The Early Rising Protocol: Fix 4-7am Wake-Ups (Step-by-Step)

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You've been up since 5am for three weeks straight. Your baby's early wakes feel impossible to fix, and everyone keeps saying "that's just babies." But what if it doesn't have to be?

In this episode, Sally and Bec walk you through their proven Early Rising Protocol—the exact steps they use with clients to shift those brutal 4-7am wake-ups later. They break down what actually counts as an early rise (spoiler: 5:30am after a 6pm bedtime isn't one), why less is more at this hour, and how to retrain your baby's internal clock without losing your mind.

What You'll Learn:

• The difference between an early rise and a "dicky schedule"

• Why food, light, and stimulation are sabotaging your mornings

• Exactly what to do (and not do) when baby wakes at 5am

• How to use minimal intervention to avoid overstimulation

• Why you must delay getting up until 7am—even if baby falls back asleep at 6:55

• The critical connection between early rising and your first nap timing

• Why pushing to a 9:30am first nap is non-negotiable

• Realistic timelines: why this takes 7-14 days (like jet lag)

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:43 What We Do & Why We Love Baby Sleep

04:00 Defining Early Rising vs. Dicky Schedule

06:04 The Early Rising Protocol Begins

08:34 Food, Light & Stimulation: The 3 Alarm Triggers

11:12 Treating 5am Like an Overnight Wake

14:02 Sleep Training Works for Early Rising Too

16:19 Less Is More: Minimal Intervention Strategy

19:33 Retraining the Internal Clock (Not Just Getting Back to Sleep)

22:05 The Jet Lag Analogy: Give It Time

23:24 The First Nap Connection: Push to 9:30am

26:30 Why Parents Avoid This (And Why You Should Start)

28:44 Sleep Detectives: Four-Hourly Feeds After Age One

32:59 Sleep Detectives: Transitional Sleep Sacks for Rolling

39:25 Fast Three: Dr. Sujay Kansagra Fangirling

🎙️ ABOUT NAP TRAPPED

Join sleep experts Sally Woods and Bec Maher as they tackle real parent sleep struggles with warmth, science, and zero BS. Nap Trapped makes baby sleep less mysterious and way more manageable.

Links

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https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/

https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/

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