My Baby Wakes Up At 5am! Top Tips To Get Back To Sleep

My Baby Wakes Up At 5am -The term ” sleeping like a baby” has never sounded more offensive to a parent whose child wakes up at 5am every single morning. Why has your baby decided that that waking up so early should be a part of your daily schedule? We are going to dive into why your baby is waking up early and some ways on how to help your baby get into a sleep schedule that doesn’t wake up everyone at 5am.

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Why Does My Baby Wake Up So Early?

There are many reasons why your baby is waking up so early in the morning. Babies that are ready to start their day at 3am, 4am and 5am can keep the whole family on a very difficult schedule to function. Babies sleep matters and so does yours! You need a good sleep every night in order to function well.

As new parents, we can expect during sleep to be woken up every couple of hours by a newborn. As your baby gets older, this can become less and less with the exception of a few sleep regression weeks. However, when your baby has made an early wake up call a part of their schedule, we have to investigate the whys and how to help get them on a healthy track.

Know that your child should be getting a good ten to eleven hours of sleep a night. Is your child getting that much? If not, lets dive into some possibilities why they are waking up so early and how to get everyone back on a better schedule.

Is 5am Too Early For A Baby To Wake Up?

Anytime before 6a.m. is too early for a baby to wake up. A baby should be starting their day anytime between 6am until 9am. If your baby stirs at 5am that is a lot different than ready to start their day. When they are ready to start their day, they are up at 5am and they are up for a while. Getting your baby back on track to a healthy sleep schedule will be great for them and it will help you keep good physical and mental health.

Reasons Why Your Baby Is Waking Up So Early

Why is your baby waking up so early? It’s time to stop your baby from waking up at 5am or earlier. It’s time to stop your baby from waking up at 5am. Here are a few reasons why your baby is waking up at 5am or earlier to start their day.

The Morning Sun Is Creeping In

Your babies nursery is beautiful. It has everything your baby needs to have a safe and and enjoyable room. However, early in the morning the sunlight creeps in through your babies window. The gorgeous curtains you chose for the room are not keeping the light out. Baby wakes up from the sun coming in and thinks it is time to start their day. However, they are waking up the whole house!

SOLUTION:

Try finding black out curtains for your babies room. If you like the decorative curtains that you bought, it is possible to put the black out curtains behind the decorative ones. The black out curtains will ensure that sunlight does not creep into your little one’s room so early in the morning. Similarly, your child will not wake from the morning light and will be tempted to sleep in more. You may notice that they will be in a better mood now that they are getting a better sleep.

Your Child Has A Soiled Diaper

No one wants to sit in mess! Your baby wakes up to find out their diaper is wet or has leaked. Maybe your child has had a diaper blowout overnight. These messes can cause great distress and your child is waking up everyday early in the morning to be changed. It makes sense that a little one does not want to sleep in mess or gets startled or wakened when they pee.

SOLUTION:

Extra absorption diapers can catch the pee that may leak out of the diaper causing your child to be uncomfortable. It can keep your little one dry and clean and feeling comfortable. Since they are dryer, they are more inclined to sleep longer than they would if they wake up in a mess.

Your Baby Is Gassy

Your baby being gassy is common! The little farts happen often enough that is is a regular thing during the day. However, the gas does not stop when they go to sleep. Sometimes when a baby is sleeping, the gas can build up, causing discomfort or pain. A child may call out or cry to be picked up so a parent can alleviate the gas. However, that means your child is waking up early every morning! There are some solutions to help your baby through the gas so they don’t have to wake up so early.

Solution:

Before bed every night, burp your baby. Massage their back softly so if they need to dispel any gas they can. Make this a part of your bedtime ritual to relieve gas for your baby.

If you notice that this is not giving your baby any relief, be sure to talk to your doctor. Your doctor will be able to rule out any other possibilities.

Baby is Hungry

Hungry can lead to being “hangry” for most people and your baby is no exception. They are waking up early because they want to be fed and soon! The hungry cries wake you up out of your sleep and you find yourself running to feed your baby. Is there a way to make sure that baby is not hungry but be able to sleep longer than a 5am wake up call?

Solution:

Take a look at your babies eating schedule. Are they not eating hours before bed? Perhaps they need something to eat closer before their bedtime will fill their stomachs through out the night. Write down when they eat and approximately how much for the next few days and see if there is something that can be improved on.

Alternatively, if your baby is in the four to eight month range, they may be looking for foods that can fill them. It may be time to introduce new food into their diet or more food into their diet. Talk to your doctor about the best new foods to introduce to your baby to fill them and give them the nutrients that they need.

They Are Hearing Noises At Night

Your little one may be startled at a certain time every night that causes them to wake up early and call out for you. Babies can hear and be disturbed by loud noises or consistent noises. This causes them to cry or scream for their parents to come and get them. The noise may be so loud that it wakes them right up and makes them want to start their day.

