The Benefits Of An Early Bedtime For Your Little One

Have you ever tried to put your little one to sleep later in the night thinking that they will sleep in later in the morning? How’d that work out for you? My guess is it didn’t work out well. In this blog I want to get into why this doesn’t work, the consequences of a later bedtime and the benefits of an early bedtime for your little one. So read on!

Why A Later Bedtime Doesn’t Work

There are plenty of reasons why a later bedtime doesn’t work, but I am going to explain two of the most prevalent.

   - If you are doing a later bedtime, you will have to extend your little one’s last wake window which can lead to an overtired baby come bedtime.
   - In order to implement a later bedtime, you will more than likely have to give your baby their last nap later in the day which can lead to an under-tired little one when bedtime hits.

Both of these aspects lead to something that a parent tries to avoid at all costs.. an overtired or under tired little one. Having an under or overtired little one can lead to vicious cycles of sleep that are very overwhelming and exhausting for everyone involved.

The Consequences Of A Later Bedtime

So what are you risking if you try to start giving your little one a later bedtime? Well, there are a few important aspects to this. The most important one, and the one that can leave a big impact, is an overtired little one. This leads to a vicious cycle of unsettled sleep, frequent night wakings, and early morning wake times. This is exactly why it’s important to make sure you are consistent with your little one’s wake times and that you pay attention to their sleepy cues. Also, a bedtime routine is key because it helps your baby to know that it is time to wind down and get ready for sleep. If your baby starts to become overtired because they aren’t getting the proper amount of sleep at the right times, this can be a hard issue to break. It is doable though and with the right amount of sleep training and wake times, you can get your little one back on track in no time. If that is something you need help with, do not hesitate to send me a DM or email!

The Benefits Of An Early Bedtime

Okay, enough with the negative stuff - let’s get to the positives! Am I right?! Luckily there are plenty of positives with an early bedtime, including what it means for you. Putting your babe down early allows you to have more free time for yourself (and your hubby) at night. You can enjoy a nice, quiet dinner together. You can have that glass of wine you know you deserve and you may even be able to catch up on some shows you’ve been missing! Sounds like a mom win already… but wait, it gets better. The benefits an early bedtime can have for your little one are just as good!

   - Putting your little one to sleep earlier (between 7-8 pm) can help them to restore and revitalize their immune system, which is very important for a baby because their immune system isn’t that strong yet
   - When you put your babe to sleep earlier you are allowing them to get a deeper, restorative sleep because their melatonin levels will have a chance to build longer than they would if you put your little one to sleep later in the evening. Melatonin levels start to drop around 12am, regardless of when your babe went to sleep, so it’s wise to have them spend as much time as possible in a state of sleep with high melatonin levels.
   - Active sleep is in the second half of the night, from 12am to your babe’s set wake time in the morning (my son's set wake time is 7 am). During this half of the night, your baby is more likely to wake because they are in a light sleep. If your little one hasn’t been taught how to self-soothe now, they may fully wake between sleep cycles during this time (usually every 2 hours) and expect you to get them back to sleep. It is important to teach them this skill so that they can easily put themselves back to sleep when they wake between sleep cycles at night and for naps.


PRO TIP: If your little one is waking early in the morning due to being overtired, give them some time to figure it out before you rush in. It’s important to let them try to put themselves back to sleep without your help, and a lot of the time they will. When you rush in you aren’t giving them the chance to work through that on their own, so set a timer if you must and go in when it is up. If they wake early but aren’t crying, it is totally fine to leave them until their set wake time. This teaches them it’s not time to wake up yet and encourages them to sleep longer in the future.


If you liked this blog then you would love my Facebook group called Sleep Little One where I give advice and tips to overwhelmed and exhausted parents to help improve their little one’s sleep so that everyone can start getting the sleep they so desperately need! Come join us today!

Talk soon,