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Parenting

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Original poster

Is a 5am start the norm?!

33 replies

xxxJess123xxx · 16/05/2019 15:38

Hi all, let me just start by saying I know I'm incredibly lucky by having children that sleep. I just need some advice.
Little one is 4 months and has slept through for the last month or so.
He has his last bottle around 7.30pm/8pm and I dont hear a peep until morning. But...my days starts at 4.30am/5am as he is awake and ready to start the day.
He isnt hungry as sometimes doesn't want a bottle for a good half hour or so once hes up, hes pretty happy!
Naps are hit and miss in the day, hard to get to sleep and stay asleep, total opposite to night time where he self settles.
Question is, is there any point trying to get him to start his day later. Is it even possible?! Any things I can try? He has 8oz bottles every 3/4hours in the day, bedroom around 20 with a 1.5tog bag so I dont think he is cold.
I have a 3 year old too so these 5am starts are a bit of a killer, but like I say, I know I'm lucky he sleeps through.
Thanks in advance x

OP posts:

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anyoldvic · 16/05/2019 15:45

It's possible but it isn't easy to rework an established routine.

Not having any tolerance of absurdly early rising, my strategy was always to put them to bed when I wanted to go to bed, to make sure their main block of sleep coincided with mine. When very little they'd nap downstairs in the evening so they knew it wasn't proper bedtime. As they became capable of sleeping longer and not needing an evening feed, bedtime got gradually earlier until they were going to bed at around 8 and sleeping for 11/12 hours.

I realise this is not the British thing to do, but it worked really well for all 3 of mine.

PopWentTheWeasel · 16/05/2019 15:52

I know that some people swear by a dream feed, which might get him to stay asleep for longer. I know my baby wouldn't go back to sleep easily if woken and fed at 11pm.

As he's not hungyry and seems sparky enough, it might be just his wake up time for now. What would he do if you didn't go in, and left him with whatever he has in his cot to amuse him? Can you leave him to it until you're ready to get up?

SauvingnonBlanketyBlanc · 16/05/2019 16:10

Sounds pretty usual at that age,mine woke around that time til around 2ish then got later.Hes now 5 and sleeps 7 til 6.30/7 thank God!

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Pipandmum · 16/05/2019 16:14

My son was and is an early riser. 5.30am was usual. As he got older he could entertain himself but I am not a morning person it was a killer! He’s 15 now and thinks nothing of doing a gym session at 6am before school. It’s just the way he is!

Original poster

xxxJess123xxx · 16/05/2019 16:15

Hes in the next to me cot. If I ignore him he moans and moans getting gradually louder and then I pick him up and hes happy as Larry and wide awake lol! Have to think of the 3 year old next door.
I dont put him to bed later as he wont settle in the front room with us and we like our evenings once both kids are in bed at 8pm.

OP posts:

Original poster

xxxJess123xxx · 16/05/2019 16:15

I tried a dream feed once and it made no odds at all to wake up time

OP posts:

stucknoue · 16/05/2019 16:16

There's no normal! Mine woke at 8am or later but bedtime was later

puma84 · 16/05/2019 16:23

4:30/5am is the middle of the night to me 🙈
Mine wake at 6/6:30 and I don't get up with them until 7:15/7:30.

I'd try get him back down/ignore him until they learn to wake up at a sensible hour 🙈

If your getting up with them and starting your day then surely they think that's normal?

Apileofballyhoo · 16/05/2019 16:23

He's sleeping in a block for 9 hours, you should be able to sleep during 7 or 8 of those some nights in the week. I think he's too little to expect him to sleep for longer, and you seem to want him to be settled for the night by 7.30/8 so I don't see that there is any solution except for you to go to bed earlier.

Original poster

xxxJess123xxx · 16/05/2019 16:26

He wants to go to bed at 7.30/8pm. He cries and cries until he goes to bed, fed or not. I'm not forcing him into bed lol.
I realise he is only little and I can go to bed earlier, just was after some advice as 5am is bloody early lol especially with a full on 3 year old
I am getting up and starting my day yes as he wont re settle/doesn't want a bottle/is wide awake x

OP posts:

Thesearmsofmine · 16/05/2019 16:26

I think at that’s age if you want your evenings to yourself you need to accept he will wake up early because 8-9 hours of solid sleep is pretty good going!

