Most babies can sleep from 7pm to 7am consistently between the ages of 6 to 9 months, as they learn to connect sleep cycles and develop self-soothing techniques.
If your baby is waking at 5am it's likely that they are still tired, or might have been put down when they were over tired. And if they won't go back to sleep, either after a feed or by self-soothing, then it can mean your baby is waking too early. It's all to do with their circadian rhythm.
We recommend waiting until at least 6 months of age before attempting a “by the clock” schedule — that is, a schedule where sleep times are based on the clock. Before 6 months, it's best to base sleep times on sleepy cues and wake windows.
Establish a nighttime routine with things like story time, a lullaby or dimming the lights. Your child will start to associate that these things mean it's time for bed. Also be sure to stop screen time at least one hour before bed and try to keep tablets and phones out of a child's room to better promote sleep.
If your child is waking at 5am, it is very likely she is still tired and can barely make it 1.5-2 hours before she needs a nap. If you are putting her down before 7:30/8am for a nap, her first nap of the day is essentially being lumped in with what should have been nighttime sleep.
Ultimately, getting up at 5 AM every day won't be easy at first, but it's a habit worth working for. After just a week or two, you'll feel more well-rested, productive, and motivated throughout the day.
Overtired. Being overtired is the most likely reason why your newborn is awake instead of napping, as newborns have VERY short wake windows and can become overtired very easily. Once a newborn becomes overtired, it becomes extremely difficult to get them to sleep.
It's important to remember that an overtired baby will become well-rested once you focus on helping baby get more sleep, day and night. There is an end in sight – your baby will sleep! Also, it's okay to remove yourself from the situation. Really, anything relaxing will do.
Babies optimal sleep is between 6pm-8pm bedtime until 6am-8am waking in the morning.
The 5 3 3 rule is a sleep training method that involves setting specific intervals for sleep. The method involves having the child sleep for 5 hours, followed by 3 hours of awake time, and then 3 hours of sleep again.
It's normal, however, for babies to wake up between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., though it can vary widely. Things like teething, sickness, sleep regressions and other outside influences can also come into play, especially if your baby suddenly starts waking up earlier than usual.
It is normal for sleep patterns to change frequently in the first few years, and there is no consistent guide for all children. But from around 24 months, most toddlers are waking between 7am and 8am (Mindell et al, 2016).
A Word of Caution
(Which is put the child back to sleep.) Cry It Out is the LEAST effective when tried for the first time in the middle of the night or for naps. Please do not try to deal with early morning wakings with CIO unless you are also using CIO at bedtime, and for naps.
Most babies don't start sleeping through the night (6 to 8 hours) until at least 3 months of age. But this can vary a lot. Some babies don't sleep through the night until closer to 1 year. In most cases, your baby will wake up and be ready to eat at least every 3 hours.
Most babies and toddlers do best on a 7 am – 7 pm schedule, but any wake up time between 6-8 am is both ideal and realistic to achieve. So if you need to wake your baby to wake up at 6 am so you can get him ready and head to work, feel confident in that choice.
If your baby, toddler, or preschooler is waking up too early, chances are it's due to one of the four most common reasons for early rising: A late bedtime. Nap deprivation. Staying awake too long between the afternoon nap and bedtime.
It's a good idea to feed baby around the 4:30 a.m. or 5 a.m. mark without fully waking baby. Feed baby in the dark and quiet, then put baby back down to bed until a later hour if desired.
Use the “core night method” – once your child is capable of sleeping for a certain length of time through the night e.g. 10:30pm to 3:00am, and does so for three to seven nights consecutively, you no longer need to feed him/her during this span of time.
How to solve it: Start by revamping the bedtime routine. If your baby's dependent on a bottle or breast to sleep, start scheduling the last feeding a good 30 minutes before her usual bedtime or nap. Then, when she's sleepy but not asleep, make your move and place her into her crib.