Toddlers sometimes wake up very early. There may be different reasons for this. Maybe your child doesn’t need an afternoon nap anymore, or maybe they go to bed too early. Another reason could be that their bedroom is too hot, too cold or not dark enough. Or maybe it’s noisy. Check what’s going on and try to solve it if you can.
Tips to encourage your child to sleep longer:
- Put up black-out curtains or blinds in your child’s bedroom so that their room remains dark for longer.
- Make sure their room is quiet.
- Have you noticed that your child doesn’t want to have an afternoon nap or struggles to fall asleep? Then try to make them skip the afternoon nap. Some children don’t need an afternoon nap starting from the age of one and a half.
- Try to tuck your child in a little later than usual. They may not need as much sleep as other children. If they go to bed a little later, they may wake up a bit later too.
Is your child old enough to understand rules? Then make a deal with them. Put a small clock next to their bed for example, and explain where the hands should be for them to get out of bed. You can also explain that it’s important for Mummy and Daddy to get enough sleep as well.
