Early waking in children aged 1-3 years

Early waking in children aged 1-3 years: When morning starts at 5 a.m.

Waking up at 5 or 6 a.m., while the whole family is still asleep, is a common issue in young children. Parents need to distinguish a physiologically early rise, typical of “early birds,” from a problem that can be corrected. If a child wakes up bright, cheerful, and generally gets the age‑appropriate amount of sleep in a 24‑hour period, they may simply be a morning bird. But if they wake up crying, look tired, and are fussy throughout the day, it indicates that their sleep was insufficient.

Most common reasons for overly early awakenings

• Too late bedtime: This is the most common and paradoxical cause. Parents think: "If I put them to bed later, they’ll wake up later." But that doesn’t work. Too late bedtime leads to overtiredness. The child’s body produces the stress hormone cortisol, which has a stimulating effect and leads to an early, “emergency” awakening.
• External stimuli: The child’s sleep in the early morning hours is very light. The first rays of sunshine, birdsong, noise outside the window, or parents’ footsteps can easily wake them.
• Hunger: If dinner was too early or not substantial enough, the child may wake up from hunger.
• Incorrect daytime nap schedule: A nap that is too long or too late can “steal” part of the nighttime sleep.

Correcting early awakenings is a comprehensive effort involving daily schedule and sleep conditions. Sometimes even shifting the evening bedtime 15–30 minutes earlier can dramatically solve the problem. For more details about sleep problems, read our guide.