Why, why, why is my toddler suddenly waking at the crack of dawn?
Developmental milestone? A change in the season? Another phase? Or is this just my life now?
Tell me you haven’t asked yourself these and many questions like them, repeatedly, since you became a parent…
You might have even spent one of your sleepless nights looking at Google through bleary eyes to try and find an answer.
Thankfully there are things you can do to help both you and your little one get some much-needed shut-eye, according to Kaitlin Rickerd, a paediatric physical therapist in New York who might just be a wizard.
Move bedtime
Bedtimes themselves were also getting a bit drawn out for my liking, so this was a no-brainer. My son just didn’t seem to want to sleep before about 8.30 pm. I don’t get to see much of him in the evenings after work, so what was the point of us both lying there, wrecking each other’s head for an hour every evening anyway? I’ve leaned into the new later time, and I think it’s helped him sleep longer in the morning too. Happy days.
Adjust nap times, or drop one
My son would nap for three hours if I let him, and sometimes it’s tempting when I’m finally getting some housework (or internet scrolling) done. But I’ve become strict about a 90-minute nap being the maximum. Kaitlin Rickard also suggests playing around with the time. A dangerous nap deadline is always a good idea.
Create a sleep sanctuary
Black-out blinds are your friend. The roller ones only do so much in the summer months, so it might be time to bring in the big guns. Amazon is awash with stick-on options to really shut the light out until you’re ready to face the day.
If it’s noisy outside the house – anything from bin trucks to the *chirp chirp* of early birds looking for the worm – consider a white noise machine to drown it out.
Bedtime snacks
Dr Rickerd says: “If he seems hungry when he wakes up, a high-protein snack, such as hummus, yoghurt, or nut butter on toast, before bedtime may help to stave off hunger longer.” She also suggests cutting out too much liquid before bed, so full morning nappies don’t get either of you up too early.
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