The Spring Clock change (British Daylight Savings) is almost upon us, and for many this feels like the easier change of the two seasons. As if your little one is waking at 5am - this instantly becomes 6am! Which will feel AMAZING to feel a bit of progress! It is also the first sign that Spring is here which is always welcoming. However, I'm afraid this won't really fix your early riser long term. We need to figure out the root cause of the early rising, as sooner or later the early mornings will start to creep back in! The other kicker is.. that here in the UK it means us as adults lose an hours sleep on Mother's Day!
So how do we figure out why they already wake so early?
Here are the main causes I see bringing on early rises.
Overtiredness. This is a really common cause! Where they aren't getting enough day sleep, or too far pushed between sleep then a cycle of overtiredness builds up. Their cortisol levels rise and this has a bigger impact on the nights. The best way to tackle this, is to top up their sleep! Earlier bedtimes too!
They aren't tired enough. Equally as common, where they have either had too much day sleep or not long enough between naps and bedtime. This can mean they don't have enough sleep pressure to get them to a later morning time. Either slightly reduce the nap or increase their wake time to help see this shift!
They aren't able to connect the morning sleep. This is where they are struggling to resettle. Often this comes due to the big melatonin drop at this time, and the settle approach is either too stimulating or they have more stamina to fight it! This is where I'd usually look at working gradually on that settle in their own sleep space at bedtime and other night awakenings to help knit the morning back together again.
Their body clock is being reinforced!
If they wake at 5am, and we give up and start the day then this can also reinforce the early wake ups! I'd definitely either work on the resettle or aim for quiet time in their room with them until at least 6am before starting the day. This helps to conserve their energy too! I'd also have a look at sleep/wake clocks as these can be a great visual tool for toddlers to reset their body clock and wake timings!
Can you pin point where your little one's early rises are coming from? If not - reach out and we can chat it all through to figure it out!
And what about the clock change itself? How do we manage it? Here are some approaches!
Staggered Approach: Move everything, including naps and mealtimes by 15 a day in the lead up (starting the Wednesday). This works well for babies and those on multiple naps!
Meet in the Middle: Move their wake/naps/bedtime by 30 minutes on the day of the clock change, and again by 30 minutes the day after. Works well for toddlers!
Do Nothing! You can absolutely leave things as they are and let it sort itself out. You can always make tweaks on the other side! Note - This isn't suitable for really time sensitive kids!
And remember, we also lose an hours sleep - so we won't want them to become overtired in this too. It can also take them up to a week to fully adjust, so give it some time too.
I won't lie, the clock changes gives me a bit of a headache every year with the mental maths! And there isn't a right or wrong approach in this, so have a think about what works for your little one and your family as a whole!
If you are feeling worried or lost in it - I'm here anytime if you need to chat it through!
Jade
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