Babies That Wake Up:Early Morning Risers

The early bird catches the worm right? So goes that saying, there are some babies that are just early to rise. While its always nice to catch a few extra minutes or even an hour of extra sleep for that matter,is it even possible.

Some babies are just eager to get a early start on their day, quite often those are the babies that are up at 5'o'clock in the morning, and full of energy. Perhaps you can find your own little one awake in the crib summoning you to duty. Sometimes if you are fortunate to get your baby to lay back down for a little while that is great, however many parents face this dilemma and are often looking for a little relief, especially on the weekend!

Below are a few tips to help sleep deprived parents:

Change of sleeping schedule: as your baby grows, you will find that the amount of sleep that is needed will also change. On average the typical baby only needs about 14 hours of solid sleep each day. The frequency of naps taken during the day may need to be reduced, as a 3 month old infant may take 3 naps a day versus a 11 month old infant may only need 1 nap each day. As well the duration of each nap is also significant as well as the actual time of day that each nap is taken in comparison to the designated bed time. Hence you don't want your baby taking a nap too close to bedtime. You should make an overall assessment of your baby's daily schedule and make adjustments accordingly.

Sleeping arrangements: reduce the amount of light that comes into your baby's room. If your baby is sensitive to incoming light, keep the blinds drawn and the curtains closed to help keep the room dark. This is especially helpful if your baby's room receives a lot of incoming sunlight. In addition during the months when the days tend to be longer and the sun rises early, he may sleep a little longer if you keep the room dark. It can be helpful if you have dark colored shades or even curtains that are thick/lined that prevent light from being emitted through them.

Delay crib removal: try not to run to your baby immediately when he awakens very early. Certainly if he is sick or there is inconsolable crying (you know the difference) then you should immediately tend to him. Otherwise, you can delay a few minutes or so simply because he just may end up going right back to sleep. He may also be content with entertaining himself by playing and babbling so that's definitely a good thing!

Keep him entertained: you can provide your baby with safe crib toys that are securely attached to the crib which may be a diversion during those early morning waking moments. Avoid placing plush toys/stuffed animals in the crib, as they may pose risk of suffocation.

If you find that your best efforts are unsuccessful, it may just be that your baby has an adequate amount of sleep. Some babies just require less sleep than others and that's just how it is. You may have to do some adjusting in your own bedtime schedule to accommodate your baby until he becomes older. Even though its grueling at times, its a phase and before you know it,your little one will have outgrown it.