8 month old early waking

[MJJH]

Hi All
looking for any advice before I have to pay out for sleep coach advice but 8 month old has always been an early riser 5:30-6am however after turning 8 months has started for the past 2 weeks waking at 4am-4:30 continuously but we cannot sooth back to sleep we’ve tried dummy, bottle, rocking, moving into the bed with us but he appears so tied and upset that he just stays awake then. I do know about 8 month regression but I’ve only ready this is more frequent night wakings. Whereas this is the same time every morning so now I’m panicking it’s a new habit forming. We’ve tried longer naps shorter naps, later bedtimes and earlier bedtimes. Currently on 2 naps a day around 3.5 hours together but he is only managing 9 hours at night! Has anyone experienced similar and can advise? Thanks

Hi OP,

So sorry you’re going through this. I know the feeling too well. DS1 was hard work for the first year. He would consistency wake up at 4-5am every day. We tried everything, every nap combination, sleep consultant, the whole lot!

Eventually we stopped trying and just let him do his thing and by 1 year he was sleeping through the night on his own, in his room. By then, we had a more structured routine and predictable nap schedule, not depending on wake windows.

But from 6m - 12m it was just pure survival. We let him stay awake but kept the room dark and calm and then he had an early morning nap. I would nap with him to catch up on sleep. DH would sometimes take him at 5am if we’d had a particularly rough night so I’d get more sleep.

It most likely isn’t anything you’re doing, try not to put too much pressure on getting things right. It could just be developmental, teething, habit and something baby will grow out of.

DS2 is 7 months and is doing the same thing as DS1. This morning he was awake at 5am ready for the day (but pretty grouchy). He’d also had 2 night wakes as well. I’m just about to have a nap with him!

I’m sorry if my reply isn’t particularly encouraging. The first year is incredibly hard, but it does get better! X

ps just to add, DS1 is almost 4 and since 1 years of age, we haven’t had any issues with his sleep thank goodness!

I think the No Cry Sleep Solution has a section on early waking if you want to try that before shelling out for a sleep coach? At least the book is evidence based which I’m not sure the advice that some coaches give is

Thanks both!

3.5 hours day time sleep might be too much now that your baby has more stamina. I used to be pleased at 8m if mine managed 2h total across two naps.

There can also be a problem with babies getting cold at that point in the night - if mine wakes at 4am, I tuck an extra blanket over them and sometimes that's enough to get them back off.

Ahh thank you sometimes I don’t like waking him if he’s sleeping we have tried 2 hours and he seemed to have woke the same time also but maybe I’ll try this again shortening his naps

Yeah I know that feeling, it's so blissful when they do a really solid sleep. Try gradually shortening the day time naps by 15 minutes rather than going 3.5 to 2h all in one go?