Your Child and Early Morning Waking

by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., author of Sleep: The Brazelton Way

One of our children never succeeded in getting more than 8 hours of sleep at night. She was very cooperative about going to bed at night, but she woke early and began to rock in her bed. We knew she was awake by 5 A.M., but we couldn't stand to get up with her. I often went to her to offer her a safe toy to play with. And at age 3, we encouraged her to be resourceful in her play before we came to get her.

Early morning awakening can be very difficult for parents. By 6 A.M. many children have had enough nighttime sleep (10 to 12 hours between 6 months and 6 years). If your child is waking before 6 A.M. it may be because he actually needs slightly less sleep. But surprising as it may seem, early morning awakening can also occur when a child is not getting enough sleep—too little sleep can also make it hard for a child to sleep normally. Early morning awakening may also occur when a child is getting enough sleep, but at the wrong times.

Reexamine your child's sleep patterns. How many hours of sleep is he getting at night? And during the day? What time do his naps begin and end? What time does he go to bed at night? Does he go to sleep easily? Does he usually seem well rested when he wakes? Is he fairly good-humored and able to remain alert during most of his waking hours? The answers to these questions should help you determine whether he needs a little less sleep, a little more sleep, or the same amount of sleep, but at different times.

For the well-rested child who needs a little less sleep or who needs only a readjustment in his sleep schedule:

• Reexamine his daytime sleep.
• Consider delaying, shortening, or eliminating a morning nap if he is also napping in the afternoon.
• Be sure his nap in the afternoon does not continue after 3 P.M.
• Give him a later supper.
• Put him to bed a bit later in an effort to readjust his clock.
• Wake him before you go to bed to rock and sing to him—and to interrupt his rhythms. Many children will sleep through from 10 P.M. to 6 A.M. if you interrupt their cycle.

For the tired child whose poor sleep leads to more poor sleep, including early morning waking, you may need to lengthen naps and set earlier bedtimes. As your child catches up on his sleep, he will be better able to sleep normally—for the roughly 10-12 hours he needs at night.

All of this takes time but will not hurt the child and helps him to adjust to your rhythms. For any child who awakens too early, be sure that his room remains quiet and dark as the sun comes up and the day begins. Some children are easily roused from the light sleep of early morning by any sunlight that can get past the blinds, or by noises in the house or neighborhood. Try dark shades and curtains that fully cover the windows. He may need his windows shut, or even a white noise machine—though he may soon become dependent on the machine to sleep. If you go in to play with him when he wakes in the early morning, he'll surely wake up at the same time, or earlier, the next day—to have more time with you! Children learn early to "set their alarms" for the things they really care about.

Excerpted from Sleep: The Brazelton Way © 2003 by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., and Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Perseus.

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