Your baby's bedtime often determines his waking time the next day. If your child has adopted a sleep cycle that involves waking too early, putting him to bed later at night may be the solution. However, this requires re-setting his sleep patterns. Because your baby relies on consistent patterns, creating a new and consistent sleep schedule that focuses on a later bedtime will help your child go to sleep later.
Step 1
Evaluate your baby's waking schedule throughout the day, according to Dr. Sears. If she takes an early nap and then stays awake for an extended period of time before going to sleep, this extended period of time can make your child tired and want to go to bed earlier than needed. For this reason, delaying your child's nap or even incorporating an additional short nap can help your child go to bed later.
Step 2
Begin your baby's bedtime routine an hour later. Your baby relies on his bedtime ritual in order to signal to him that it is time to go to sleep. By making this process later, your child is likely to go to bed later.
Try to disturb little else about his sleep routine, however. Your baby's brain relies on patterns--by going to bed an hour later, re-adjusting this pattern may be slightly upsetting to baby. Keep your routine of a bath, reading, listening to music or cuddling to give your baby comfort, according to Dr. Sears.
Step 3
Keep more lights on at home in the evening hours. Babies are sensitive to light, according to the University of Michigan Health System. By creating a light-filled environment, you can make her feel as if it is daylight longer and help her to go to bed later.
Step 4
Feed your baby every three hours while she is awake. This will help reduce the need to feed in the middle of night, which may cause your baby to wake earlier. If your child goes to bed earlier, she may be accustomed to waking in the middle of the night for a feeding. By spacing out your baby's feedings to shorter periods during the day, she will be more likely to go to sleep and stay asleep.
Step 5
Comfort your child and reassure him that you will be nearby as he is falling asleep, according to Family Education. Your child may like to go to bed when it is lighter outside because the darkness makes him feel scared or unsure. Knowing that you are close by can help your child feel safe to go to sleep later.
