How to Handle Early Morning Wake-Ups

Almost every parent faces those bleary-eyed mornings when baby wakes well before sunrise. The good news? You're not alone—and research-backed strategies can help gently shift that internal clock.

1. Know What "Early" Means—and Why It Happens

A large-scale survey shows that 80% of children across age groups naturally wake between 5:45 and 7:00 a.m., regardless of bedtime consistency1. In other words, early wakings aren’t always a sign you’ve done something wrong—they may just reflect baby’s internal rhythms aligning with the household.

2. Control Your Baby’s Morning Light Exposure

Light is a powerful cue for circadian rhythms. Early sunrise (especially through nursery windows) can shift baby’s internal clock, prompting them to wake earlier23. Keep the room dark with blackout curtains—even makeshift solutions like taped-on black paper can help45.

3. Delay Feeding or Interaction

Immediate feeding reinforces to baby that “morning = party time.” Instead, pause for a few minutes—even 5–10—before responding36. This subtle shift helps reset the expectation that morning doesn’t necessarily mean full-alert wakefulness yet.

4. Tune Daytime Sleep to Support Nighttime Sleep

Ensure age-appropriate naps—not too long, not too short. Overtiredness or insufficient daytime sleep can make babies either wake too early or resist sleep altogether78. This balance supports more restorative sleep in the night and aligns wake time with your goals.

5. Encourage Self-Soothing

If your baby senses help upon early stirrings, they may come to expect it. Instead, offer time and space—perhaps gentle patting or white noise—without picking them up or fully engaging73. Over time, many babies learn to drift back to rest—or even return to deeper sleep.

6. Try an “OK to Wake” Clock (For Older Toddlers)

For kids around 2 years and older, an “OK to Wake” clock can be a friendly, visual cue. Models use color changes (e.g., red = stay in bed, green = rise time) and, when combined with sleep routines, can promote independence and staying in bed even if they wake early9.

7. Keep a Consistent Morning Start Time

Whether it's 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., consistency matters. Regular wake-up times support circadian alignment and smooth transitions toward sleeping in later101.

Need More Help?

If your baby is still waking up early in the mornings or in the middle of the night, consult a baby sleep consultant or utilize a baby sleep plan to eliminate night wakings and early morning wakings.

Footnotes

1. Oster, E. (2023). ParentData Sleep Survey Results: The Night. ParentData. ↩ ↩2

2. Lin, H. et al. (2025). Circadian rhythms and light exposure in young children. arXiv. ↩

3. Sleep Full Baby. (2023). 3 Ways You’re Reinforcing Your Child’s Early Morning Wakings. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

4. Taking Cara Babies. (2024). Why Is My Baby Waking Up So Early in the Morning? ↩

5. Huckleberry. (2024). 10 Hidden Reasons Your Child Keeps Waking Too Early. ↩

6. Happy Family Organics. (2024). How to Manage Your Baby’s Early Morning Wake Ups. ↩

7. Dr. Brown’s Baby. (2023). Surviving the Early Morning Wakeups. ↩ ↩2

8. My Sweet Sleeper. (2024). How to Manage Early Morning Wake Ups. ↩

9. Verywell Family. (2024). How to Use an OK-to-Wake Clock with Your Toddler. ↩

10. Babywise Mom. (2023). 5–6 a.m. Night Wakings. ↩

11. Reddit r/sleeptrain. (2023). An Approach to Early Morning Waking. ↩