Early Morning Wake-Up Checklist!

Early Morning Wake Up Checklist!

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Little one waking up before the crack of dawn? Here’s my best tips to fix it!

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Asses the environment- a temperature between 68-72, use a sound machine or fan to drown out any environmental noise, and avoid lights sources. Black out shades/curtains are really important especially in the summer. If a night light is absolutely necessary, then choose one that is red or orange and place it behind the dresser.

Establish a consistent bedtime routine- this should include wind down activities, should last 20-30 minutes max, and should NOT include TV or screens of any kind! Keep the steps the same each night. For most children, bedtime should fall between 7-8pm. Troubleshoot that bedtime- try 30 minutes earlier for a week or 30 minutes later for a week and see if you notice a difference.

Monitor daytime naps- surprisingly, some kids are getting TOO much daytime sleep. This can shorten their night. And on the other hand, sometimes there is not enough daytime sleep happening. Email me for my age by age sleep guide!

Stick to your minimum- if your child has slept until 6ambefore then they are definitely capable of doing it regularly! If they are up before this, you should treat it the same as you would if they woke up in the middle of the night. If you don’t generally bring them to your bed, then don’t do it at 5am. Keep them in the crib at least until your minimum. Ok to wake clocks are absolutely genius for toddlers/preschoolers! But you have to enforce your stay in bed until your clock comes on rule.

Encourage self-soothing skills- Kids who can put themselves to sleep independently at bedtime are more likely to put themselves back to sleep when they wake too early in the morning. If your child can’t do this, then this is probably your biggest issue. Sleep training can be challenging but it’s what I specialize in! Reach out if you’d like my guidance and I can let you know how the process works.

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