Baby sleep and naps and 5am starts!

[RachelG]

Hello everyone, just wondering if anyone has any good suggestions.

Matthew is 8 months old - a terrible sleeper for months, but settled down to just one wake-up per night a few weeks ago. He went backwards when I returned to work 2 weeks ago, but seems to be getting back to his one wake-up again now. I feed him just that once, and he goes straight back to sleep.

For the last 3 days he's woken at 5am. I can persuade him to play in his cot till 6am, then he wants to get up. Consequently he's getting more tired in the day, wanting to nap for longer. The last couple of days I've had to wake him from his naps, otherwise he'd sleep for about 6 hours in total I reckon. He usually has a total of 3 hours of naps during the day, then bed at 7.30pm (goes to sleep immediately).

I've got blackout curtains, so it's not daylight waking him so early. And he's not unhappy when he wakes - just ready to start the day!

I desperately don't want him to shift his sleep so he ends up having as much in the day as at night. I'm back at work now, so really can't cope with 5am starts every day!

I'm hoping that by sticking to his routine, and waking him from naps if necessary, he'll start sleeping for longer again. He used to sleep till 7am every morning.

Any ideas?

Thanks very much

Unfortunately I think you may just have an early bird. Apparently early wakers are most likely to be active little boys.

All I can suggest is that, when you're ready you cut out the middle of the night feed so that at least you are getting to sleep through.

My 11 month old went through a phase of waking at 5/5.30am at about 8 months (started crawling, pulling up etc), but is now going til 6 on a bad day, 7 on a good one. With luck this 5am thing is a 'phase' and your ds will start to go longer. At least he is waking happy. I would stick to your normal nap routine, wake him so he's not sleeping all day, even if that means he's tired and grumpy. He'll get there in the end.

I sympathise. Am in bed by 9.30 most nights. I miss staying up for crap tv/reading til small hours, but need to be awake for work and to look after ds.

Good luck

mcnoodle - early wakers = active little boys? Yup, I've been blessed with 2 of 'em!

Oh bloody hell, I have a 5am waker too, looks like I'm destined for a few years of exhaustion!

DS1 is 4.4 and DS2 is 20m, so I've now had 4.4 years plus pregnancy induced discomfort of early mornings (also lots of night waking) and am now beyond exhausted. So good luck with it, just hang in there, I'm told it gets better!

Me too, DD is 13 moths old and wakes religiously at 5 for a play / cuddle / feed. Nothing makes any difference alas - on work days I get there super early as a result (am at desk by 7.30) but on non work days (I am PT) I go back to sleep for a bit. I think it is just a Q of waiting for them to grow out of it and catching the sleep when we can!

It is very reassuring to know that there are other mums out there greeting the day at an ungodly hour.....

Take care.

I have the same problem! Although last night I think i may have cracked it - he slept til 7.20am after 9 months of 5-6am wakings. Put a bottle of water and a dummy in his cot, and supplemented blackout curtains (which weren't totally working) with beach towels stuffed in the places where light got in. It may not work again tonight but here's hoping! 3 hours of naps may still be a little too much? - Good luck.