With the nights drawing in and my morning commute kicking off before sunrise, I was totally not prepared for the struggle that is rousing a toddler from their slumber when it’s still dark. One word: impossible.
Sometimes I’ll go into my daughter’s room and talk to her. Sometimes I’ll sing songs. Sometimes I’ll switch the lights on.
Often there’s a mixed reaction to my methods. In some instances, she won’t wake up at all. In others, she’ll stir and end up in the most horrendous mood known to man.
It turns out there’s a very simple explanation for this – our bodies tend to sync with daylight, so waking up before sunrise generally feels... unnatural. And this applies to kids, too.
But if you haven’t really got a choice and need to wake your child up early – for instance, if you’ve got to get to work and get them to childcare beforehand, or you need to catch a flight somewhere – what can you do?
3 expert-approved tips to wake kids up
1. Don’t go in guns blazing
Parenting expert Kirsty Ketley, known as Auntie K, told Fabulous the trick with younger kids is not to startle them with loud noises (oops) or bright lights (double oops).
Instead, she recommends a more gradual approach, starting with opening their bedroom door to let some light in from other rooms, like the landing or bathroom.
Make a small amount of noise and gradually build this to help slowly wake them from their slumber. The expert suggests this calmer approach won’t put them in a cranky mood, either.
2. Pique their interest
If that doesn’t work, paediatrician and sleep medicine specialist Dr Daniel Erichsen told Romper that while there’s no preferred way to wake a toddler up or stop them from getting upset, “there’s one trick that can help”.
Intrigued? Me too. The paediatrician suggested the key to rousing them is with a hefty dose of excitement.
“Imagine a child who’s always dragging, but Christmas Day they jump out of bed right away! This shows that when a child is excited about something, they wake up much easier and in a better mood,” he said.
Maybe they get excited about breakfast, in which case it’s time to exclaim: PANCAKES. Maybe they love a particular song, in which case, play it. You get the idea.
3. Switch phones for clocks
With older children, Ketley recommends sticking to a plain old alarm clock rather than a phone alarm to help wake them.
This is because having a phone by their bedside might encourage them to be on it late at night, or even in the middle of the night.
A classic alarm clock is therefore more conducive to a good night’s sleep and (hopefully) a happier wake-up experience.
Good luck.