4.30am Shenanigans!

[mrsmugoo]

I do feel a bit bad posting this on this board because I know there are people with a lot worse issues than this - indeed, my own situation has improved massively and I am truly grateful that my almost 9 month old goes down for bed about 7.30pm and I don't hear a peep out of him until around 4.30am…

…but from then it's a nightmare!

He wakes up and no amount of shushing, back rubbing or even a feed seems to settle him. This morning even after a feed he took an hour from 4.45 - 5.45am to go back to sleep - I leave him whinging and go back in at intervals to lay him back down and shush him.

After 4 or 5 trips across the hall, I was of course wide awake. He only slept for another hour and then we were up for the day. I couldn't manage to get back to sleep in that hour and so I've been awake since 4.30am. This is pretty typical.

I just don't really know what's best to do about this? I do go to bed early so I can sleep 10pm-whenever he wakes but it's still knackering to start your day at 4:30am! And I'm back at work now too.

He usually naps 3 hours after he wakes in the morning - so any time between 9:30/10am for an hour and then again after another 3 hours awake, so usually about 2. Again for about an hour, maybe an hour 15.

His bath time is 7pm and he goes down easily for bed about 7.30pm. I've tried earlier bedtimes, this just leads to even earlier wakings. Later bedtimes lead to absolute over tiredness horror meltdowns in the evenings.

I know this is yet another phase to be ridden out - just wondering if anyone else had had similar and if there's anything I can do to tweak his routine to help him sleep through - he has done it quite a few times, but it never sticks. I would be fine with rising for the day at 6am if it meant unbroken sleep but 4:30am is just too early for all this messing around.

[LimesMum]

Unfortunately I am unable to help you but we have EXACTLY the same problem word for word almost apart from DD sometimes even wakes at 330 and won't go back. It's killing me!!

There's been another thread on here recently about early rising that has lots of useful tips but sadly none have worked for us yet.

One of the main bits of advice seems to be about not letting them nap too early but you say 930-10am which sounds fine (although you say 3 hours after waking but thought LO was waking at 430? So am confused on that one?).

Are they able to self settle at bed time and at naps?

I really hope someone comes up with some advice that helps!!! Sorry I can't help

[mrsmugoo]

He generally does go back to sleep - but with an hour to an hour and a half of messing around first! It's me that's up for the day at 4:30 because by the time he's settled down, I'm too wound up to sleep - and it's only usually another 40-60 minutes.

[mrsmugoo]

And yes, he self settles fine for all sleeps, including throughout the early evening as we watch him do so on the monitor - which is why I've been feeding as I assumed hunger if he's not resettling himself when clearly still tired.

[LovelyWeatherForDucks]

My DS did the same, a lot! I think the advice I had was to cut the morning nap to 40 mins (ie one sleep cycle) so he isn't 'topping up' his night time sleep in the morning. Secondly keep doing what you are doing when he wakes - be totally consistent (ie go in, kiss/cuddle/back rub say its 'time to go back to sleep' and leave, avoid milk or picking up) he'll work out that it's still night time and nothing exciting happens! Now my DS is two he's much better, but persuading a 2 year old to go back to sleep if he wakes up early is impossible!! Or read up on 'wake to sleep' technique if you are feeling brave.

[LimesMum]

Oh wow, what if give got her to self settle!!! The day time naps cause me more stress than the night and early waking!!!

[mrsmugoo]

So cutting morning nap short then?

It goes against every fibre of my being as I spent the first 6 months agonising over his 40 minute catnaps!

[LimesMum]

Sorry my post makes no sense.

Meant to say what I'd give for her to self settle.

I know what u mean, I simply cannot wake her from her morning nap, just doesn't seem right

Currently pushing her like a mad woman in buggy in kitchen with extractor fan on, why am. I still doing this??!!

[mrsmugoo]

Well I did sleep training at 4 months and despite people on here claiming its tantamount to child abuse, it really has been one of the best parenting decisions I've made! Everyone more rested and happy.

[LimesMum]

I've done it 3 times for 3 weeks each time...

[icklekid]

Very similar here except 4 month old awake at 3.30 for 2h every morning. Tried bed earlier/later/dream feed. I give up and just go back to sleep at 5.30- he wakes up anywhere between 6.30-7 I'm hoping it won't last forever and just focused on getting sleep when I can. ..

[HowamIgoingtocope]

The clocks have changed. Takes them.a month or so to.sort themselves out.. I'd definitely go controlled crying. I've done it with both of mine who are now 3 and 7 and both go to sleep.as soon as their heads hit the pillow.

[LimesMum]

Just wondering whether these early wake ups have improved yet?!

[mrsmugoo]

Haha - funny you should mention it! Every time I post an issue on Mumsnet it seems to magically fix itself within days.

Yes, without doing anything much differently he is now sleeping through 8-7am completely.

The things that have changed that may or may not be factors are:

His solids intake has suddenly ramped up

I've shifted his afternoon nap slightly later and bedtime slightly later

I've changed his bedtime routine so feed happens before bath - this was done so that DH could do the bedtime routine and he wouldn't miss the snuggly breastfeed as much if it had already been substituted for an ordinary feed on the sofa.

So whilst my baby is sleeping 11 continuous hours - I've had some of the worst nights sleeps in ages due to this lingering cold I've got!!!

[LimesMum]

Wow that's great. I'm so jealous!!!

We've done sleep training which has helped the nights massively, touch wood, but not the early rising, we still wake 430-5 can't seem to sort it at all no matter what I try