleeping environment. Maybe their mattress is uncomfortable, so they face the problem of falling asleep.
When we think about a good sleeping environment, we think about our comfy bed, a peaceful setting with moderate room temperature, and a less bright room. This combination can make your toddler want to be in bed for a long time.
So here are some tips to stop your toddler from waking up early.
1. Create New Bedtime Schedule
Your toddlers are waking up early in the morning because they might be going to bed too early. The research suggests that toddlers require 11-14 hours of sleep, so if they go to sleep at 6:00 p.m., they will be wide awake at 5:00 a.m.
Shifting their bedtime by 15 minutes later would make them wake up late in the morning. If your toddler’s sleeping schedule is 7:00, change it to 7:15 for some days and eventually increase the time until you want your toddler to go to bed.
The bedtime shouldn’t be too late; it can cause overtiredness in toddlers, which results in an early rise. So while creating the bedtime schedule, you should ensure it is not too late.
Try to reduce afternoon naps, as long naps can affect bedtime. If your toddler is napping for more than an hour daily, try to shorten it so they can reserve their sleep for the night.
Make sure you keep track of your child’s nap time, as it will help you create a schedule. It can also help you determine whether your child’s nap time is the cause for early wake-ups.
Creating a good bedtime routine for your child can help maintain consistency and promote healthy sleeping habits. Try not to let your toddler sleep in your room; it can cause a disturbance in their sleep cycle as you try to move them. Instead, make them comfortable in their room.
2. Make Comfortable Sleeping Environment And Use White Noise
A good night’s sleep is not possible without a comfortable sleeping environment. Toddlers are sensitive to sounds, and certain noises can wake them up, so you should use white noise to mask the sounds that can startle them.
The white noise can help them sleep longer without being disturbed by the early chirping of the birds, neighbors, dog barking, etc. During certain seasons, the sun is up early, and the bright light can wake them up—it is like a natural alarm clock. You should install blackout curtains or blinds to block the sunlight.
The room’s temperature can also wake your child early in the morning, and it should be adjusted according to the season. During the cold seasons, the room should be warm, and you should ensure that your child has an extra layer of the blanket so that they won’t wake up from the cold.
Not only in the cold seasons but also during the summer, the room should have ventilation where air can be passed to keep your toddler cool. The essential part of good sleep is a comfortable mattress.
You should select a firm and soft mattress, so your toddler doesn’t have trouble sleeping.
3. Say No To Wet Diapers
Most toddlers are sensitive and become cranky due to full diapers, which can disturb their sleep. You should use overnight diapers, which help to increase the absorbency and keep your child dry for more than ten hours.
You should use larger diapers during the nighttime so that if your baby is leaking a lot, it will help with more absorption as it will have more space. Try to change the diaper’s brand from the current one. The absorption capacity varies from brand to brand.
Switch to cloth diapers from disposable diapers, as they are known to be more absorbent. It is known that toddlers who like to sleep on their bellies leak more than those who sleep on their backs, so encourage them to sleep on their backs.
Decrease the liquid intake at night to prevent full diapers. Limiting the consumption of liquid in the evening will help prevent leakage and will help the baby sleep more.
4. Add Bedtime Snack In The Daily Routine
Adding a healthy bedtime snack to your child’s routine can prevent them from waking up early in the morning due to hunger. If you want to avoid bedtime snacks, then you should serve your baby a dinner plate filled with proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats for a full stomach.
The foods given to toddlers should be easy to digest. Several foods can help your child sleep better. You should serve a bowl of warm oatmeal, which helps produce insulin because oatmeal contains melatonin. Insulin helps put your child to sleep.
Green leafy vegetables are a good source of tryptophan, an amino acid that helps the body produce sleep hormones and determines the sleep-wake cycle. White rice is considered to have high nutritional value and is an easy-to-digest food.
Another food that is easy to digest is boiled and mashed chickpeas; they contain protein, vitamins C, K, and B-6, iron, and fiber. Bananas are a good source of magnesium and help to relax the muscles, which can help with better sleep.
Also Read: How To Handle A Difficult Toddler?
5. Try Using Toddler Alarm Clock
Try waking your child with an alarm clock; this works mainly for older toddlers. There are varieties of alarm clocks in the market that play music. You can wake your kid with a change in colors.
Many have recommended an OK-to-wake clock; it uses colors and signals to the child’s brain that it’s time to wake up or sleep. It is also a sleep training clock and helps maintain consistency in the toddler’s daily routine.
Most parents use the green light for the wake-up signal, but it is unnecessary to pick green as there are several other options. You can also ask your kid to pick their favorite color for their alarm.
While introducing the clock to your kids, present it to them as they get exciting gifts. It will make them excited and want to learn about the clock, which will help them understand color-changing signals.
The alarm clocks can be a bit pricey but can be utilized in the long run. It can be like an investment in your child’s healthy bedtime habits and routines; several studies have shown that bedtime routines can be interconnected with the child’s mood.
A better bedtime routine can help with a positive mood and increase emotional and behavioral regulation.
Also Read: How To Get Your Babies To Roll Over?