Coping with the Early Riser

1. Make sure that the amount of sleep your child is getting matches the amount of sleep he needs.
2. Check your child's sleeping environment for things that may be leading to early morning rising, such as sunlight coming in the window or a parent getting up very early.
3. Consider reducing or eliminating daytime naps.
4. Consider delaying bedtime. By delaying your child's bedtime, he/she is more likely to sleep later in the morning.
5. Encourage exercise which helps your child to feel more tired and ready for sleep at night.
6. Set up clear morning behavior rules. If your child sleeps in a bed, make a rule that he/she may not leave his/her bedroom until a special time (e.g., parents up, clock radio goes off). Suggest quiet activities your child can do, in the meantime like read, watch a video, or color.
7. If your child sleeps in a crib, do not take her out of the crib until a specific wake-up time (e.g., 6:00 AM). Put soft quiet toys in the crib for your child to play with in the morning. If your child cries, ignore the crying. Check on your child every 15 minutes to briefly reassure him/her. Make your visits brief and boring (no lights, little talking, no bottle, no picking her up).
8. Praise your child for staying in his/her room as soon as you get up. Use a sticker chart or morning reward program to further encourage your child not to disturb family members early in the morning.
9. Consider changing your child's wake-up time gradually, especially if your child resists the new morning rules. It may work better to make the wake-up time later in 15-minute periods. For example, for a child who typically wakes up at 5:00 AM, set his/her new wake-up time for 5:15 AM. After 3-4 days, the wake-up time can be moved forward another 15 minutes.
10. Be consistent with the new rules and new times. Your child needs a consistent, firm approach to learn new morning habits.