What time should my baby wake up?

So let’s get down to it. Any waking before 6:30am is considered a night waking. Mama don’t have enough energy to be starting her day any earlier than that, even if coffee is involved.

7am is the ideal wake time. A 7-7 schedule is what parents of littles should aim for. That being said, toddlers often need a 6:30am wake time because they’re crazy. Not really ;) In truth, it’s because they have a release of cortisol in the early morning. Since their wake windows are so large, there is not enough time in the day for the cortisol to wear off and to fit in those wake windows as well as an afternoon nap. Therefore, they wake a bit earlier to make the room. 

Let’s talk consistent awake times. It’s key! If your child wakes consistently at the same time each day, then their body clock will correct itself naturally! By choosing to wake at 7am each day (for example), that nap will happen at the same time as well, taking away the unpredictability from the day (woot woot!). Rather than forcing a schedule, waking at the same time each day will help you to create a natural schedule, predictable schedule. If you always wake at 7am (for example), then you know that nap 1 will fall at 9:30am (for example).

So your first priority is to choose a consistent wake time that fits the needs of your family life. 

Your second priority is to wake up your child (gently) at that time every day! Again, consistency is key. 

Now, everyone has the odd late night up with the kids or a rough night where baby just didn’t sleep well. When this happens, no need to fear. You CAN bump the wake time to allow for a few more zzzz’s. But not by more than 15-30 minutes. That’s right. It’s a double espresso coffee day for you. If you’re needing the extra sleep, call Grandma over and take a snooze, or get to bed early that night. But keep things consistent for your little one.

The problem with being fast and loose with each day’s wake up time - even by 30 minutes - is that you get into the habit of a flexible wake up time … and then we end up with an inconsistent, wonky schedule that leaves your little one’s brain and body struggling to understand the expectations around sleep and when sleep is supposed to happen. Routine and consistency are your two best friends as a parent.

If the struggle is real with early morning wakings, and you are at your wit’s end wondering what to do - get in touch with us here. And make sure to download our free Early Mornings resource!

We will help you to troubleshoot whether it is a sleep skill issue or if baby’s schedule simply needs a tweak. 

For more on early mornings, check out the video below:

Happy waking!