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Sleep

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Original poster

Do I just accept she's a VERY early riser?!

15 replies

lazzaroo · 16/09/2010 12:43

My DD is just 9months old. Has never been overly keen on sleep (too much to see and do!) but this has really improved in recent weeks both in daytime and night.

However, she has recently started to regularly wake anytime between 5 and 6am. 6am I can cope with, but the 5am starts are beginning to become a bit of an effort!

Our sleep day looks like...

5-6am wake
8am Nap (from 1 hour to 1 hour and half)
12.30 Nap (from 1 hour to 1 hour and half)
4ish - will sometimes nap for 15-30mins if out in car or pram or if really grumpy!
7pm Bed

It is the frst time ever she has been napping longer than 30mins in the day. And she sleeps the whole night from 7pm to 5ish. So, do I just quit while I'm ahead?!?!

I feed her in her dark room in the hope that she'll go back to sleep but nope! even if she looks tired as soon as I stop she's wide awake. I tried rocking her back to sleep this morning, she went back to sleep but woke as soon as I put her back in the cot! We got up and she was happy as larry.

Have black outblind, she listens to white noise, tried early bedtime, later bedtime etc etc!!

Any ideas?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

mrsruffallo · 16/09/2010 12:44

It'll change, amost all babies I know of go thorugh this 5 am phase.
With DS it only lasted a couple of weeks, DD it took a little bit longer until she tired of it

IMoveTheStars · 16/09/2010 12:48

I'd try bringing the morning nap earlier perhaps (if that's possible) and with any luck the early morning and early nap may just join together?

Does she have milk in the night? Could be related to a growth spurt (isn't everything at this age? ) and she may be waking because she's hungry and unable to get back to sleep. tbh in your situation I'd give milk before I went to bed to see if that helps, but then mine didn't sleep through, so you probably don't want to rock the boat there

DS was a shockingly early riser (we had 6 months of pre-5am wakings [ergh]) but at 2 he's really good and rarely wakes before 7, there is hope!

TheUnmentioned · 16/09/2010 12:54

erm should I mention ds still wakes between 5 and 6am. He is almost 4....

mrsruffallo · 16/09/2010 12:56

Ignore Unmentioned
She is deranged

robino · 16/09/2010 12:59

It's taken us a bit longer but our 3.7 yr old is getting there! We went from 5am to 5.30 to 5.50. Hit the holy grail of 6am a while ago (think DD2 was greatful for this too) and now that she's in pre-school 5 mornings a week we seem to be on a roll. Usually makes it to 6.30; this morning she woke at 5.50 and went back to bed

Just in time for DC3 due in Feb....

Original poster

lazzaroo · 16/09/2010 17:55

Thanks for replies. Nice to think that it may just be a phase! She's been a bit out of sorts today, and her second nap only lasted 40mins. Then had quick 10mins at 4ish so much less sleep today. Will see if that has any effect tonight...good or bad! I think there may be some more teeth about to make an appearance too.

Jareth - she doesn't have any milk in the night anymore. Hasn't for about 6 weeks. I've never done the dream feed thing and, like you say, guess I'm a bit relucant to risk waking her when she's sleeping! my worry would be that she will then be properly awake and ready to play!!

I'm just hoping that when the clocks change she'll sleep till 6!!?!

OP posts:

robino · 16/09/2010 18:44

Don't get your hopes up about the clocks changing! It's the hope that kills you

Although you might be lucky...

pinkdaisies · 16/09/2010 20:49

It's alays encouraging on mumsnet to see I'm not the only one! DS 10 months wakes like clockwork at 6.30am for about 4-5 mornings, then has a few mornings of 5.30ish (this am was 5. Aaargh!) So while I'm not moaning, as I know that's pretty good really, I've noticed the following two things really help:

A short nap (30 mins) between 4.30-5pm. Odd I know, but he ALWAYS sleeps latest when he's had a later nap.

Remote controlled soft music on his baby monitor which I turn on from my bed (bonus) as soon as he begins to whimper. Lulls him back off for 30 mins.

Oh, and not sure about this as it contradicts someone else, but I've heard that the earlier the am nap, the earleir they'll wake. 9am is apparently the earliest adviced nap time?!!

IMoveTheStars · 17/09/2010 01:36

the clocks changing will help, but you need to work up to it (start moving her entire routine later, not just bed time)

Original poster

lazzaroo · 17/09/2010 08:18

Thanks all.

Last night she slept until 6.30 this morning!!! she woke at 4.45am!! but after 10 minutes had settled herself back to sleep with no feed.

May have just been a one off and am not sure what would have made the difference! maybe she was getting too muich daytime sleep? who knows!

I had heard the same about a 9am nap time being the holy grail!! there is just no way she would have gone from 5am to 9am without another sleep....nor me!!! it will be closer to 9 this morning though so we'll see how that works out.

OP posts:

strawberrycake · 17/09/2010 08:23

THe only way I cope with 5am waking is stuffing ds in bed between us. We doze and he seems at least quietly content snuggling and cuddling my eyeballs

Suchanamateur · 17/09/2010 09:17

Hi Lazzaroo - I've seen in other threads that early waking can be a sign of slight overtiredness. Could you try a slightly earlier bedtime (however counterintuitive that sounds)? Congratulations on the nap front- I remember seeing previous threads from you on napping problems. Did they magically lengthen by themselves? Is there hope for us 40 minuters yet?

Original poster

lazzaroo · 18/09/2010 18:56

Another 5.30 wake this morning! think I might just have to live with the unpredictability!

strawberrycake - unfortunately once she's awake..she's awake!!! no quiet contentment! pure bouncing and lunging towards the edge of the bed! :)

With reagrds to her naps...they did just lengthen of their own accord. I did nothing differently, she just started sleeping longer. It was lovely! unfortunately, yesterday and today she has gone back to 40mins :( but she does have bit of a cold and so that could be affecting. Or it could be that since I started messing around with her ealry waking I've messed up her naps!! I'll be really cheesed off if that is the case!!!

I guess the main thing is that between sleeps she is a really happy little girl so at least we have lots of fun...at 5.30am!!!!

OP posts:

PeasPlease · 18/09/2010 19:24

Too much daytime sleep for a 9 month old IMO. I would try and engineer a short morning nap, then a long sleep after lunch but no more that say 2 or 2.5 hours total if she has been really active. I know how nice it is when they sleep loads in the day though

Janeystow · 02/11/2010 16:41

I've just read this thread with interest. I've got a 7 month old who has just started waking at 5 to start the day. She has always had a feed around this time but used to settle back to sleep easily for another hour or two.

She doesn't go to bed til 7.30 / 8 ish so by 5 definately hasn't had enough sleep. I have black out blinds and work hard to help her nap in the day (walking around the block endlessly!)

Any ideas? Or just be grateful about the sleep I've had so far?

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