DS wakes between 5 and 6. How do I get him to sleep 'til 7?

[FlingonTheValiant]

DS is 5 months and has started waking up between 5 and 6. This is pretty much in line with him starting to go to bed at 7.30. But I thought I could expect 12 hours of sleep for him.

He wakes at least twice between 7.30 and 5, at 10.30 and around 2.

I'm really struggling with this. I've got mastitis and a chest infection, I'm coughing all night and I'm shattered. DH has been great the last couple of days and has looked after DS 'til 6.30 ish, but even then it's a struggle. I feel so worn down and ill.

Is there anything I can do to encourage later waking? I've tried bringing him into bed, but it doesn't work.

It's making me feel really guilty, I'm so tired I basically don't do anything with him. He's sat on my lap playing, and I sing and play occasionally, or read a story, but it's not much. I'm being such a crap mum :(

Should we just put him to bed later? Or wait til the clocks change and stick with it? I really like having time with DH in the evenings, although I'm so tired I could sit there staring at the wall.

On top of the DH complains because he's always the one that gets up early, and I feel bad about that too, it's not fair on him.

Oh I feel for you, I really do - the bad news is that it's a myth that babies sleep for 12 hours - many of them don't!! And two wake-ups at that age are very normal.

We're going through the exact same thing with the early waking, except my DS is 18 months....we've tried everything, putting to bed later (actually makes it worse), ignoring him, feeding him up, everything. You'll find loads of threads on here about early waking, it's such a common problem.

The only hope we have is to hold out until the clocks change - then of course the question is: do we stick with the same (later) bedtime and have no time with our partner, or do we gradually move it back to what it was and risk the earlier wake-ups again?

Have you seen a doctor about your mastitis and chest infection? Are you on antibiotics? They can really wipe you out, but you should get better quickly with them.

And you're doing really well with him, you're not a crap mum! Reading, singing songs, that's enough, especially if you're ill!

Hope you feel better soon!

Oh I know the two wake-ups are normal (although I get a bit upset when it's 4), it's that combined with the early waking that's killing me.

I had a suspicion that putting him to bed later might not help :(

Maybe after the clocks change I'll stick with it until I'm feeling better and then bring it forward again.

I've got anti-Bs for the mastitis and chest, which is not really helping with energy levels.

Thanks for the support :). Sorry to hear you're having problems too!

Same boat here! You've also got a 6 month growth spurt to contend with.

You need to survive this blip - get to bed early. You can have evening time with DH when you're better. So dinner then bed by 8.30.

Also consider putting him to bed half an hour earlier - he'll be tired from the early starts (how are his naps). That gives you more scope when clocks change. Sometimes the early and night wakings can be a sign of overtiredness so early bedtime can help over the course of a week.

His naps are getting longer since he started waking earlier. He had a 2hr30 nap today, unheard of before. And he had one of 1hr45 on Monday. Before that they were 2 of 30-60mins and then an afternoon one of 1.5hrs, and then another 30 mins depending on when he wakes from his nap.

He's never awake for more than 2hrs during the day. It was sometimes 90mins, but I've been stretching it to 2hrs, maybe that's the problem.

Ok, early to bed tonight then.

What's the 6 month growth spurt (apart from the obvious), what horrors will it cause?

Yes, would second the advice to get to bed early - lights out at our house is at 21h00 latest. I have to turn down all evening invitations, but it's the only way to survive. It's like living in a different time-zone from everyone else!

Also, how are your iron levels? Might be worth taking a supplement to boost your energy levels.

I tell myself that in 10 years' time I'll be struggling to get DS out of bed in the mornings....

I did wonder about iron levels. I've got some tablets left from pg, I might take them for a little while.

Perhaps we'll adopt a continental time zone :)