Does your child have trouble waking up when it is still dark in the early morning? Sandra Menoni, sleep consultant and founder of La Nuit des Petits, reveals her tips to help him wake up without rushing him too much.
With the Time change, and throughout the winter, the sun sets earlier and earlier and rises later in the early morning. Compared to the summer season, for example, it rises around 5:45 a.m. in June and around 8 a.m. in November. However, daylight synchronizes our internal clock, which is why children have difficulty getting out of bed when it is still dark outside. But what do you do when you have to wake up your child to go to daycare, the nanny or school when the sun is not yet up? Besides, what parent has not said this sentence to encourage their child to go to bed at night? “It’s dark outside, it’s time to go to sleep!” A bit paradoxical when we then ask him to get up in the middle of the night to get ready!
How to gently wake your child when it’s still dark outside?
Generally speaking, if you have to wake your child in the morning, it means that he has not finished his night, because a child wakes up when his body tells him that he has had his quota of sleep. “Rather than wondering how to wake him up, you must first ask yourself whether you are putting him to bed too late in the evening. If this is the case, putting him to bed earlier will automatically advance the time to get up. Biologically, a child considered a short sleeper sleeps on average 9.5 hours and a heavy sleeper 12 to 13 hours“, recommends Sandra Menoni.
Open the door to your room: this will allow light to enter from other rooms. “You should not hesitate to make a little noise in the house, to turn on the lights outside the bedroom so that little by little your body wakes up.“, advises the specialist. This should help him wake up naturally.
Use a lamp that will recreate the aurora : you can use a dawn simulator to encourage gradual, gentle awakening. “By imitating daylight, the child’s brain understands that it is time to wake up at the end of the cycle“, argues the sleep expert.
Finally, to encourage him to wake up gently, some parents have their own tricks such as encouraging the desire to get up by preparing a good breakfast or pancakes. Also avoid waking him up with too bright a light or too much noise, and use a clock or a small alarm clock suitable for children, so that he is aware of what time it is.