Snack before bed for 11mo?

[Gerbera55]

My just turned 11mo has around 1.5 hrs nap in the day and goes to bed at 8pm. He sleeps through more often than not but he’s started waking at 5am hungry.

We currently do 3x 8oz and 3 meals a day:

Milk on waking
Breakfast 7:30/8
Lunch 12
Milk 1:30/2
Dinner 5:30/6
Milk 7
Bed 8pm

I’m wondering if the answer is a snack before bed eg. Weetabix/porridge etc but I don’t know how to fit it in! He tends to faff with his last bottle, coming and going and actually, tends not to finish the full 8oz now. Any tips?

I’d probably give him a carb heavy dinner as opposed to a bedtime snack which I wouldn’t encourage or embrace

He does tend to have this! For example he had chicken casserole with lots of potatoes last night, the night before he had egg fried rice. The boy loves a carb!

I'd start dropping bottles and replacing with more food. I'd personally drop the lunchtime and bedtime bottles and do lunch, snack, dinner at 4.30/5pm, porridge or similar half 7 or 8pm.

We gave dinner and then had a break before giving a yoghurt for pudding before bed.

We can’t do dinner so early due to work, the timings are kind of set due to that really.

I think unfortunately the 5am waking is just normal at this time of year and when it’s this hot for an 11 month old. If he’s not finishing the bedtime bottle, I’d assume that’s because he’s eaten plenty and doesn’t need a snack. The obvious thing is to give him a bottle at 5am when he’s going to be hungry and thirsty. For the 5am wake ups, I’d always offer a feed and bring them in to me if in their own room because I’m not faffing about settling them back to sleep at that hour. We’d just get into bed and go to sleep after a feed as I needed to be up in a couple hours.

5am is normal waking for some kids. My son was an early riser and still is at 22! My DD however would sleep indefinitely!

Oh yeah he definitely gets a bottle at that time, I don’t make him wait until a more acceptable hour! He just doesn’t always settle back down after it, I think the daylight coming in when we open his bedroom door makes him think it’s playtime 🙄

at 11months id reduce milk and increase food.

A bit of avocado, or mushed banana with peanut butter or scrambled egg will last longer in his tummy than carbs.

Sleeping through from 8pm - 5am is good! I totally get the 5am wake ups are a pain but can you bring him in with you with a bottle of milk and doze for a bit? Give him a toy to fiddle with along with his bottle.