Fixing Early Rising: Help for Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers (and Tired Parents)

Are you here because your sweet baby, toddler, or preschooler is waking too early—before 6:00 a.m.? Maybe it’s 4:00 a.m., 5:30 a.m., or 5:45 a.m.—it’s still dark out, and you’re thinking, “This is nighttime.” You’re right. In my world, any wake-up before 6:00 a.m. is still night.

Most children are naturally ready to start their day sometime between 6:00–7:30 a.m.—that’s part of their normal circadian rhythm (even if we wish 8:00 or 9:00 were the norm!).

If your 5 month old, 15 month old, or 5 year old is waking up too early, or your toddler is waking in the middle of the night, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong—it’s because sleep is complex and unique to every child. Understanding the biology of sleep and using that knowledge to regulate feeding and sleep rhythms after about 5 months of age can make all the difference.

When we align with a child’s natural rhythm, we help their body build the right amount of sleep pressure so they can fall asleep easier, stay asleep longer, and wake up at a more reasonable hour.

The 4 S’s for Better Sleep

These four foundational elements help you create consistency and confidence around sleep for your little one.

1. Safe & Secure

For sleep to happen—whether it’s for a baby, toddler, or adult—we need to feel safe and secure. When children feel calm and connected, their bodies can relax into sleep. As parents, our own regulation plays a big role here. When we stay grounded, it helps our little ones feel that same sense of safety that allows their bodies to rest deeply.

2. Satiated

Feeding and sleep go hand-in-hand. Our bodies naturally follow a rhythm of feeding and sleep to help us regulate.  Making sure your child’s feeding needs are met—especially during the day—helps their body know it’s okay to stay asleep at night.

If your infant fights sleep, or your child wakes up too early for a bottle or snack, take a look at their feeding intervals and daytime intake.   Understanding these patterns can often reveal why those early morning wake-ups are happening.

3. Settled & Comfortable

Predictable yet flexible routines throughout the day create healthy rhythms for feeding, play, and rest. This helps children understand what’s coming next and supports both physical and emotional regulation.

Take a moment to ensure your child’s environment is comfortable and free from anything that could disrupt sleep—think room temperature, light exposure, or possible medical concerns like reflux or allergies. Feeling settled and cozy is a big piece of the puzzle.

4. Sleep Pressure & Circadian Rhythm

Sleep depends on two systems: sleep pressure and the circadian rhythm.

• Sleep pressure builds through wakeful, active play and movement during the day in the play window. This “pressure” helps children fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
  
  
• The circadian rhythm is our body’s natural clock that aligns with light and darkness—when the sun rises, our body wakes up; when it sets, our body prepares for sleep.
  
  

When feeding, sleep, and light exposure all align, your child’s body naturally knows what to do. That’s when you start seeing longer stretches of sleep, fewer crap naps, and more consistent mornings.

Why 3–6 a.m. Wake-Ups Are So Tough

Between 3:00–6:00 a.m., sleep is naturally lighter for both children and adults. This is when your little one is most likely to pop awake, toss or turn, and struggle to resettle. Sometimes they’ll drift back to sleep for 15–30 minutes, only to wake again—still before 6:00 a.m. Those early morning hours often feel like a tug-of-war between sleep and wakefulness, leaving everyone in the family a little weary.

When you look at a sleep stages chart, the pink and yellow bands represent light, active sleep—and this looks very different in babies and young children than it does for adults.

While you or I might just roll over, pull up the blanket, or fluff our pillow, a baby or toddler in light sleep might move their whole body. Depending on the developmental milestone they’re working on, their brain may briefly “wake up” to practice that new skill.

You might notice your child roll onto all fours to rock, sit up, babble, or even stand and cruise along the crib rails. This is all normal and part of the process of brain growth and development.

Many parents call these moments sleep regressions —but often, they’re simply progressions or a growth explosion in disguise. Your child’s sleep hasn’t regressed; their brain is busy mastering new skills, and lighter sleep just gives them more opportunity to practice.

This is exactly why we practice giving our children space to do their work of self-settling or self-soothing at the start of naps and bedtime—it protects the rest of the night. When children know how to fall asleep on their own, they can use those same skills to resettle during lighter sleep cycles in the early morning hours.

And here’s an important note:

When I say self-settling or self- soothing,  that doesn’t mean you’re leaving your child alone. You can absolutely offer comfort and connection. Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers all benefit from having a calm, present parent nearby as they learn what it feels like to relax their body into sleep. Children often rest easiest when they know you’re there—supporting them, not doing it for them.

If you’d like to dig a little deeper into what might be disrupting your child’s rest during the night, take a listen to my podcast episode:

🎧 What Might Be Keeping You Up at Night / Waking Every 2 Hours?

