You finally figured out how to get your kid to sleep, now you are desparate to get her to stay asleep... past 6am. Today, Parents Ask expert Elizabeth Pantley, author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers offers simple solutions for a mother of an early bird...

Q: 
We don’t need an alarm clock at our house. Our daughter wakes up every morning before 6. Is she just an early bird, or can we somehow get her to sleep later?



A: 
Less than 15% of children are natural early birds. Most are waking up early for outside reasons that can be changed. You can tell if your little one is really a lark is if she wakes up cheerfully on her own, sleeps soundly, and goes to bed early and easily. Even if you have a lark, you might be able to squeeze a bit more sleep time in the morning if use some of these solutions.




Dim the Lights.


Daylight, street lights or house lights can cause a light sleeper to wake up early.
Solution: Cover the windows, and keep the room dark until the appropriate wake-up time.

Cut the Noise. 
Some children are easily roused when they hear voices, traffic, pets, plumbing sounds, or neighbors.
Solution: Use a radio set to a classical music or talk show station, or a white-noise machine to mask outside noises. You can set it like an alarm to go off on a quiet volume about an hour before your child’s typical awakening time so that other noises don’t rouse her.



Prepare for Nature’s calls.


Perhaps her diaper, training pants, or pull-ups are wet, or she has to use the bathroom.
Solution: Give your child less liquid in the hour or two before bed. Provide several pre-bedtime potty visits. Use diaper doublers or extra-thick nighttime diapers. If she’s totally potty-trained, teach her how to use the bathroom by herself during the night and leave a nightlight on in the hallway.



Prevent Morning Hunger. 


Does your lark want breakfast as soon as she’s up? Maybe her tummy rumblings wake her.
Solution: Give her a low-sugar, high-carbohydrate snack before bedtime. Provide her with a bowl of crackers and a cup of water on her nightstand. 


Change a Habit. 


Maybe your lark has been waking up early for a long time and now her internal clock alarm goes off at that time.
Solution: Gradually adjust her night and nap sleep schedule until she is sleeping and waking at a better time.

Fix a Misaligned Nap routine.


Is your child napping too early, too late, too often, or too long?
Solution: Reorganize her nap schedule to be sure your child gets plenty of daytime sleep at the right times of day.



Try a few of these ideas and gain a few more minutes of morning shut-eye for everyone in the family.