Some early waking can be changed and some can’t, and a two-week sleep diary will show you which you have.
A two-minute read, three things to try, for children under 7.
Where to start
Keep a two-week sleep diary and add up your child’s sleep each day, naps included.
Fit blackout blinds, and keep the same wake-up time at weekends.
Treat anything before that time as night: “It’s still sleep time.”
If you’ve tried all this for a few weeks and nothing has changed, or you’re too tired to cope, talk to your health visitor or GP.
The rest of the tip, and why it works, is in the library.
Sources
Action for Children, Use a sleep diary to understand your baby or child’s sleep; The Sleep Charity, Bedroom Environment; Place2Be, My child has trouble going to sleep (Parenting Smart); NHS, Helping your baby to sleep (reviewed January 2025)
It goes with
The Hour Before Bed.For parents whose child’s bedtime has turned into an hour of worries, questions and meltdowns.
The first chapter you open here is free to read in full.
Free on this subject
Sleep.What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.
Parenting strategy.What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.
Published by Kensington Square Therapy. Company No. 16707111. Written by therapists registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). This page is not therapy, and not a substitute for professional support. The full library is at theparentbook.com.