Help - 4 month old with dawn waking issue. Any advice?

[Honeybee79]

Hi

DS is nearly 4 months and has slept through the night from about 5 weeks. He goes to bed at about 8pm and gets up at about 7.30/8am. He's started waking at 5am and grizzling on and off for about an hour. It's definitely not hunger and the grizzling doesn't really escalate to actual full-scale crying.

I've ruled out obvious causes - full nappy, room too hot/too cold, wind, etc.

Could it be something to do with shifting sleep gears/sleep rhythms?

Is this just a phase we need to ride out?

Any advice appreciated.

bump

Hi

This may not be very helpful to you but I'm experiencing exactly the same thing! My 19 week old (just over 4 months) has started waking at 5AM exactly every day.

He's never slept through but hasn't been a bad sleeper and we could always get him to go back to sleep until later until recently.

I've spoken with the health visitors who suggested ? it was time to wean - but I want to wait longer and with my DS there are no other signs such as being unsatisfied with etc.

I am BF but give a bottle of formula at night and the HV also suggested trying Aptimil milk for hungry babies but this has made no difference for us - might be also worth a try though.

Also, dream feeding before bed - again made no difference to us but might be worth trying before you go to bed if you haven't already.

I wondered whether his poor daytime napping may affect things too? He naps for 1/2 hour around 9AM, sometimes another 1/2 later morn and then an hour in the aft max - no matter what I do, in or out, car seat etc, can't get him to have any more. They say, good daytime naps help nigh time sleep.

Also, when we put him to bed he often falls asleep feeding and I thought maybe this wasn't great as it wasn't teaching him how to go to sleep himself in the cot so when he wakes at 5AM (apparently around this time is baby's lightest sleeping time), he can't get himself back to sleep. So, we've started putting him to bed earlier - about 6-7, to try and help him go down awake. He cries for 10 mins or so and then goes off fine, but is still waking at 5 at the mo, but intend on carrying this on for a few more days. Might be worth trying if you have similar problems?

This morning I did feed him and he did go back off, but like you - I'm sure he wasn't hungry and I'm mindful of feeding for comfort creating problems later on. Also, this doesn't fit with the E.A.S.Y method which I sort of try and stick to.

Thanks polar. I'm also kind of following EASY at the moment.

I haven't tried a dream feed but might give it a go tonight. My DS is a big, hungry baby but I don't think he's ready for weaning yet either and I don't think he's waking through hunger. I suspect he's just entering a period of light sleep and struggling to settle. Hopefully it will improve!

Could it be something as simple as a blackout blind for his room? Or does your heating start at that time, so there are noises from the radiators or boiler etc?

get used to it? Babies are a mystery...

This is the 4 month sleep regression, lots of us are going through the same thing. Have a look on teh sleep thread

I think it might be that the mornings are getting lighter so am def going to get a black out blind.

I am just working on accepting it for the time being. He does settle himself again after about 45 mins - to an hour

If mine wakes between 5-7am I just bring him into bed with me, that usually ensures another couple of hours sleep.

My son woke up at 5 or 6 am every morning right up until he was about 6 yrs old ! Even if he went to bed at 6 or 7 pm.

Its just the way he was. We didn't used to rush into him even if he grizzled and he learned to amuse himself until we got him up.

As he is only very young it probably will pass so long as you don't get anxious about it and rush in to him all the time.

Davsmum - thanks. I don't rush in to him at all as the grizzle never escalates into full blown crying. He does sooth himself and go back to sleep after 45 mins or so. Agree that rushing in and picking him up would not be sensible!