'Baby waking at 5am’ is a hugely Googled phrase, so know that you're not alone. It's most likely typed by a sleep-deprived grown-up who had a happy sleeper and now wonders what has happened.
Baby sleep is the Holy Grail and finding it could be down to the cot mattress making them comfy, or the cosiest baby sleeping bag keeping them perfectly warm, though the usual answer is that all babies are different, and it really can be hit and miss. The main thing to remember is, regardless of what an insta post might say, you are not alone with this exhausting challenge. Your little one might be going through one of the sleep regression ages; whether it's the 10-month sleep regression or the 4-month sleep regression. Or it might just be that your baby is a naturally early riser, whether you chose to baby sleep train or not.
Sarah Patel, Baby & Toddler Sleep Consultant tells us; “waking at 5am is hard especially if parents are working. One of the best ways to help regulate your baby’s circadian rhythm is to get outside in the fresh air as much as possible. Not only is it great for you but it will also help you feel less tired.”
Also, take a look at their cot bed, is it in the right position in the room, or in front of a draughty window, perhaps? Here we talk through reasons your baby might be waking at 5am and what you can put in place to help top this.
Baby waking at 5am
If your baby is waking at 5am it's likely that they are still tired, or might have been put down when they were over tired. And if they won't go back to sleep, either after a feed or by self-soothing, then it can mean your baby is waking too early. It’s all to do with their circadian rhythm. Once up for the day, you might notice that they can barely make it 2 hours of awake time before they need a nap. If you are putting them down before 8am for a nap, that first nap of the day is essentially what should have been continued nighttime sleep.
Mum-of-one, Steph remembers this; "I felt so out of control when this happened to Rosa. I just didn't know what to do, I had no plan. So I was just starting the day at 5am, hoping it would change. In hindsight, my daughter needed me to make the decisions."
Though, this early wake-up call also depends on other factors, such as age, development stage, and time they go to bed. Though if baby is waking at 5am, going back down for a nap by 8am, and getting cranky in the afternoons, this could be an indication that they need to sleep past 5am. It's a generic expectation that babies wake between 6am and 7am, though it can vary widely. Things like teething, sickness, sleep regressions, and other outside influences can also come into play, especially if your baby suddenly starts waking up earlier than usual.
Reasons my baby could be waking at 5am?
A baby waking up at 5am can mean they're still tired, it can also mean they may be getting too much sleep, so they’re not tired by 5am. For example, a 6-month-old needs about 12 to 15 hours of sleep over 24 hours, or about 10 to 12 hours at night and 3-5 hours during the day split into two or three naps. Though this isn't a hard rule, babies are an enigma, a rule unto themselves. And just when you think you’ve cracked it, they move those teeny tiny goalposts.
Baby sleep expert and mum-of-two, Sarah Patel tells us; “your baby waking at 5 am could be overtiredness or tiredness. If they wake up happy and ready for the day at 5am they have most likely had all the sleep they need, so shifting to a later bedtime may help you to get a bit more sleep in the morning.”
This time of the morning is challenging for babies as their sleep cycles are light, sleep pressure low and there’s very little melatonin left, explains Sarah. She adds; “if they wake up at 5am and are showing signs they want to get back to sleep but can't so offer them all the support you can.”
Sarah explains what this support could look like;
- Reacting to them as quickly as possible
- Feeding
- Rocking
- Bringing them into your bed (if this is safe)
What can cause early morning waking in babies?
Again, it can be 101 things, though the most common cause of early wakings is a bedtime that is too late. Over-tired leads to poor quality sleep, including premature wakings. While many believe it does, many experts, including Sarah Patel will tell you that "a later bedtime does not equate to a later morning wake time."
If a feed, nappy change or cuddle doesn’t send baby back off then its likely to be one of these reasons;
- Overtired (most common)
- Undertired
- Light coming into the room
- Noise waking them
- Being too hot or cold
- Hunger
- Uncomfortable
What to do if my baby is waking at 5am?
While it might be tempting, if your baby wakes at 5am letting them cry will almost never result in them falling back to sleep. Instead, when you go into baby treat it as if it’s midnight, try not to talk and stimulate the baby, keep the lights off etc. The next thing to do is try a feed, nappy change, and cuddle before putting back down. If they don’t settle, it looks like you’re starting your day at 5am.
The next thing to do, to try and prevent this from happening again is to take a look at their sleep schedule to make sure they’re getting enough sleep overall. It sounds counterintuitive, but a baby who is too tired won’t be able to sleep well.
An ideal bedtime for infants is 7/730pm. If your baby currently goes to bed later than this, try putting them down to sleep earlier in the evening, do this by gradually moving up their bedtime by 10 minutes each night, and see if that helps them stay asleep longer. Don’t expect results immediately. Give it a solid week or two before you decide whether this trial was successful.
On the flip side, if too much sleep is the culprit, you may have to try the opposite tactic. Move her bedtime later by about 10 minutes each night until they’re hitting the hay about an hour later (or you reached your goal of her sleeping later). This works best if you move baby’s eating schedule later as well, so hunger doesn’t wake her up too soon.
You may also consider gradually reducing nap length or pushing a morning nap a little later each day to help push back wake-up time.
If you're still at the end of your tether with baby sleep, take a look through our tried and tested baby sleep aids or our in-depth articles on baby sleep training, and also find out whether or not it's a sleep regression you're dealing with.
