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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Is it normal..... Baby wakes between 5-7am every night

74 replies

Confusedmum23 · 26/06/2012 06:46

Hi, this is freaking me out and worrying me hell of a lot. My DS who is now 6 months 2 weeks old seems to wake between 5-7am, sometimes even earlier, and he would be trying to sit up trying to roll over looking for something to chew/suck on (been already leaving a few muslin cloth around in the cot as comforters). Just awake. Letting out little cries from time to time which per sleeping training means I would try not to tend to him and to let him be. I stay awake watching the baby video monitor hoping he falls asleep and I lose sleep too. I am worried that as I have read babies his age needs 14 hours sleep a day - and as he does not nap too well during the day and as I am still giving him the dream feed at 11pm, he is sleeping much less than required? I out him down for bedtime at 7pm. Sometimes he would fall back to sleep finally but at close to 7am when we have got to wake him.... Help anyone out who experienced the same and know what to do???? Thanks xxxx

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

newbielisa · 26/06/2012 07:00

Throw that book away that tells you how much sleep they should be having. I think it was written with only a few babies in mind. My DD, a notoriously active non sleeper, had her default alarm set to 5.15 at that age. It's not so different now 18 months later. At that age mine still woke about 4 times a night, God help me I don'tknow how I survived.

Babies/children are just little people, as adults some sleep well some don't.

Unfortunately the laissez faire attitude only comes with time.

bumbums · 26/06/2012 07:04

You can't fight his natural rhythm. A lot of babies his age wake for the day between 5 - 7am . Most go through an annoying phase of waking at 5am for the day.

You end up putting them down for a nap straight after breakfast (if I recall correctly) and then lunch is super early and they nap for longer after lunch.

This is a period of rapid development and so they do find it hard to switch off and sleep for long periods. Everything is just so interesting to them. It doesn't help that their dietry needs are changing and you can never be sure if they've eaten or drunk enough.

So, go with the flow and try to observe his tiredness cues. You may find your starting the day early and ending the day early for a few months. Then things settle down abit and he may sleep longer at night. You'll probably get back to the 7/7 routine in a few months.

Hope this makes sense.

horsemadgal · 26/06/2012 10:55

Thats fab sleep for a 6 month old surely?

5madthings · 26/06/2012 11:00

all mine have gone through an early waking stage, rather than leave him i would just get him up, if its after 5am, do bkfast, milk etc and then put them down for an early morning nap. its a pattern many babies go through and grow out of, my dd who is 18mths did it again recently, its a pita but they do grow out of it.

also one thought do you have black out blinds/curtains, could it be the light waking him? tho tbh if he goes to bed at 7pm then a good chunk of 10hrs sleep, even with a dream feed is really good at 6mths.

Belmo · 26/06/2012 20:10

That sounds brilliant to me!

Iggly · 26/06/2012 20:14

Have you tried feeding him at 5?

RandomNumbers · 26/06/2012 20:17

yes I would feed when he wakes, respond to his cues, as bumsbums says

musicmusic · 26/06/2012 21:22

Dear Iggly. some other other on this forum - ANgelDog had recommended me to contact you as you might have had experience with similar baby temper.

My 8 weeks old baby takes breast only AFTER nap times. He rarely has his eye open - after nap he will cry, I will take him - he has open eyes but as soon as I start feeding he will close his eyes as if sleeping, then open his eye at the end of the feed.

Do not know whether it is nursing strike and whether I can change it to nurse him before nap so that he does not cry?please help with ideas.

He does not want breast before naps ( occasionally will nurse before the nap, but it is very rare). Before each nap he cries to show that he is ready for nap and I will intuitively offer breast ? he will refuse - so the breast is not a source of comfort?

please let me know whether you had similar experience with feeding a baby only when he is half-asleep?

would really appreciate your reply

thank you
Krystyna

Original poster

Confusedmum23 · 26/06/2012 21:46

Hi all, thanks for your responses! I didn't feed him at 5-ish am as he hadn't cried for feed. As mentioned it is just freaky to me that he would wake and then spend over an hour fumbling about in his cot. Little cries yes, but (touch wood) little ones mean that I should not attend to him per sleep training? I out him down for his morning nap around 9-ish. Well I am surprised that some of you think he is sleeping brilliantly - I have always been "ashamed" of myself that I couldn't never get my baby to sleep 7-7 or for at least 6 hours in one stretch unlike everyone with babies that I know e.g. my NCT class who seems to have perfect babies but me!!! Thanks all x

OP posts:

Piemistress · 26/06/2012 22:05

Dont listen to your ante natal chums, i find people can exaggerate some what when it comes to sleep, almost like its a compétition!

Willsmum79 · 27/06/2012 07:40

Confusedmum23 - Are you sure you aren't talking about my child?? Lol!

Will is 6 months old on Saturday and he too goes to sleep at 7pm. He wakes on his own between midnight and 1:30am for a feed (takes 8oz- the most he ever takes in 24 hours!) and then all of a sudden has started to wake between 5 and 7am!!! He has 3, 40 minute naps a day.

This morning he woke at 5am. I contained him in his cot til 5:50am. He wasn't hungry. Just awake. He had a bottle at 7am (took only 5oz) and is now asleep!!

They go through a 'developmental leap' around 6 months which can include sleep regression.