The Most Common Reasons Kids Wake Too Early

When your baby, toddler, or preschooler is waking too early, it’s usually a sign that one or more pieces of their sleep puzzle need adjusting. Here are the most common reasons I see when families come to me saying, “My 5 month old, 15 month old, or 5 year old is waking up too early—or my toddler is waking in the middle of the night.”

The good news? Once you pinpoint why your child is waking, it becomes much easier to figure out your best next step—and to make changes that actually stick.

Here are the most common reasons I see children waking too early:

1. Bedtime is off

Sometimes bedtime is too late—or even too early. Both can throw off your child’s natural rhythm and make early rising more likely. A bedtime that’s too late can lead to overtiredness and fragmented sleep, while an overly early bedtime can cause your child to treat 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. as their “morning.”

2. Too much or too little daytime sleep

Finding the right balance of naps and nighttime sleep—what I call your child’s sleep capacity and timing—is key. Too much daytime sleep can rob from night sleep, and too little daytime rest builds overtiredness that leads to early wakes.

3. Long wake window before bed

If your child’s last stretch of awake time before bedtime is too long, their body builds up extra cortisol and adrenaline, which makes it harder to stay asleep through those early morning hours.

4. Put down too drowsy

If your child is falling asleep completely in your arms, at the breast, or with heavy rocking, they might expect that same help during lighter sleep between 3:00–6:00 a.m. Giving them small chances to do a bit more of the work—while still feeling supported—builds strong sleep skills.

5. Misaligned schedule

Sometimes, even with good routines, your child’s internal clock doesn’t quite match their daily schedule. Small shifts to nap times, bedtime, or morning light exposure can help realign their circadian rhythm and reduce early morning wake-ups.

6. Reinforced habits

This one’s common. If your little one consistently gets a bottle, breastfeeds, sippy cup of milk, or cuddles in your bed at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m., their body learns, “This is morning.” Over time, this early rising becomes a habit rather than a biological need.

7. Flipped feeding clock (reverse cycling)

When a child feeds more overnight than during the day, it can flip their internal feeding rhythm. This reverse cycling pattern tells the body to expect nutrition at night instead of during the day, which makes it harder to sustain long nighttime stretches.

8. Interrupting active light sleep

Young children spend a lot of time in light, active sleep—especially in the early morning. During this phase, they may move, babble, or stir as part of their natural sleep learning process. Sometimes we unintentionally interrupt this process by rushing in too soon, which can wake them fully and start the day before their body is ready.

Learning to read your child’s sleep communication cues—their little noises, wiggles, or movements—can help you pause before responding, giving them space to transition back into deeper sleep.

If you’d like to better understand your child’s sleep rhythms and how to stop interrupting their natural sleep process, get instant access to my Better Bedtime Sleep Challenge replays—a 4-day mini training to help you create your own personalized sleep plan.

Age-by-Age: What To Do Tonight

Every age and stage brings its own sleep challenges, and early rising is no exception. Here’s how to support your child—whether you’ve got a 5-month-old, 15-month-old, or 5-year-old waking too early—so everyone starts sleeping a little longer and a little better.

If Your 5-Month-Old Is Waking Too Early

At this stage, most babies need around 3–4 hours of total daytime sleep across 2–4 naps. Follow your baby’s cues and natural rhythms—every child’s needs are unique, but these ranges help create a solid foundation.

• Protect the first stretch of the night. This is when babies are in their deepest, most restorative sleep (see the Sleep Stages Chart above). Aim for bedtime when your baby can fall asleep awake and aware so they can start practicing the skill of linking sleep cycles on their own.
  
  
• Keep pre-6:00 a.m. feeds low-stimulation. If your baby wakes before 6:00 a.m., keep the room dark, your voice soft, and lights dim. Offer the feed quietly, then return your baby to their crib promptly. This helps communicate, “It’s still sleep time.”
  
  

If Your 15-Month-Old Is Waking Too Early

Around this age, many toddlers are transitioning to one nap that lasts 2–3 hours, with roughly 5 hours awake before nap and another 5 hours before bedtime.

• Cap late catnaps. A nap that’s too late—or too long—can push bedtime later and lead to 5:00 a.m. wake-ups.
  
  
• Practice awake-and-aware bedtime. Encourage your toddler to go to bed alert, not drowsy, so they can use the same skills to resettle at 4–5 a.m. that they use at bedtime.
  
  
• Check timing. If early mornings are happening regularly, it might be time to fine-tune nap length, bedtime, or morning light exposure to reset their circadian rhythm.
  
  

If Your 5-Year-Old Is Waking Too Early

Most preschoolers have dropped naps completely, but a quiet rest time in the afternoon still helps their body reset. If your child still naps at preschool or on weekends, be mindful—naps that are too long or too late can cause early rising.

