How to Use an OK to Wake Clock to Help Your Toddler Sleep Later

One of my kiddos has this creepy way of ever so slightly tapping me when I’m sleeping. He reserves this phantom-like tap for when he’s up too early or in the middle of the night – like he wants me to be awake and aware, but not so awake that I send him back to bed. And the quiet and raspy “mommy…mommy…M O M M Y” whisper that goes along with the tapping is pretty unsettling too.

When my other kids wants me in the night, he comes in full throttle, immediately burrowing under the blankets and wedging his little body into any nook between my body parts he can find. Nothing subtle or creepy about it. Just pure and unbridled snuggle-seeking. 

Lucky for me, the creepy night-waker is 11 years old now, and he only wakes me if truly needs me, which is almost never anymore.

But the full throttle snuggler is almost 7, and his ok-to-wake clock definitely keeps him in check. As much as I love those full contact and enthusiastic snuggles, what I love more is him staying in his room until 6:30 AM so I can get the full night’s rest I need to thrive. And his hatch light makes it happen 99% of the time (PS - I don’t get a kickback from that link, I just love the product).  

There are loads of toddler clocks out there, and loads of desperate parents investing in this heavily marketed product. If you know me well, you know that I generally pooh-pooh all the baby industry gadgets (preying on exhausted and desperate parents). There is no product that will suddenly make your kid’s sleep perfect or parenting easy.

But, when used correctly, toddler clocks are one product I actually recommend. 

Let’s talk about how to make that OK-to-Wake clock keep your kiddo in bed longer, so that you get a delightful return on investment. But first, what’s a toddler clock and who can it help? 

What is a Toddler Alarm Clock? 

OK-to-Wake clocks give toddlers a visual cue to follow, telling them when it’s night and when it’s day, or “OK to wake” up time. Red, stay in bed, and green means go! You can actually program the colors with some of these products so your kid gets to pick which color designates day and night. Others depict nighttime and daytime scenes, some are shaped like stars or animals, and there’s even one that’s a stop light with a little train and conductor. Too many choices! Too many options! But they all work.

Just know that any of these can work when you use it correctly.

When Might you Need an OK-to-Wake Clock? 

If your child is 2+ years old and getting out of bed too early or leaving their room at night, a toddler clock can help them stay put until it’s time to start the day. 

Again, the key is the visual cue. If you just tell your kid: “stay in bed all night,” but they can’t tell time, when they wake up at say 4:00 AM, they will have no clue if it’s daytime or nighttime. Yes, you can tell them that if it’s dark outside it is nighttime, and they’ve gotta stay put, but what about the fact that it’s not dark at bedtime much of the year and you want them sleeping then too? Or what about naps? Or the sun may rise before your family is ready to start the day! These nuances and inconsistencies are confusing to little kids and make it difficult for them to learn. 

Little kids need simplicity and consistency to learn. A toddler clock makes it crystal clear to them when they can leave the room and start the day, and when they cannot. 

When Should My Kid Start Using a Toddler Clock?  

I’ve found that the sweet spot for toddler clocks is about two to six years old. But again, my almost 7 year old still uses his and I'm pretty sure it buys me an extra 15-30 minutes of sleep per night. 

Also, it won’t work seamlessly for all two year olds, because their executive function and impulse control aren’t great yet. For example, your two year old may love the idea of their pink toddler clock at bedtime but they don’t care one iota what color it is at 5:00 AM when they’re awake and won’t stop until they find another warm body. 

For younger toddlers, these clocks offer a great way to begin teaching the concept of time. “Hey, look,” you might say, “the clock is red now so it’s time for us to get in bed!” Or when they call for you at 3:00 AM: “Oh look, the clock is still red so we’ve got to stay in bed.” Or at 7:00 AM when it’s time to get ready for preschool “You stayed in bed until the light turned green! Way to go! Now let’s get up and greet the sun and start our day.” 

5 Steps to OK-to-Wake Clock Success

Do Toddler Clocks Work? Well, Maybe. It’s all about the execution. Follow these steps for Ok-to-Wake success. 

Step 1: Pick out the clock together. Or, if you already bought one, let your child open up the box. You’ll get more buy in this way. It’s fun to get a toddler clock, not a punishment!

Step 2: Explain what it is in simple terms (e.g. “Red means bed” and “green means go,” or let them pick what color means awake and what color means in bed). Note: avoid blue, green, turquoise, purple or any color with blue light in it for the nighttime color because blue lights can interfere with the circadian rhythm. 

You might even draw a little picture together (stick figures are just fine!) to really solidify their understanding of the clock “rules.” For example, the picture could show two scenes: first, them laying in bed with their eyes closed, with a red circle next to the bed. Then, them up and playing, with a green circle.

Step 3: Practice during the day. After you’ve talked about how it works, play pretend. Your kiddo can be the adult and you can be the child. Turn out the lights and have them tuck you in when the light turns the nighttime color. Be sure to make big yawns and stretches to really play the part and make it fun for them. Set up the program so you only have to be “asleep” for a couple of minutes. BTW, kids love fake snoring. 

Then switch it up and let them practice (so now you’re the parent again and they’re the kid)! You can also play pretend bedtime with their stuffed animals or dolls, or trucks if you have one of those kids who brings a truck with them everywhere they go.

Step 4: After the pretend play, talk about how you’ll start using the clock at bedtime tonight. Set the expectations and make it crystal clear. When the light is red, do you expect your kiddo to stay in their bed or are they just not allowed to leave their room? Do they have to stay quiet? Make sure they know exactly what’s expected. Tell them what happens if they leave their room or otherwise disregard the clock. AND STICK TO THESE RULES. 

If they break the clock’s “rules” guide them back to their bed and point to the clock. It’s the clock that’s setting the rules, not you. “Oh darn, the clock is still red. We have to go back to bed now.”

