Early Morning Wakings

What Counts as an Early Waking?

Any wake-up consistently before 6:00 AM is generally considered early. While some babies are naturally early risers (6:00-6:30 AM), habitual wake-ups at 4:30 or 5:00 AM are usually fixable. Early mornings are one of the most common — and most frustrating — sleep problems parents face.

Common Causes

• Overtiredness at bedtime — the most common cause. When babies go to bed overtired, their bodies produce cortisol, which leads to restless sleep and early wake-ups.
• Too much daytime sleep — excessive napping can steal from nighttime sleep, causing the day to start earlier.
• Light leaks — even small amounts of morning light can signal "daytime" to your baby's circadian rhythm.
• Hunger — especially in babies under 6 months who may genuinely need an early morning feed.
• Bedtime too late — counterintuitively, a later bedtime often makes early wakings worse, not better.
• Habitual waking — if you respond the same way at 5 AM every day (feeding, screen time, starting the day), the pattern reinforces itself.

How to Fix Early Wakings

• Make the room pitch dark — blackout curtains or shades are essential. Cover any LED lights on monitors or devices.
• Try an earlier bedtime — moving bedtime 30 minutes earlier for a week often resolves overtiredness-driven early wakings.
• Cap daytime sleep — ensure total nap time is age-appropriate and the last nap doesn't run too late.
• Treat anything before 6 AM as a night waking — keep the room dark, interactions boring, and avoid starting the day.
• Check the temperature — rooms that cool down in the early morning hours can wake light sleepers.
• Use white noise continuously through the morning hours when birds and traffic begin.

When It Might Be the Schedule

If your baby is happy and well-rested waking at 5:30 AM, it is possible their circadian rhythm is simply set early. In this case, an earlier bedtime (6:00-6:30 PM) and adjusting the whole schedule earlier may be more realistic than fighting their natural rhythm.