• Use a child’s wake-up clock (like an Ok to Wake clock) and a clear, consistent communication such as:
  
  “The clock is red—red means bed. When it’s green, green means go—it’s morning!”
  
  
• Introduce a sleep routine with physical cues. Around 15 months and older, you can begin teaching your child about wake-up clocks using simple, playful tools.
  
  

Grab my FREE Ok to Wake Clock Training & Twinkle Traffic Light Song to help your little one learn this new routine with ease. It’s perfect for children ages 1 and up.

• Move bedtime earlier if needed. Early birds often need earlier lights-out, not later. It may feel counterintuitive, but overtired children actually wake earlier. Most preschoolers thrive with 10–12 hours of nighttime sleep for optimal rest and mood regulation.

Dealing with Crap Naps, Infant Fights Sleep, & Children Fighting Sleep

When naps are short, bedtime battles are long, or your child keeps waking too early, it’s often about finding the right balance between environment, timing, and practice. Here’s how to set your little one up for success:

1. Optimize the Sleep Environment

Create a sleep space that feels calm and secure—think dark, cool, and quiet. Use blackout curtains (LINK) to keep the room as dark as a cozy cave, and add consistent white noise to help block out household sounds. A comfortable, consistent environment helps the body recognize, “This is where I sleep.”

2. Balance Naps Within Wake Windows

Make sure naps are spread evenly throughout the day and aligned with your child’s natural rhythms.

• Too short of naps can cause overtiredness and lead to “false starts” at bedtime (where your child wakes soon after falling asleep).
  
  
• Too long or too late naps—especially close to bedtime—can push sleep pressure too far, leading to those dreaded 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. wake-ups.
  
  

The right sleep capacity and timing create harmony between naps, bedtime, and morning wake time.

3. Rinse & Repeat Routines

Keep your sleep routines predictable—same steps, same order, every time. Whether it’s a song, snuggle, or story, this repetition lowers cortisol and invites melatonin, the body’s natural sleep hormone, to do its work.

4. Practice Sleep Skills When It Counts

The best time to help your little one practice self-settling isn’t at 4:00 a.m.—it’s at bedtime and naptime. When children learn to fall asleep independently at the start of sleep, they can more easily settle during those early morning hours between 3:00–6:00 a.m. when sleep is naturally lighter.

5. Work Smarter, Not Harder

Your energy and patience are strongest at bedtime—not in the middle of the night. Use that window to guide, teach, and support your child’s sleep skills while everyone is calm and rested. That work pays off overnight.

6. Know How Much Sleep Your Child Actually Needs

Sleep needs shift quickly during the first few years. Understanding what’s developmentally appropriate helps you avoid over- or under-tiredness (both common causes of early rising and children fighting sleep).

Read more here: How Much Sleep Do Children Need? — This guide helps you find the right age-appropriate totals and nap timing for your child.

Is It a Habit? How Early Feeds Can Sneak In

If your little one sleeps until 5:00 a.m., takes a feed, then catnaps and starts the day, that early feed can quietly become part of their routine. Over time, as babies grow more alert and their nutritional needs change, that 5:00 a.m. feeding can actually start to sabotage daytime feeds, nap timing, and reinforce early rising.

The goal isn’t to remove the feed cold turkey, but to gently retrain the body’s rhythm so your baby learns that the early morning hours are still part of the night.

Here’s how to make that shift:

Try This:

• Keep pre-6:00 a.m. feeds calm and dark.
  If your baby wakes before 6:00 a.m., keep the room dim, your voice soft, and stimulation minimal. Offer the feed quietly, then place your baby back in their crib. This helps communicate, “It’s still sleep time.”
  
  
• Gradually push the feed later.
  Slowly nudge that feeding by 10–15 minutes every few days—think 5:00 → 5:15 → 5:30—until your baby’s first daytime feed happens between 6:00–8:00 a.m. (typically for babies 5 months and older). This gentle approach helps reset your baby’s circadian rhythm without sudden changes.
  
  
• Stay consistent with your response.
  Respond to night wakings the same way—whether it’s 10:00 p.m. or 4:00 a.m. Consistency builds trust and helps your child understand the difference between nighttime sleep and morning wake time.
  
  

Over time, this predictability helps your baby’s body adjust and start sleeping later on their own.

Your Consistent Response Plan (3–6 a.m.)

The hours between 3:00–6:00 a.m. are when your child’s sleep is naturally the lightest, so having a clear, consistent plan helps everyone stay calm and confident. Your response doesn’t have to be complicated—it just needs to be the same every time.

