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Parenting

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Original poster

what do you do when your baby wakes up in the middle of the night and wants to play?

18 replies

honeytea · 05/07/2013 03:57

Ds is 6.5 months old, he is normally a good sleeper, he goes down between 7/8 and gets up between 7/8. He usually wakes once sometimes twice in the night but I feed him and he goes back to sleep straight away. We co-sleep so neither me or ds seem to wake up properly when he feeds in the night.

Occasionally (3/4 times in his life) ds has woken up and been wide awake ready for the day chatty and happy ridiculously early (3ish)

I have no idea what to do, I don't really want to use a cry it out solution but I also don't want to get up for the day at 3am.

I have offered ds boob ( which he took eyes wide open) checked his nappy and checked he wasn't too hot, then I have pretty much ignored him and he is lieing by me. I have tried stroking his neck/back and patting his bum, he has a dummy in, I don't know what else to try. Ds is furious that I am not playing with him and he has been crying ( a very angry cry not sad or in pain) when he has been crying for 30 seconds I pick him up and cuddle him, he then is wide awake trying to jump up and down and chat.

I am worried that by letting him cry I am letting him cry it out even though I am right next to him. I don't think I would be a fun mummy if I get up at 3.

He has eventually gone to sleep now.

How do you cope with occasional middle of the night wakenings? I feel crap about it :(

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wannabedomesticgoddess · 05/07/2013 05:31

Being a parent is crap at times though. Your child will cry. He will find life frustrating, despite your best efforts. It sucks that 3am isnt a good time to play. :o

Theres a very very big difference between a baby crying beside his mummy in bed and a baby being left alone to cry it out. Please dont worry about this.

SpecialAgentTattooedQueen · 05/07/2013 05:36

Sit on MN, bleary eyed and imagine I lived in a house with just one more room.... So when I ignore the DTs, they wouldn't have someone else to happily chat too!

PlateSpinningAtAllTimes · 05/07/2013 05:42

Weirdly, I'm reading this having had DD (6.5m and cosleeping) wake up ready to play at 5am this morning (as in, just now). I know many people's LOs are up for the day at 5 but she usually sleeps until 7 or 8 (but with many night feeds). She does this wide awake thing at 4 or 5 once every couple of weeks or so. First I try to get her back to sleep next to me (bf, cuddle etc) but when she gets shouty I come downstairs with her so not to wake DH/DS. I keep lights low and sit her on my lap, pootle on the internet for a while and then try to get her to sleep again after an hour or so. Fun times!
Don't worry about the crying though- many, many babies/toddlers end up CC/CIO at some point (some really tiny) and it doesn't seem to do any harm. I think there's no evidence at all that it has any detrimental effect after 6mo IIRC.

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AllSWornOut · 05/07/2013 05:52

CIO. Me not him

CurlyBoo · 05/07/2013 06:07

My DD is 20 months and she has just started a 5am wake up time - it'll pass though, they always do - another phase. But IMO by pandering to him waking and playing you are setting yourself up for a lot of problems later down the line. You need to teach him 3am / 4am etc is boring, no fun, sleep time and ignore him. CIO next to you is absolutely fine - you're the only one that will suffer lying so close and hearing it!

If you can, and this is totally personal and might not work for you, but id advise getting him into his own bed before too long as the older he is the harder it'll be. They're clever, manipulative little things babies! But as I said, only if it works for you.

In the meantime - coffee and dark circle makeup!

Original poster

honeytea · 05/07/2013 07:22

Thanks for the replies, We are both very tired today, dp is on holiday from tomorrow, today can't go fast enough!

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cupcake78 · 05/07/2013 07:38

It's such hard work and frustrating when your sleep is disrupted.

Ds was a little monkey for doing this. It is a stage but also can be not encouraged.

I kept him in his bedroom, lights low, all I would say is 'its sleep time'. Minimum eye contact, none if possible and just rode it out. During the day play with him, lots of chat and eye contact (so hard when your tired). Overtime they realise its pointless because nothing happens and hopefully are worn out by all the daytime fun.

Whatever you do don't move him downstairs etc. I made the massive mistake of doing this and I really shouldn't have done!

It's so hard when their being all cute and chatty even if it is at 3am its still so tempting to have playtime

abigboydidit · 05/07/2013 07:52

Oh - I just started a thread about this in sleep as my 5 month old DD is doing this. Except it's every bloody night. She is currently kicking her chubby legs happily in her gym, despite being up from 1.30am till around fish. I however just put coffee granules and a teabag in my mug before adding water

lljkk · 05/07/2013 08:23

I co-slept or cot next to bed.
Keep lights off, very dark, & don't talk or interact. They fall back to sleep soon enough

Frogstomp2299 · 05/07/2013 08:26

So glad I've found this thread this morning! DD woke at 4am playing, I tend to leave her if she's happy, but I found after a while she gets frustrated cos she's still tired but to awake to settle her self, so it takes a lot of effort to get her back to sleep. I have tried to let her cry it out and get herself back to sleep but I don't want desturb the household any longer. Thankfully she doesn't do this very often and is generally a good sleeper!

abigboydidit · 05/07/2013 08:28

Around fish? Seems I am more tired than I thought

Frogstomp2299 · 05/07/2013 08:31

Well at lead you have coffee, I've run out till I pop to the shops!

TinyTear · 05/07/2013 08:43

Until at least 6am be 'boring lump mummy'
I feed and cuddle and hope she will get back to sleep... sometimes it happens, sometimes now...

and there is no need for CIO or CC at all. My 17 month old now sleeps though the night and goes down well with me never having done any sleep training or crying it out...

I call this methos WIO - wait it out...

Sleep is developmental and it will happen

Frogstomp2299 · 05/07/2013 14:23

I like the "wait it out" yes and grit your teeth, that's all you can do really

valiumredhead · 05/07/2013 14:45

Ds never did this, he woke for a feed and went straight beck to sleep until 5.30am. It would have killed me had he been chatty! sorry unhelpful post

Original poster

honeytea · 05/07/2013 14:45

Thanks for all the advice! I like the mummy lump idea. Ds has napped on me all afternoon so I think he is all caught up on his sleep now.

We have a 10 hour car journy tomorrow so it would be great if he stays up late tonight as hopefully he will sleep in the car!

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matilda101 · 05/07/2013 14:52

I used to get up for an hour and watch tv, then I'd put her back to bed! She's only done it a handful of times but mentally I found it easier to get up and have a drink and watch tv than try to get a baby who doesn't want to sleep back to sleep!!

Suzieismyname · 05/07/2013 14:57

Lights off. Firmly say it's bedtime. Be persistent... persistent... persistent! !

Getting up and playing/watching tv will just confuse them.

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