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Sleep

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Original poster

Waking up too early and pooping... I'm desperate!

55 replies

pikapoo · 22/04/2017 06:20

DS is 11.5 months and for the past 2 months has been waking up early (between 5-6am) with poo in his nappy and very grumpy. We're not sure if it's the poo waking him up, or if he is waking up then pooing, if you see what I mean.

He is very grumpy when he wakes up, very difficult to handle and refuses to go back to bed after his nappy is dealt with. This is despite dim lighting, giving him some milk etc. He goes to bed between 7-8, usually naps twice a day or about 3 hours in total (waking up by 4pm if not earlier from his second nap).

We are at our wits' end as to what might be be causing this. It's exhausting as we are both working as well, and handling a grumpy baby for 3 hours before starting work for the day is starting to take its toll.

Any advice much appreciated.

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Original poster

pikapoo · 22/04/2017 06:21

He goes to bed at night between 7-8pm

OP posts:

DevelopingDetritus · 22/04/2017 07:02

Sounds like he's getting a good bit of sleep really, around 9 hours at night, long naps too. Could you take it in turns getting up with him in the morning, so at least one of you could sleep in a bit longer every other morning.

LapinR0se · 22/04/2017 07:05

You can change the composition of his meals and that will make him poo later

MumUndone · 22/04/2017 07:13

My 2.5 year old still wakes at 6am...early mornings go with the territory I'm afraid!

highinthesky · 22/04/2017 07:21

I don't see what the problem is? He's just being a normal baby, unlike adults they don't roll over and go back to sleep once properly awakened.

Wake up and change his nappy. And get to bed earlier yourself.

Jenijena · 22/04/2017 07:23

You probably don't want to hear this, but he sounds like a good sleeper. The nappy timetables chage over time but I would love my 12 month old to sleep like that!

MrsandMrsSmith · 22/04/2017 07:27

If he's sleeping that long at night without waking you're lucky. Some babies aren't sleeping through at that age. Of course if his nappy is full it needs changing, and I wouldn't expect a lie in much past 6 for several years!

SallyGinnamon · 22/04/2017 07:29

From what I remember 6am was the norm for my DC at that age and much older. Almost school age. Same for both of my nieces aged 3. They wake early and are ready for the day.

DS was never a morning person, just like DH but would also not go back to sleep.

That might just be the right waking time for your DS, sorry.

RJnomore1 · 22/04/2017 07:29

Can you keep him up an hour later and see what happens?

spacefrog35 · 22/04/2017 07:30

Sounds totally normal to me. Sorry.

It sounds like as someone said earlier you need to look at alternating who gets up and moving your bedtime forward if you're struggling on the sleep you're getting. It is tiring doing a full days work after you've already done 3 hours with a baby & then doing another 2 hours when you get home but as far as I can see (13 month old DD) that's just how it is.

eurochick · 22/04/2017 07:34

He sounds like a very good sleeper! Mine was still waking twice a night at that point. Can you just change him and bring him into bed with you? We used to do this with early waking and we would all sort of doze a bit (her on our chests).

LadyPenelope68 · 22/04/2017 07:34

Sorry, but another person to who that sounds normal. If he's waking up with a dirty nappy, he's not likely to go back to sleep with dim lighting etc after such a long stretch, just like most adults wouldn't. I don't actually think 5-6 is too early really, it's a normal get up time for lots of people.

LadyPenelope68 · 22/04/2017 07:36

You've a child who sleeps st least 3 hours during the day, goes to bed at 7 and sleeps without waking until that time - you're very lucky, that's what I'd call an exceptionally good sleeper.

HumpHumpWhale · 22/04/2017 07:39

He sounds like a great sleeper. As they get older they need less sleep, and that has to come from somewhere - shorter/fewer naps, later bedtime, earlier morning. My son went through a phase of getting up at 4.30-5 at that age. It was grim. But it stopped once he went down to 1 nap around 14 months.
If you don't think he's ready to drop a nap, I suggest pushing his bedtime to 8.30 (and moving naps later correspondingly). Give it a week & see if it helps. If not, there may be another cause - maybe what he's eating for dinner?

yomellamoHelly · 22/04/2017 07:48

He needs to drop a nap I think

Avebury · 22/04/2017 08:20

I also think dropping a nap might help

Millybingbong · 22/04/2017 08:24

Do you give fruit at tea time? We now don't as it makes them poo too early in the morning.

I'm woken up by a stinky nappy every morning as it is, the last thing I want is it to be the middle of the night.

RoganJosh · 22/04/2017 08:27

I'd wake him from his second nap a bit earlier.

RoganJosh · 22/04/2017 08:28

Actually, looking at his age, I'd move towards just one nap.

BertrandRussell · 22/04/2017 08:31

That sounds brilliant sleeping. The grumpiness is a problem though. Have you tried taking him into bed with you, or -dare I say it- a bit of TV?

If you feel it's taking its toll on you, then you need to take turns to get up with him and go to bed earlier. I don't think it's usually worth trying to get them back to sleep-it's just frustrating for both of you and escalated the tension.

flumpybear · 22/04/2017 08:49

That was normal for my kids time wise - just go to bed earlier .... it's transient my children are 5&8 now and sleep til 8 ish

Original poster

pikapoo · 22/04/2017 08:51

Thanks everyone. I appreciate he is a good sleeper. Just finding it hard to deal with grumpy baby first thing everyday. Will suck it up!

The pooing first thing though (nappy is dirty when we go in to get him), is that very normal? Could it be what's waking him up and making him grumpy? We've been trying to give him carbs and veg for dinner - eg rice, sweet potato, peas. Used to include protein but stopped a couple of days ago when someone suggested we cut it out at dinner.

OP posts:

Original poster

pikapoo · 22/04/2017 08:52

I should add that we give fruit also at dinner. Perhaps that's causing the bowel movement in the AM. He has dinner between 5:30-6, and milk feed at bedtime.

OP posts:

theclick · 22/04/2017 09:19

He sounds like an amazing sleeper! I'd actually like to know how you've done that given I'm 13 weeks and all the "my baby is waking up hourly" stories are kind of making me freak out..

LapinR0se · 22/04/2017 10:16

Cut the fruit and give rice for a few days. Chicken and butternut risotto is v good.

For early morning waking the most efficient thing you can do is make the morning nap later and keep it very short.

DO NOT make bedtime later you will end up with an extremely cranky baby who wakes even earlier out of overtiredness

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