Step 5: Set the clock time. 

Set the clock for their typical wake up time (no matter how early that is!) to start. We want them to feel successful the first night they use the clock. When you waltz in and greet them with big smiles and high fives, even if on the inside you want to crawl back in bed for another hour or three, they’ll be so proud of themselves for their success. This is intrinsic motivation, folks. It feels good to succeed so they’ll want to do it again the next night. So much growth can happen from here. 

Move the clock’s OK-to-wake time later by 10 or 15 minutes every few days or week and you’ll eventually reach a reasonable wake up time that works for both you and your little morning lark. But be reasonable! A toddler clock won’t keep your kid in bed until 7:30 AM if their internal biological clock is programmed to wake up at 6:00 AM. They’ll get bored, frustrated, and angry. Download our free Sleep Needs by Age Guide with sample schedules to help you determine what’s reasonable for your child. And definitely read our blog on early rising! 

Common Toddler Clock Pitfalls

If you have a toddler clock and it’s not working, chances are that one of the issues below is sabotaging your efforts. 

Inconsistent enforcement or use

If sometimes you follow the toddler clock rules and sometimes you don’t, your kid will be confused and they won’t learn to stay in bed. 

When you’re first introducing the clock, you may have a night or two of push back from your kid (e.g. “I don’t care if da light red! Me not tired! I go watch Paw-Patrol NOW!” So you may have to deal with a tantrum or two as they adjust and learn, but being consistent is absolutely essential. Or sometimes this happens out of the blue after a previous stint of success. Either way, you’ve got to hold the line firmly, and calmly. 

If the house rules are that you stay in your room with the lights off until the light turns green, that’s what you’re gonna do come hell or high water from your kid. 

Also, if you only turn it on a few days per week, they’ll have a hard time learning. Use it every night.

Unrealistic Expectations 

If you want your toddler or preschooler to sleep until 8:00 AM and you’re hoping the toddler clock will be your golden ticket, you’re going to be disappointed. Figure out what’s reasonable for your unique child–and honestly, that may be 6:00 AM–and let that be your goal. Yeah, it’s not ideal. I wish my first grader slept later and my middle schooler went to bed earlier, but it’s not realistic. An 11 year old probably won’t be ready for bed at 7:30 PM and it’s perfectly normal for an Elementary aged kid to wake up at 6:30 AM. 

How do I manage this disconnect between what I want and what my reality currently is? I take a deep breath and remind myself that this is normal, I have kids, and I have to carve out time for myself to get my alone time and quiet time needs met. But putting my kids to bed too early or expecting them to sleep later than what’s biologically reasonable for them is not going to get me anywhere (other than to a state of discontent and frustration). 

Also, keep in mind that if your kid is in bed longer than they can actually sleep, they run the risk of diminished sleep quality, insomnia, and worst of all–at least in the mind of this Sleep Coach–a negative association with their bed and sleep. You’ll also start every morning with a frustrated and mad kid which isn’t a great way to start the day if you ask me. 

So please, please, please be realistic about what time you set the light to turn green…or maybe they picked pink, purple, yellow or even rainbow colored.  

You Haven’t the Implemented Healthy Sleep Foundations First

If bedtime is mistimed, your kid has no bedtime routine to help anchor them into sleep mode, they watch youtube videos until they crash, they nap too much or not enough, and/or they feel insecure in their sleep space, chances are that the toddler clock won’t do you much good. But please don’t stress! Helping folks establish a healthy foundation for sleep with their kids is one of our greatest pastimes. Take a look at our Top 10 Tips for Stellar Sleep e-book and you’ll be on your way. 

What’s the Best Toddler Clock? 

Really, any of them so long as you follow all the guidance above. The best one is probably the one that your kid thinks looks the coolest. Or if you’re on a budget, the best one is the cheapest one. 

But, the toddler clock I recommend most often to my clients is the Hatch Rest (again, sadly, no kickback from me for clicking this link). I think it's the best ok-to-wake clock because of how adaptable it is, and easily you can set the programs for your specific needs. For example, you can make the light brighter at bedtime and dimmer in the middle of the night. You can set up a program to make it REALLY dim between bedtime and wake up time, so if your kid wakes in the middle of the night they can still see it–providing the psychological comfort of a night light without disrupting sleep due to brightness. You can also run separate nap programs. You can even add in an additional light color for older kids if there’s a time when they can get up and play independently, but not get you yet. 

But again, any ok-to-wake clock will work if healthy sleep foundations are in place and you follow the steps above! 

Be sure to check out our blog post on early-rising to make sure that you’ve got all your bases covered – a toddler clock alone won’t get your kid to sleep later or longer if the early rising is due to mistimed bedtime or some other foundational sleep issue like not feeling secure in their sleep space or being too hot.

Let us know how your adventures in toddler clock land play out in the comments below!

At Little Dipper Sleep, we deeply understand the importance of quality sleep for individuals of all ages. We have years of experience helping adults, parents, babies, children, and teens discover the healthy sleep they need to thrive. The team at Little Dipper Sleep has developed evidence-based programs and techniques, tailored to your specific needs and preferences, that will help you and your loved ones achieve a peaceful and restful night's sleep. With Little Dipper Sleep, stellar sleep is on the horizon. Let's discover your best sleep together by setting up your free consultation today!

Psst: did you know we now do Perimenopause Sleep Coaching too? This is a largely neglected and misunderstood phase of life that comes with many unique symptoms, insomnia and disrupted sleep, just to name a few. I have personally experienced this misery, worked through it, and am highly motivated to help other folks avoid the suffering (or get out of it ASAP!). Set up your free consultation with me (Liz Harden, MPH, Founder and Lead Sleep Coach) today!