It does make you paranoid that you're doing something wrong especially when a lot of mums say their LO slept through the night from being 6 or 8 weeks old! I have a friend like that but Will has only slept THREE times through the night since being born!

We're all different and from what I hear, perfectly normal for babies to wake that early. For my Will, he is 9 1/2 weeks early! I need him to wake at 5:30am at the latest to get him to the childminders for 7am from September as going back to work!

sashh · 27/06/2012 10:18

Don't worry, you just have a morning person. Ignpore people with perfect babies, they either lie or have nannies.

As long as he is happy then what is the problem? Is he happy? Is he healthy?

I hate to tell you this, I was a wake up and quite happy on my own baby - if you look at my posts on here you will see that I am still an early waker.

ceeveebee · 27/06/2012 10:27

My DTs are a similar age and they often are already awake when DH goes in to change their nappies at about 630. I have no idea how long they've been awake for as they don't cry, they just play with their comforters and babble to each other. By about 630-7 they start to make noises do I feed them. So if he's just waking but not upset or anything I wouldn't worry about it. If he needed more sleep he'd stay asleep. Does he have daytime naps?

nannyof3 · 27/06/2012 10:29

If he goes to sleep at 7pm and wakes at 5am, u are very very lucky !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Iggly · 27/06/2012 18:35

Hi musicmusic I've PMd you!

Heavensmells · 27/06/2012 18:58

Bit gutted there are no solutions as my 7mo does this. He is still tired and and is often really grumpy when we get up. He's not hungry or anything he just has a bit a moan and rolls all over the cot.

gloucestergirl · 27/06/2012 20:56

My DD wakes up at 5 am every morning. Every morning she is so happy to be awake that she talks and giggles while kicking and wiggling. Every morning I plead with her to go back to sleep and stop being so bloody cheerful. Then I admit defeat and get up at 6-7. Actually if left in her cot she would be grumpy and start crying, so I bring her into bed with me. That way at least someone is happy at stupid o'clock.

MrsHuxtable · 27/06/2012 21:26

What is this sleep training you keep referring to?

Original poster

Confusedmum23 · 27/06/2012 21:34

Hi all, so glad that I am not the only one to experience this of my LO. Yes he does have naps: 30 mins in the morning, 1.5-2 hours at lunchtime and 30 mins between 4-5pm. Gloucestergirl, I used to be doing what you are doing but i got so exhausted. After the dream feed I would only get into bed at around midnight, and although my DS would start stirring from close to 5am, I would wake a few times before that to check the time!!!! And then when he finally really stirs, then I would be awake watching the time again! And arch the past 2 nights he has been stirring from 4am!

OP posts:

TheGalliantLadyDidymus · 28/06/2012 06:50

Sounds like you are following gina Ford.

Everyone is correct when they say a lit of babies wake at 5am for the day, I currently have one of them and he is nearly 2.

Imo you have 3 options.

Wake up with him when he wakes or starts calling out to you.
Start dropping the early evening nap so he?s down to morning & lunchtime nap only. You could do this by reducing the early evening nap by 10mins every few days until he is no longer having it at all which may (or may not) help him sleep a bit longer in the mornings.
Throw the book away and just follow your baby?s lead.

Sleep training isn't really recommended for babies under a year old.

But just to repeat what everyone else says, it sounds like you have a brilliant sleeper and Really wouldn't worry about all your friends ?perfect? babies. The worst thing you can do is compare. All babies are different and you will just drive yourself crazy if you keep comparing.

fishybits · 28/06/2012 07:03

I've been lying here for the past hour mning listening to 6 month old DD chat away to herself, roll around the cot, play with her toys and doze as she does every morning. It has never once occurred to me to get her up, feed or disturb her as she is clearly very happy. Believe me if she was unhappy, she'd let me know very loudly

Original poster

Confusedmum23 · 28/06/2012 20:58

Hi TheGalliantLadyDidymus, you are not wrong that I am following the GF routine. In fact I started when he was week 3 and due to various reasons as I was told, mainly due to GERD, that I have not gone very far. By now according to the book he would betaking his naps well and sleeping 7-7. I have to agree with fishybits that I think I would wake for him to cry before attending to him, perhaps that is what you mean by option 1)? I tried dropping the early evening nap - in fact per GF's routine I should have done it, but as he does not nap well at lunchtime if he does not have an early evening nap he would not last through dinner and bath i.e. 5pm which is way too early for bedtime. Thanks for your encouragement, I have been feeling very useless as a mother due to the "comparing"!!!!

OP posts:

ceeveebee · 28/06/2012 21:18

confused I also started with GF but it soon became apparent that she didn't know my particular babies! My two have developed their own routines with a 40 minute nap about 9am, another at 12pm, another at 2pm and then DTS usually has 20 minutes in the afternoon but DTD doesn't need it. They both sleep 7pm to 6am though. All babies are different.

TheGalliantLadyDidymus · 29/06/2012 08:55

Yes. When I say get up with him when he wakes or starts calling out for you I mean if he wakes at 6am but is quite happy to play/chat away in his for for a bit then by all means leave him to it and get a bit of extra sleep in yourself until he starts getting fussy or crying out for you.

If he wakes up at 6am and starts crying out straight away then it?s probably best to just go and see to him.

Just remember that in 12 ish years you are probably going to have a problem actually getting him out of bed at all. [Wink]

TheGalliantLadyDidymus · 29/06/2012 08:56

Hang on, why did my not work?

This new phone is crap !

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