Why Is My Baby Up At 5am? Troubleshooting early wakes

Why Is My Baby Up at 5am?

A free troubleshooting guide for babies from around 4 months

If your baby is wide awake at 5am and ready to start the day, you’re not alone, and you haven’t done anything wrong.

There’s rarely one simple fix. Just putting your baby to bed later often doesn’t work on its own. This guide helps you work out why your baby is waking early, then shows you what to try for each cause.

Inside you’ll find:

• Why 5am is such a hard time for sleep
• How to work out your baby’s sleep tank
• 8 checks to find the cause: too much sleep, the night already being long enough, an unbalanced day, nap transitions, feeds, the room, habits and new skills
• What to try for each one
• How to gently shift your baby’s body clock, including smaller steps for babies who struggle
• A quick “at a glance” checklist

No wake window charts and no one-size-fits-all routines.

About me

I’m Louise, an OCN Level 6 sleep coach and twin mum.

General information only, not medical advice. Always follow the Lullaby Trust safer sleep guidance.