Why Your Baby Needs A Set Morning Wake Time
If your child’s sleep schedule is inconsistent and/or you’re struggling with night wakings, you are most likely hoping and praying your kiddo will sleep in a bit in the morning. Unfortunately, waking that sweet baby in the morning is key to stabilizing their sleep.
Don’t start swearing at me just yet! I understand that the mere thought of getting yourself up to wake your baby in the morning, particularly if you’ve had a challenging night, feels messed up. But let me explain why a controlled wake time is essential when you’re trying to get your baby on a consistent schedule.
For most babies, the key to solid naps and quality night sleep IS a consistent schedule. The timing of naps is important. The problem with a shifting schedule is that it makes it very hard for your child’s sleep rhythm to stabilize. Of course when sleep timing and nap lengths are unpredictable, consistency and finding the ideal sleep windows can feel very challenging.
So what can you control to help set your little one’s sleep rhythm? The morning wake time.
The morning wake time sets the stage for the day, making it easier to hit the ideal nap windows and allowing your little one’s sleep rhythm to stabilize. Your child will take longer, better quality naps if their nap start times align with their natural sleep waves and waking at the same time each day allows that to happen.
If, for example, you’d like your 8 month old to take a nap at 8:45 A.M. and 12:30 P.M. (times that often work well for this age!), you should wake them by 7 A.M. If your kiddo wakes for the day closer to 8 A.M., they will not be ready for their nap at 8:45 A.M. and thus the rest of the day won’t be consistent and nap start times may not sync up with their natural sleep waves.
If you’re dealing with night wakings, inconsistent naps, or you’re traveling and trying to adjust your kiddo to a new time zone, ensuring your child has a set morning wake time between 6 and 7 A.M. is the first step to stabilizing their sleep schedule.