There could be a number of sounds that your child is hearing. Firstly, you may be fast asleep at 4 or 5am but is your neighbors? Do they have a loud car taking off to go to work? This could wake your baby up. Alternatively, if you live in an apartment, there can be noises from your neighbors that wake up your little one.

The noise outside of their window can be waking them up. If their crib is in close to a window, they may be hearing everything that is happening in the night.

Some babies wake up to the noise of the air conditioning or heating turning on or off. Other babies wake up to spouses that are getting up to start their day very early.

Solution:

There are a number of solutions to helping your baby sleep through the night once you have pinpointed the noise or noises that are waking your child up.

If your child is disturbed by random creaks in your home, the best solution is to either have a quiet noise machine. That way, they will be used to the sound of a noise machine and not hear the noises that are spooking them. This will help your baby stay asleep for the night.

Replacing windows in a home can help your baby not hear those outside noises in the night. This will insulate the noise and help your child sleep. If this is not an option, try switching your child out of that room if it is possible. If it is not, try rearranging your child’s room so that they are away from the window. Talk kindly to loud neighbors that are making a lot of noise and see if solutions can be found.

If a spouse is waking up the baby getting ready for work, see if there are ways to minimize the sound and noise. Having their clothes ready to go so they are not walking around as much is one suggestion that makes it easier.

Keeping a nightlight in the room may soothe your baby to know that they are not in the dark when they hear a noise. When they recognize that they are in their room, they may be at ease to go back to sleep.

Baby Could Be Cold

This is a common reason why babies are waking up so early in the morning. Babies get cold overnight and really are looking for warmth. It can be hard to sleep when you are so cold. However, many parents are aware that doctors DO NOT recommend heavy blankets for small babies and infants.

Parents can find out if their baby is too cold during the night when they pick them up and they feel cool to touch.

Solution:

There are a number of ways to keep your child nice and warm without a thick blanket. Firstly, make sure that in the winter the babies room is getting heat traveling to the room. Some houses have “cold spots” and this can be fixed with a heating expert coming in. Secondly, checking to see if there is a draft from the baby room window can be a culprit of a cold room. Parents can think of replacing the window or resealing it, keeping more of the heat in.

Instead of a thick blanket, parents can get a warmer sleeper. Winter sleepers are perfect for babies to wear to keep the heat in and keep them warm through out the night. That way, they are safely warm and possibly sleeping the night.

Baby Might Be Too Hot

Some babies may be too hot at night that their sweating or general discomfort may wake them up! To find out if your baby is too hot at night, look to see if when you pick them up in the morning if they are sweating. Their hair may be wet, smelly and pressed against their head. Where their head was laying may also be wet. A baby being too hot at night may cause them to stir and wake up in the middle of the night.

Solution:

See the temperature of the babies bedroom. If its too hot, see if anything is obstructing the natural flow of air in the room. Is baby sweating too much? Change their sleeper to a summer sleeper or a lighter sleeper. This can keep your baby cool. Consider keeping the babies door open so air can circulate in if possible.

Baby May Have Colic

When a baby has colic, it can be heartbreaking. They cry, scream and cannot be soothed. They sleep more so out of exhaustion than time to rest and get up multiple times a night screaming. Their stomach is hard and they just cannot get a moment of peace.

Solution:

If you think that your baby is suffering from colic like symptoms, be sure to book an appointment with your doctor immediately. Your baby deserves a break from the pain. It could be allergies to the milk or formula. Once this is discovered, one can switch the milk and give your baby relief. Continue to burp them after every feeding and make sure to relieve any gas that they may have.

Depending on the child, your doctor will have a number of solutions ready to help them through this challenge.

Baby Is Napping Soon After Waking Up Early

If you notice when your child wakes up at 5am or earlier that they go back to sleep an hour or two later, you have a child who is not ready to get up. After examining and ruling out all of the previous possibilities, you are concerned. Why is your child waking you up so early and then going to sleep only an hour or so later?

Solution:

Write down your babies sleep schedule. Do you notice that they are taking a nap within two hours before their actual bedtime? If so, your child is well rested by 5am! It is possible to slowly change their napping schedule to reflect the time the family is asleep, it will be very helpful. If they are having longer naps in the afternoon and evening that can be the culprit as to why your baby is wakes up at 5am!

Baby Wakes Up at 5am

If your baby wakes up at 5am and you are just waiting for a good night sleep, be sure to go over our top tips to make sure that you are helping your baby and your family get a better sleep.

My Baby Wakes Up At 5am – Best Tips To Get Them To Sleep

Why Does My Baby Wake Up So Early?

Is 5am Too Early For A Baby To Wake Up?