So your baby sleeps through the night…except for that tiny detail where they’re up at 5 a.m. Ugh.
Hear me when I say this: unless your family actually needs to be up and out the door at 5 a.m., or that’s your preferred start to the day, anything before 6 a.m. is too early to call morning.
Early morning wake-ups are common, completely normal, and fixable. Between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., babies are in their lightest sleep and melatonin levels are at their lowest, which makes it easy for them to wake. After nearly a full night of rest, it’s also harder for them to settle back to sleep than it is at 2 a.m. But the good news is that there are strategies you can use to help your little one sleep later or at least hang out comfortably until the day starts.
Here is the checklist I share with the families I work with:
1. Make the Room Dark
Every baby is different, but from a biological perspective, even minimal light can disrupt melatonin, making it much harder for babies to stay asleep between 4-6 a.m. If your baby’s room is already super dark during the early morning hours and you don’t have any artificial lights in the room, then you’re probably fine. But if you haven’t yet invested in black-out curtains, do it. (Here’s a favorite & use code ohbabyconsulting for 20% off).
2. Use Continuous White Noise
Early mornings can be noisy: sprinklers, garbage trucks, siblings, or even your own morning routine. A white noise machine, strategically placed between your baby and any noise sources, can help block distractions and keep them snoozing.
3. Check If Bedtime Timing is Helping or Hurting
Overtired babies often wake up too early. When they go to bed late, stress hormones spike, making them restless and prone to early wake-ups. For most babies over 3 months, the “sweet spot” bedtime is 6-8 p.m. If your baby is already clocking 11+ hours by 5AM, take a look at their daytime schedule. A small shift in naps or bedtime can help redistribute those hours so they’re sleeping the right amount just at better times.
Tip: Give any bedtime adjustment at least 4–5 nights before deciding if it’s working. Too many changes too fast can work against you.
4. Balance Daytime Sleep Wisely
“Sleep begets sleep” is true, but only to a point. Too little daytime sleep can leave your baby overtired and waking early (see above). But too much can have the opposite effect, cutting into night sleep because their 24-hour sleep needs have already been met.
If naps are short or very inconsistent, try shifting bedtime earlier to prevent overtiredness.
If naps are super long, take a look at the overall distribution. We don’t want naps to steal from night sleep.
Bottom line: how sleep is distributed across the day matters just as much as how much sleep they get overall.
5. Rethink Your Early Morning Response
Consider what happens when your baby wakes early. If they’re an independent sleeper, the expectation should be that they go back to sleep (or hang in their crib) until it’s time to get up. But if you’re going in to help them back to sleep, bringing them into your bed, or starting the day early, you’re unintentionally reinforcing that pattern. Not only do they start to expect that response, but their circadian rhythm can also start adjusting to that early wake-up time.
6. Build Strong Independent Sleep Skills
Babies who can’t fall asleep on their own at bedtime or expect help back to sleep throughout the night usually struggle the most during early-morning wake-ups. Between 4–6 a.m, melatonin is low and the sleep drive is at its weakest, so it’s already a tough window for staying asleep. When your baby has the skills to fall asleep on their own, they’re much more likely to roll over and find their way back to sleep without needing you. And as a bonus, independent sleepers tend to feel safe and content in their crib, so even if they do wake early (because hey, we can’t control what time their eyes pop open), they’re more likely to hang out happily until it’s time to start the day.
Give Any Changes Time to Work
Remember, resetting early wake-ups isn’t instant. As with most things, consistency is critical. Expect 2-3 weeks before you see meaningful changes in morning wake times. The more you stick with these strategies, the better your results.
If you’ve run through this checklist and you’re still seeing 5 a.m. parties, that’s exactly what personalized sleep support is for. I’ll help you identify what’s driving those early starts and create a plan that actually sticks. Book a plan to get started!
