5am wake ups - help please!

[mummy1202]

Hi - looking for advice please!

My LO is 13 months and for the last month or so, has been waking at 5am for the day. You could set your clock by him and he screams and sobs and wakes everyone else up including my 4yo.

He settles as soon as he is lifted and cuddled but sometimes cries and points to get up into the living room and will only settle when I get him up.

I’ve been trying not to give him his bottle at this time to avoid a habit, but it is definitely becoming habit regardless. We are now in a cycle of waking at this time and are all exhausted.

He naps well and I try to be aware of wake windows and of not letting him get too much daytime sleep. He usually sleeps around 9am-10.30am and then again about 1:45-2.45. Bed is usually around 7-7.30am. He’s always shattered and ready for his naps so I think I might struggle to keep him going for longer.

I should also say that his room is dark, he has a blackout window blind but it doesn’t seem to make any difference.

I am wondering if this is some kind of regression or if it’s down to his routine. I do remember my 4yo going through an early waking phase around the same age but this seems to be different and lasting a lot longer than a few weeks. Does anyone have any experience/advice please?

Thank you! 🙂

@mummy1202 Does he sleep with white noise on OP? Could it be the birds waking him if his room is quiet?

My 1 old religiously wakes at 4.50am each day. I pick him up and cuddle him in and he goes back to sleep on my in the armchair in his room until 6.30 😬 if I try to put him down he’s wide awake. I’ve just come to accept that this 1.5ish hours is time for mindlessly scrolling Mumsnet and online shopping 🤣

No advice, but can I join the 5am club 😆 DD is 10 months and it's driving me mad. She's still on two naps but wondering if going down to one would be better.

I have a 10 month 5amer and my older one likes to join too now 😬😬 Have just accepted that’s when my day starts but it is painful!

It’s the time of year not helping. Sun is up by 5 am, birds shouting etc, and noises changing. White noise a great idea: it helps me, as an adult (!) at this time of year.

Thanks guys - nice to have some company in the 5am club!! @Chocoqueen @ElbowsandArses @Italiandreams @Lexi334

Great idea about the white noise. I’m also wondering if one nap is needed now? 🤔

Can I join your 5am club too?

My 8 month old is ready for the day between 5 and 5.30 everyday and has done for months. She's so loud, shouting and giggling in her cot I have to take her downstairs so she doesn't wake the whole house up.
I'm dying!!!!
What time do you guys go to bed at night?

@CanIHaveAHolidayPlease I tend to go up between 9 and 10. I always aim for 9 but often fail.

I'm just about coping now as still on maternity leave and only have the one

@CanIHaveAHolidayPlease please do join us! 🤣
It’s the sheer worry of them waking everyone else up, isn’t it?!

I usually try for about 10/10:30?

Does anyone think moving to one nap is the way forward?

You could disturb his sleep pattern. Wake him up twenty mins early when he is in a deep sleep phase. Feed him when he’s half asleep then put back down

Sometimes early wakes are caused by overtiredness, and if they're consistently not getting enough sleep it might be accumulating and making things worse. You could try stretching to just one nap and bringing bedtime earlier to compensate, or you could try cutting down the morning nap and bringing the afternoon one earlier. My DD moved to one nap around that time but only because that was the nursery routine, I think she could have held out for a few more months otherwise.

@Chocoqueen could definitely be an option! Just wondering what to do for the best. I was hoping it was a little regression but no end in sight 🤣🙈

@Quitelikeit another fab idea!

Is he tired upon waking or ready to start his day?

If he's tired try the wake to sleep method

We have just had this exact same issue at the same age.
my dd was doing similar naps to your lo. I was advised that the long morning nap was causing the early wake ups. We shortened the first nap to 20-30 mins.
i think its all part of the 2-1 nap transition
im sat here now waiting for her to wake up.
its worked for us and we’ve had consistent later wake ups for 2 weeks

My DS started this around 1yo.
I used to leave some board books and a sippy cup of water at the bottom of the cot. He’d sometimes wake up and play with them, giving us an extra 30-60 mins. Sometimes he’d even go back to sleep. I would refuse to actually get him out of bed until 6:30, even if it meant just sitting beside the cot.

I can’t remember when it changed but he’s 2 and has to be woken at 7 for nursery these days

I'll join. 16m old has been doing this for 4months 😨 he seems physically unable to sleep longer than 7hr stretches. Right now we choose 10pm to 5am which is the lesser of evils but is absolutely draining. the quantity or timing for his day time sleep makes zero difference (could be 3 hours with granny or 17mins at nursery!). We live in a blacked out white noise cave. no difference.

Good luck tonight all! DD had a long afternoon nap today (90 minutes instead of 30) so hoping that makes a difference...

Could you give him his bottle and leave him to it. He may nod straight off after on his own

My nearly 4 year old has been doing this (any time between 5-6am) for 3 years now. Absolutely nothing has worked I'm afraid. Not what you want to hear, I know!

When you say his room is dark, can you see your hand in front of your face at 5am?
Mine (5months, third baby, never woken for the day at 5 - always bottle and gone back) has a travel blind duct taped to the frame then a blackout blind, curtains and the bedroom door is closed and dirty laundry 😁shoved along the bottom.
Same for all 3.

Morning all! Back here again at 5am 😂

Going to try the very short morning cat nap this morning and see if that helps.

@Chocoqueen did you have any luck?

Hope everyone else is still snoozing peacefully 🤞🏼 It seems some of our little
buttons just like to seize the day nice and early!

Morning @mummy1202 😅 I got a treat today - I got a 5.25am wake up rather than a 4.50am 🥳🤣small victories!

Whats on the agenda for everyone today? I’ve got a day at work then a house viewing 🤞🏼 Hoping this one will be the one!

Good morning everyone. 5:40 here, woohoo !

I could have written this but about myself and I'm 50 😂 5am every damn day and I'm wide awake!

@Lexi334 that sounds like a very exciting day - fingers crossed for you! 🏡
I’m at work today, I’m a teacher and meeting my new class this morning so that’s exciting. My 4yo also has his morning meeting his new teacher and class too! I suppose I’m grateful for the early
wake up to get organised for the day 😄

@OldTinHat some things maybe never change! 😄

Have a good day everyone!

Morning all! Glad some of you had a slightly longer lie in! She sort of woke up at 5:10 and was unsettled, but kept drifting back off again so I only had to get up for her an hour later. Shame I didn't get the extra hours kip though 😆

My sister is coming this afternoon so will hopefully have time to get some cleaning etc done while she entertains the little one.