How To Keep Children from Waking Up Too Early

As any parent knows, getting a few minutes of extra sleep in the mornings can be a challenge with small children.  While parents certainly need the extra rest, it’s a common struggle for children who wake up too early.  Fortunately there are a few things parents can do to help eliminate this habit and get their children in a better morning routine.

When looking to keep children from waking up too early, first take a look at their current schedule.  If the children are napping during the day, it may be time to reduce or eliminate the nap altogether.  Getting too much sleep during the day is a common reason why children wake up too early.  Your children’s nap schedules are based on their best interests, but generally by age 1, most kids are down to a two or three hour nap a day.  By age 4, most tots are down to a one hour nap, if any.

Another way to keep children from waking up too early is to tire them out in the late afternoon.  Going to bed tired often gets kids sleeping longer and needing more sleep to regain their energy.  In order to tire your kids out, plan afternoon activities that involve movement and activity. This can be as simple as playing some catch football in the yard or taking a bike ride after dinner.

Children will also sleep longer in the mornings if their environment is dark and calming.  Be sure that there are window coverings that keep the light out and make the room look darker.  Play some soft lullabies to help soothe your child back to sleep and install a nightlight that lets off a soft glow.

Parents also find that sending their children off to bed later will get them from waking up too early in the mornings.  Be sure not to stretch their bedtime by too much, as this will only cause children to be overtired and harder to get to sleep.  Instead, opt for sending the kids to bed about an hour later than usual so that they stay in bed for an hour longer.

Also be sure to keep a consistent bedtime routine with your children to prevent them from waking up too early.  Consistent routines in young children help them better adapt to schedules and know what is expected of them.  The bedtime routine should be quiet and loving, such as a warm bath and storytime.  A routine will help relax your child and prepare him or her for a long night’s rest.

Finally, try placing an alarm clock in your children’s room to prevent them from coming into your room too early.  Let your children pick out an alarm clock and set a specific rule to go by.  For example, indicate to your children that they have to stay in their bedrooms and play quietly until the alarm goes off.