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Welcome To The Members Area! Forums Baby Sleep Help 8 month old early wakings Reply To: 8 month old early wakings

  • Emma H

    Administrator
    June 19, 2024 at 8:47 pm

    Hi Elisa,

    It’s wonderful to hear that your little one is able to fall asleep on her own in her crib.

    Waking up between 6 – 7 am is quite common for babies, as their natural body clock tends to make them early risers. However, there are a few strategies you can try to encourage her to sleep a bit later. Keep in mind that these methods might not always work (because they are naturally early risers), but they are worth a try:

    1. Gradually Shift Her Bedtime:

      • If you’re open to a slightly later bedtime, aim for 8:00 pm. Over the next week, gradually shift her bedtime later by 10-15 minutes every three days. This slow adjustment helps her body clock adapt. Once her bedtime reaches 8:00 pm, maintain this schedule for a few weeks to see if it influences her wake-up time.
    2. Evening Light Exposure:

      • To support a later bedtime, keep the house lights on in the evening and only turn them off just before bedtime. This helps her stay awake and adjust to a later schedule.
    3. Morning Light Exposure:

      • Gradually shift her wake-up time (the time you get her out of bed) by 10-15 minutes every three days until she is waking up at 6:30 am. During this period, keep her room dark and delay her first feed until 6:30 am. Avoid exposing her to light before her new wake-up time and refrain from feeding her earlier, as these can signal her internal body clock that it’s time to wake up. The room should be dark enough that you cannot read a book. If any light is seeping through (from under the bedroom door or from outside) try to block it. As any light entering the room at this time in the morning will encourage her to wake up.
    4. Adjust Nap Times And Mealtimes:

      • To support the adjustments to her morning wake-up time and new bedtime, it’s beneficial to shift her entire schedule, including nap times and mealtimes. Gradually move these times later by 10-15 minutes every three days. Maintain this new schedule for a few weeks to allow her body clock to fully adapt.

    Hopefully these help shift her wake up time back just a little!

    Emma

    • This reply was modified 7 months, 4 weeks ago by  Emma H.