Tips to help your baby sleep later in the morning
If your baby is waking up before the sun, you’re probably longing for those days where you got to sleep in later than 6am.
While it’s likely every parent’s dream to have a child who sleeps later in the mornings, it’s quite common for babies to wake early and want to start the day at 05h00. But, the good news is, there are a few steps you can take to encourage sleep – and help your little one sleep a little later in the mornings.
How much sleep does your baby need?
According to the American Academy of Paediatrics, children between the ages of 4-12 months should sleep for 12-16 hours in a 24-hour period - including naps - to promote optimal health.
“This is the main reason why you shouldn’t be tempted to prolong your baby’s bedtime in the hope of a lie-in the following morning”, says midwife, clinic nurse and author of Toddler Sense, Ann Richardson. “An overtired and overstimulated baby doesn’t sleep well in the day or night and will undoubtedly wake up in a grumpy mood.”
If you want your baby to sleep later in the mornings, ensure they get adequate sleep for their age and they’re not overtired or restless.
Signs that your child might be overtired include:
• Daytime fatigue but unable to fall asleep
• Irritable
• Frequent crying
• Clinginess
• Red eyes
Ann maintains that if your little one’s daytime nutrition is sound and includes a balanced diet of three meals a day with all the food groups, plus three to four breastmilk feeds a day, there’s no need for your child to wake frequently at night for feeds.
In other words, your little one doesn’t need nutritional support for around 10-12 hours. This means that if you put your baby down at 19h00, they might wake at 05h00 for a feed, but if you’re lucky, they may have a quick feed and nod off again for another hour or two.
Follow Ann’s tips to encourage your baby to sleep a little later in the mornings
• Consider an iron supplement if your baby wakes frequently at night.
• Ensure the room temperature is conducive to sleep – it should be between 18 - 20 degrees.
• Use block-out curtains, especially in summer when it gets light very early.
• If your baby wakes in the night, avoid waking them fully and try to get them back to sleep as soon as possible.
• Try white noise such as a fan or soothing music to mute out household or traffic noise and early bird calls.
“Leaving some previously boiled water in a non- spill, sippy cup in the bed is also a useful tool to allay thirst especially if the weather is hot or your child’s room is heated,” says Ann. At 10 months, your baby should be able to help themself to some water in the night if they're thirsty.
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