Sleep - early waking

[Linz2]

My son is almost 14 months old and am very lucky that he has been going to bed at 7 for 6 months or more now and does not wake during the night. Until just before xmas he pretty much awoke 6-6:30 onwards and ready for 1 and half or 2 hr nap 9:30 to 10am. For a few weeks over xmas possibly coinciding with 1st walking and a stomach bug xmas day he slept 7 to 7 still with same nap but a little later but same amount of nap. For last couple of weeks he has gone to bed at same time but has taken to waking 5:15ish sometimes a bit later, this morning 5am, having gone to bed at 7:10 night before but he did nap 9:45 to 12:15. Whatever time he wakes/goes to bed he still seems to need same amount of naptime. He seems happy to amuse himself/doze on and off for upto an hour sometimes and then understandbly gets bored and ready for milk or sometimes he will nod off again til just before 7 but only a couple of time has done this. He is a big lad for his age (not fat) he will always eat every meal if he whinges after a meal a few raisins or a ricecake seems to sort him out. I don't think early waking is hunger as he has cereal & toast for breakfast, light lunch/pudding and good sized eve meal followed by fruit. I have started giving a couple of healthy snacks inbetween lately since walking. Please don't see this as a moan as I really do count myself lucky that he does not wake during the night but I just feel waking before 6am is becoming a bit of an unsociable hour and means even earlier to bed myself ready for early waking. Is this a phase for his age as now walking? Any suggestions on feeding/naptime?

P.S Am currently using an Avent 9+ drink cup with soft spout for teeth. I want him to help himself to his water but with this spout he seems to dribble alot with it and gets soaked. Any suggestions on good non drip drinking cups for 14 month old?

Sorry this was lengthy but have a tendency to waffle!

Linz

Linz

My dd is 13 months old and is doing the same thing-in bed at 7, sleeps through but is waking at 5 or 5.30 every morning.So I hope its just a stage-but as a first timer dont really know.
dd is wide awake and ready to play at 5 as well so not even any chance of a snuggle and a doze!
Hopefully they will grow out of it?
Sorry to be not much help..

Afraid I'm not going to be much help either. One day they will sleep in longer although I'd be interested to hear from others just how long the phase can last. My DD (just 2) started waking most mornings about 5.15 from the age of 11 months. She was going to bed at 7pm and obviously had not slept enough because she wanted to nap by 7.30 am. She would easily sleep 3 hours in the morning and have another 1 hour nap in the afternoon.
She has now improved and wakes usually between 6 and 6.30 am although is capable of sleeping until 7.30 on occasion. After a year of rising by 6.30 I of course am unable to benefit from these 'lie ins'
Your baby's morning naptime sounds normal. Some say an earlier bedtime ie 6pm can help (it didn't work for us). I refused to give her her morning milk until 6am so her stomach wouldn't get used to eating early. So we would have 45 minutes of quiet play or (when I just had to doze on the sofa) Teletubbies.
Then later on I just resorted to 'It's not morning yet, go back to sleep' which would be met by howls of protest from the cot as I closed the door and sometimes for a few minutes and on occasion until 6am when I would go and tell her it was morning and she could get up. Months of rising at 5.15 make you tough!
I don't think it is linked to how much they eat at this age. BTW my DS (nearly 4) has always been at 12 hours at night sleeper since he cut out night feeds at 9 months with daytime naps gradually diminishing to nil. He slept even longer for a few months after he learnt to walk.

Sorry to be so depressing. I know of other kids who have had this phase for just a few months and I'm sure there are others out there who have beaten DDs record. You just have to get used to going to bed early to survive. The bright side is that we don't have a morning rush and have time to play before DS1 goes to school. We are in France and he gets home at 5pm so there isn't much time in the evenings.

Hasn't anyone got any other suggestions/advice for us early rising Mums? Also sorry about hijacking your thread for a rant Linz2. Mondays are always hardest as I'm not so good at going to bed at a sensible time at the weekends.

DD1 was an early riser - we had 18 months of her waking anytime after 5. i got very used to the 5.30 CBeebies trailer
she is now nearly 3 and sleeps til 6.30/7 - something i could only have dreamed of a year ago. i'm not sure whether it is her having dropped her daytime nap, but i spend between 5.30 and 6.30pm feeding them after their day at nursery - pittas, carrots, apples, yoghurt, you name it they get it. I think that has stopped her waking early for her milk.

DD2 is 16months and isn't sleeping through - however if she wakes before 6.15 i treat it like any other night wakening - shhhh, shhhh and sometimes give her her milk in her cot. That usually buys us another hour.

Linz2 - i would try and reduce his morning nap to shift his body clock a bit, it seems very early and very long.
Have you tried moving it until after lunch (even if it means he is having lunch at 11.30 for a while?)

p.s. re cups, i just use a tommee tippee first cup this