Sleep regression? What do you do when they wake early?

[gretagrape]

Hi. Think my son might be working up to the 9m sleep regression - for the past couple of days he's woken at 5.15am (usually 6-6.15am). I've picked him up and cuddled him sitting up in bed, and he'll be fairly calm blowing bubbles and babbling to himself, but really by around 20 mins later he just wants me to stop faffing and LET HIM GET UP!
This morning though it was 4.15am, so by 4.45am he was crying and struggling against me so we got up. I've brought him into the lounge and he's happily playing, but I'm not sure what I should be doing to try and make him realise that this really isn't when I want the day to start!
I'm not going to feed him until 6.30am as normal (like I said, he's perfectly happy, so isn't hungry), and I've kept my interaction with him to a minimum to try and make him think that this isn't the same as normal daytime playing in the lounge.
Really struggling in general at the moment with my emotions wondering if I am bonding properly with him, so I never know if I am being too harsh or too indulgent to be honest (that's a whole other thread that I can't even get started on yet). I just don't seem to have a clue, so any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
x

Anyone?
He ended up napping on me for an hour at 6.45am after his bottle because he was knackered, so his naps have been completely out of kilter for the day and he's been really tired and grumpy. Any help would be appreciated.

x

Disclosure - I only have 3month old

But could you leave him a toy in his cot when he wakes early so you can sleep?
Is he moving about - could you try to wear him out a bit more in the evening?

From what I've read the trick to preventing early waking is to not let them nap in morning until usual time. I know how impossible it can be to keep them awake on boob/bottle though when they're that knackered. In which case you could try waking him up as soon as he's finished the bottle and not letting him sleep as long as an hour?

City is right. I wouldn't rush in when he wakes at 4 am though. Give your DH some earplugs if he's working in the am and leave your DS to it for a bit. I know that mine used to wake up and practise his latest new skill but would go back over again if I left him to it.

Failing that, leave his nap until 9.30-10am. I'm mean so don't like to reward an early morning with an early nap.

I've always treated everything before 7am as a night waking. How i've responded depended on the reason for waking/age of child, but the one constant is that we have never got up properly with our children pre 7am.

They are now 3 and 1 and both wake up between 6.45 and 7.15 almost every day.

I think you're doing the right thing not feeding him until morning, but if were you I'd wouldn't take him downstairs either. He needs to understand it is night time. Unless you're willing to get up super early every day - I know plenty of parents are.

Oh yes, and normal nap routine, as others have said.

Hi all - sorry for late reply. I have tried for the last few mornings to keep him in the bedroom (still in my room, husband is in what will be son's room once it's eventually decorated!) - I try to get him to calm down but if it fails miserably I'll cuddle him on my lap. Doesn't really work for more than 20 minutes though!

I have delayed his naps for the last 2 days (more by circumstances than design) and it seems to be better in that at least he makes it to bedtime with a bit less of a meltdown.

I'll work harder on the first bit of convincing him it is still nighttime! Difficult though, as my husband gets up for work at 5.45 so he's never going to be a late sleeper!

Oh and purplemurple1 - I don't think I could wear him out any more than I do! He's crawling at 100mph pretty much until the minute he goes to bed!

We say that anything before 6am is night time and will try resettling and even if we have to go in a few times we don't get dd up till 6am. Also,
If it is only grizzling and not crying I will leave her and she often goes back to sleep pretty quickly. (I do have a webcam that helps give me an idea of whether she is likely to go back to sleep.)

Dd is 16 months now and I find she has periods of waking earlier and then lying in more with no apparent reason. (Just as I get used to a 7am or later start, she then throws in some early starts just to keep me on my toes!)

Just wanted to thank you all again for your advice - when my son woke at 4.30 this morning, crying (ok, screaming) I picked him up to calm him down then put him back in his cot. After only a minute crying with me stroking him he calmed down and went to sleep for 15 mins. This was repeated a few times, but then when he went back to sleep at 5.15 he slept until 6am, then woke up HAPPY! I'm really pleased - I can't just leave him when he's crying as he scratches the eczema on his ears and face, so I'm really happy that I could get him to carry on sleeping without him getting too upset.
Thanks
x