What I would do is gradually move bedtime to about 9-9.30pm.

FannyFeatures · 16/05/2019 16:26

My 6 year old goes to bed at 7.30/8 and wakes between 5 and 6am. She always has!

My 13 year old has slept past 8am on a handful of occasions in his life.

Some kids are just early risers, I've no idea where they get it from!

Pantheon · 17/05/2019 15:12

Hi OP, my dd was like this. Still an early riser as a toddler but 6am at least! We tried wake to sleep when she was about 6 months old which is a killer but did help a bit. And pushing her morning nap gradually back helped. Ultimately going to bed very early myself helped most tho!

Pantheon · 17/05/2019 15:13

Also with these light mornings, double check it's pitch black at 5 as some babies seem more affected by light

redwoodmazza · 17/05/2019 15:18

We fixed play toys to the side of our son's cot - ones that are made for this. When he woke we could hear bells and clicky noises as he played with stuff. He usually went back to sleep after a little play. He wasn't hungry either.

queeflett · 17/05/2019 15:21

ds was like this from 2! being up before cbeebies started was a killer.

he`s always been an early riser. at nearly 12 he is usually awake at 6am! this is even with blackout blinds and heavy lined curtains.

just accept it I say.....

I remember trying every trick in the book to make him sleep longer, not even later bedtimes worked. I just had a sleep deprived grump ds instead, he`d wake up same time as usual.

Settlersofcatan · 17/05/2019 15:22

5am is painful - my son has gone through long phases of waking up between 4:30 and 5:30 - but at 4 months, if your baby is sleeping through, I really wouldn't want to mess with that and risk going back to night waking.

SherlockSays · 17/05/2019 15:27

Completely normal for my 10 month old and she doesn't sleep through the night either!!

Original poster

xxxJess123xxx · 17/05/2019 16:32

Glad to hear it's normal, all be it painful! Toys on the side of the cot will be a good idea once hes out the next to me, thank you. Fluke this morning at 6am, felt like a lay in did nothing different!
I think going to bed earlier is what I need to do x

OP posts:

RaptorWhiskers · 17/05/2019 16:41

5am is the middle of the night! My DS gets up at 8-10am. He doesn’t go to bed till about 8-10pm though, and he wakes up during the night. After about 5am I have to cuddle him back to sleep in bed and he can be a bit restless. But he knows we absolutely won’t be getting up early.

I think you can either choose to have free evenings or a lie-in in the mornings. I chose the lie-ins because I literally can’t function before 8am. But that means we don’t have our evenings because bedtime is later.

Sunhill4 · 17/05/2019 16:48

I think you need to realise how lucky you are that your 4 month old sleeps so well & stop expecting to have evenings to yourself aswell as lie ins the next day. Go to bed earlier yourself & it will be easier to get up the next morning.

Original poster

xxxJess123xxx · 17/05/2019 16:51

Sunhill, I know I'm lucky and I know its unusual which is what I have put in previous posts. He wont settle in the front room to go to bed later and just cries to go to bed around 7.30pm/8pm.
I will go to bed earlier just was asking fellow mums some opinions x

OP posts:

Lauzy86 · 17/05/2019 16:54

My 14 week old is like this. Goes down happily and ready for bed 7/7.30 and doesn't wake until 5-6am. My husband and I decided this is the best option as we get a decent evening (or an early night if I'm tired!) I am more of a morning person though and before mat leave regularly got up around 6am for work so I know that has helped. Before this DD was going to bed around 9 and waking around 7 but I never felt I had any down time. I think it might be a waiting game for us both for them to sleep that bit longer. Sorry that's not much help!

Original poster

xxxJess123xxx · 17/05/2019 17:00

Lauzy you are lucky like me , I think evenings are important for a couple x

OP posts:

Chippychipsforme · 17/05/2019 17:24

I'd take getting up at 5am but sleeping through over being up all night! I've got an early riser, by some miracle he slept till after 6am this morning! He goes to bed early and actually this is preferred option so I can get some things done in the evening/go to a class/have dinner without needing to constantly share my food.

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