Should I wake my baby up in the morning?
Them’s fighting words. I know. If your experience is anything like mine, anyway.
I spent many hours awake at night with my first, feeding her and then trying everything, including begging, to get her to go back to sleep. And if she slept longer in the morning, there was no way I was going to wake her even a second earlier. I needed to sleep.
But back to the questions: Does waking up your baby at the same time each day really make a difference?
Yes. There are times where waking up baby is the best thing for you and for them. And this is one of them.
Waking up your baby at the same time each morning will actually make your life easier. Why? I’ll tell you:
The consistency sets baby's body clock into a dependable rhythm.
Let’s talk about the body clock for a moment. The body clock is our baby’s circadian rhythm, which releases the chemicals that help with sleeping and waking. If baby’s body clock is set to the same time each morning, it:
Gives structure to your day. It is easier to plan activities out of the house. Want to meet that friend for coffee? Now you can actually set a time because you know with more certainty when baby's naps will fall.
It evenly distributes sleep so that baby is well-rested and not overtired. This makes a massive difference in lengthening out naps and stretches at night!
I know the question that’s been bothering you since you started reading this post: But what if I have a really rough night with baby and we just need more sleep?
It’s okay to give yourself grace sometimes. Take an extra 15-30 minutes to sleep. But make sure to watch out for that slippery slope - if you start sleeping in then baby’s body clock will be thrown off and their system will start working against you. Make sure to get back to the regular wake up time the next day.
Let’s talk about your priorities with developing the same wake up time each day:
First, choose a consistent wake up time that fits the needs of your family life. I recommend a 7am sleep schedule because melatonin (the sleep chemical) is released into baby's brain between 7-8pm, facilitating their journey to sleep. This creates that 12 hour schedule we want to work towards.
Then, wake baby gently at the same time every day. That’s all there is to it!
It takes 3-4 days to see a difference with sleep after a consistent change is made, so hang tight! You can learn more about how that works here
Want to know how to create an enjoyable morning routine with your little one? Grab a cup of tea and join me here:
Sleep Sweetly,
Anna