Hello and welcome to 'The Sleepy Mums Club podcast,  I'm your host, Keri Rock, and we're going to dive into a topic that's got many of you watching the sunrise with your little ones - early rising. Let's demystify it, and arm you with strategies to encourage those precious hours of morning sleep. First off, we'll start by unwrapping the science of sleep. Sleep isn't as simple as closing our eyes and zoning out. It's a complex dance of hormones and cycles, all choreographed by a conductor known as the circadian rhythm. There are several stages of sleep, but the two most crucial for our discussion are REM and deep sleep. REM is the dream stage, and deep sleep is when the body does the majority of its growth and restoration. Both of these stages are vital for our little ones' development. The hormones we're most interested in are melatonin, which signals the body it's time for sleep, and cortisol, which nudges us awake. When everything's working well, melatonin levels rise in the evening, peak around midnight, and drop off towards morning. Cortisol, on the other hand, does the opposite, reaching its peak in the early morning.The circadian rhythm is your body's internal clock that operates on roughly a 24-hour cycle, influencing when we feel alert or sleepy. It's significantly impacted by light and darkness, which is why we naturally feel tired when it gets dark and awake when it's light. So why do some kids act like they're training for a career in dairy farming and waking at the crack of dawn? Often, it's because their sleep/wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, is out of sync with the day/night cycle. This can happen due to inconsistent bedtimes, late naps, or lack of exposure to morning light. Listen in to find out more.

Join our community of mums on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2084501758427300/

Follow Keri (My Sleeping Grace) on Instagram: www.instagram.com/my.sleeping.grace

Find out more about working with Keri: www.mysleepinggrace.com