Here’s how to keep it simple and effective:

• Script it.
  Whisper the same 1–2 comforting sentences each time. For example:
  • “It’s still night-night time. Shhh… night, night.”
    Using the same words and tone builds familiarity and reassures your child that it’s still time for sleep.
    
    
• Keep lights off until true wake time.
  Darkness helps signal the body that it’s nighttime. Avoid turning on lamps, nightlights, or any bright screens until your chosen morning wake-up time.
  
  
• Avoid “wake-up” behaviors.
  Save the smiles, chatter, and play for morning. Keeping things quiet and low-key prevents mixed messages that can reinforce early rising.
  
  
• Decide on your plan ahead of time.
  Choose a consistent, age-appropriate response for each wake-up before the night begins. Consider your feeding plan and how you’ll respond at different times—then stick to it. Consistency gives your child a clear message about what to expect.
  
  
• Give it time.
  Shifting an ingrained early-rising habit can take 1–3 weeks. The key is steady follow-through. Your calm consistency helps your child feel secure and teaches their body when it’s truly time to sleep and when it’s time to start the day.

Ok-to-Wake Clocks: When & How to Start

Around 15 months and older, you can introduce an Ok to Wake clock (also known as a child’s wake-up clock)—a color-changing nightlight that helps your little one understand when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to start the day.

Start small and keep it playful:

• Begin with short “green” goals.
  If your child usually wakes at 5:30 a.m., set the green light for 5:45, then 5:55, then 6:05—celebrating every tiny win along the way. Gradual progress helps your child feel successful and confident.
  
  
• Practice during the day.
  Show your child how the clock changes colors and role-play together. Use a simple script like:
  
  “Red means stop. Time for bed. Green means go. Time to wake up! 
•  These playful moments during daylight help your child understand what to expect when it happens for real in the early morning.
  
  
• Pair it with your morning routine.
  When the light turns green, add a cheerful cue like a short song or morning greeting, followed by your consistent routine. This helps reinforce that “green” truly means it’s time to start the day.
  
  

Remember: great nights begin with great mornings!    When mornings start calmly and predictably, bedtime tends to follow that same rhythm.

Troubleshooting Quick Checks

Sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest difference. Try these simple adjustments first:

• Bedtime too late? Move it earlier by 15 minutes for a few nights and watch how mornings shift.
  
• Nap too close to bedtime? Shift it earlier or gently cap the nap to protect nighttime sleep.
  
• Too much morning light? Keep the room dark until your target wake time—light is the body’s cue that it’s morning.
  
• Mixed messages? Use the same consistent response for every wake-up—yes, even those early 4 or 5 a.m. ones.
  
  

 Special Note:

 If bedtime feels super easy, it could be a sign that you’re doing a bit too much of the work. Before tackling early rising, make sure your child has the chance to settle themselves at bedtime. That’s where true learning happens and helps prevent unnecessary tears in the early morning hours.

If you’re not sure where to start or want guidance tailored to your family, book a call and we’ll walk through your personal sleep situation together.

 Tiny adjustments and steady consistency—that’s what creates lasting change.

FAQ

❓Should I feed at 5:00 a.m.?
If your baby is under 5 months or you’re following specific medical guidance, yes—go ahead and feed. For babies 5 months and older, keep the feed calm and dark, then gradually shift it later so it doesn’t turn into an early “morning snack.” 

❓What if daycare controls naps?
Focus on what you can control—bedtime timing, the sleep environment, regulating yourself,  and your consistent response. Use weekends or days at home to recalibrate naps and reset your child’s rhythm. A solid bedtime routine can make up for less-than-perfect nap schedules during the week.

❓My toddler is waking in the middle of the night and early a.m.
Start by strengthening bedtime skills. When children feel safe, secure, satiated, settled, and comfortable, and when they’ve built enough sleep pressure through active play and the right wake windows, they’re much more likely to stay asleep through the night. Keep your response predictable and consistent until at least 6:00 a.m.—this teaches your toddler that it’s still nighttime.

Free Ok-To-Wake Clock Training & Early Morning Reset Plan

🎁 Access the Free Training : Ok-to-Wake Clock Training & Early Mornings Reset Plan

Teach Your 15-Month-Old to 5-Year-Old to Sleep Past 6 a.m.

Inside, you’ll get:

•  The Ok-to-Wake Clock Training - (best for children 15 months and older)
• The Early Mornings Reset Plan - (perfect for babies 5 months and up)
•  “Twinkle Traffic Light” song
  
• Setup for your child’s wake-up clock
  
• Troubleshooting for early rising, toddler waking in the middle of the night, and children fighting sleep
  
  

Help your child learn when it’s time to rest and when it’s time to rise—with calm, confidence, and consistency.

If you want eyes on your flexible routines for better sleep, schedule a call and we’ll tailor this to your child’s age, nap needs, and morning goals.