5 month old waking earlier and earlier

[Riddzy]

DD used to be a great sleeper (10.30 - 7/8) but like the subject says, is waking earlier and earlier for a feed. Didn't mind when it crept down to 6am because that's when DP gets up (DD is formula fed) but in the last few nights it's been 5am, then 4.45am ...

What's going on? Is this just a developmental stage or does it mean she needs something more than milk? She has been drinking slightly more recently but not huge amounts (she has always been a little small).

Sounds like she might be getting ready to wean. Is she watching u when you eat?

She is watching us, and grabbing her bottle. DP and I both have asthma/eczema, so we were hoping to leave it as long as possible. Is there a happy medium? Like rice in her last bottle of the night or something?

Theevis no set way of doing so It is entirely up to you. I think they recommend 6 months to start weaning. You could try giving baby rice but I don't think it goes through the teats on the bottles but you could try spooning some in. I know there is milk called night time milk which is thicker than normal milk which you might want to try.

She might be needing less sleep in the day as well. That was generally the main reason why my daughter used to wake early. As soon as I cut down her naptimes in the day, she'd go back to waking at 7am.

When she wakes does she cry or is she chatting etc. happily? Does she stop crying if you pick her up, soothe her etc? What are daytime naps like?

Most babies can go overnight without a feed by the time they are about six months if you cut down gradually, so I wouldn't automatically assume she is hungry or needs to wean and given current advice is not to wean until 6 months, I certainly wouldn't do it without talking to a health professional. However there is a growth spurt going up to 6 months if I recall (have you got a copy of The Wonder Weeks?) so she may be genuinely hungry. If feeding gets her back to sleep quickly then I don't think you'll cause too many long-term problems by one feed a night as that should be easy to drop later. You just want to make sure it doesn't become more than one feed.

Otherwise treat it as a night waking and make sure she stays in the dark until 7am even if you are cuddling her etc.

Thanks for your replies. She is usually chatting and smiling when I go in.

I don't really want to wean her just yet, not until she can sit up. DP and I both have allergies and so we'd rather err on the side of caution.

I guess I'll just run with it, we both go back to sleep after that feed so I'm not sleep deprived, just bloody lazy and had been lulled into a false sense of security by the earlier good sleeping!

She hates sleeping during the day, probably gets about two hours total. We have also struggled with that, maybe I should just leave her.

Have heard good things about the Wonder Weeks book, will borrow my friend's copy.

OK, it sounds like it's not a too much daytime sleep problem then, so yes feeding her back to sleep sounds like the sensible thing to do. She may be waking up because she's not napping well during the day or because she's bigger and just getting hungry earlier.

Naps are always tough to improve - make sure you try and nap her at the first sign of any fussiness, make sure it's dark, and if you feel comfortable with it, stroke her and comfort her in the cot while she cries so she falls asleep in the cot (wait until she has stopped crying before putting her in the cot though!).

Hello, thought you might be interested in an update...

I think we have discovered why DD is waking up so early. We are cheapskates and haven't been turning on our heating. In passing, a friend mentioned that her baby was waking up when she was cold. So for the past two nights I've put the timer on so the heating would come on at 4am. DD has slept right through each time I've done this.

Honestly, having a baby is like trying to complete a large, shifting puzzle without looking at the picture on the front of the box.

Thanks for the napping tips, Corinthian. I try to put her down at the first sign of grumpiness but she just fusses and cries and we battle and battle until I get her out again. She just goes down when she's ready. Sigh.