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Home › Articles › Sleep Issues › The Early Bird: Waking up Too Early

The Early Bird: Waking up Too Early

An Excerpt From The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers (McGraw-Hill, 2005)

By Elizabeth Pantley

Pages:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  

  • Maintain a consistent bedtime and awaking time seven days a week. Changing the schedule each weekend will likely prevent you from finding success at getting a reasonable wake up time during the week.
    • What to Do If Your Lark Continues to Wake up Early
    If you've tried these ideas and kept with them for a few weeks, but find that your little rooster continues to wake up early, you may want to accept that it's her natural waking time and approach the problem differently. Here are some tips:
    • Every night, after your child goes to sleep put a box of toys next to her bed. Rotate these so that there's always something new and interesting in the box. Tell her that when she wakes up she can check her box and play with whatever she finds in there. Be creative, but make sure the toys are safe, and of course, nothing noisy! (If your child is still sleeping in a crib you can leave toys at the foot of the crib.)
    • Set a clock radio to a pleasant music station and have it turn on at your acceptable wake up time. Tell your child that she can't leave her bedroom to wake you up until she hears the music.
    • Leave a sippy cup of water and a snac, such as crackers, on her bedside so that when she wakes up she will have something to eat. (No choking hazards.)

      • Pages:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  


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