11month old starting to wake at 5am. Why now!

[bubblymummy]

Flustered as ds slept through the night constantly from 8 weeks so I can't for the life of me fathom why he's up at 4 or 5.

Doesn't seem to be particularly hungry so I'm loathe to give him bottle as he might get used to it!

He would usually get up at 7.30 nap at 10-11.30 second nap at about 3.30 at bed at 8pm (cannot get him down any earlier). He would fall asleep at the bottle.

now it's up at about 4 or 5. Nap at 7.30 to 10.30 afternoon nap at 2.30 and bed - wait for it 9.30???? And now he won't sleep after his bottle and it's all a bit of a fuss.

Thought it might be teething but he seems playful first thing in the morning. He is teething but it doesn't affect his naps in the slightest Or could it be that he's now crawling and can't wait to start his day and scamper about home?

He's a happy child but passive he aint and he's got a very strong character!

How do I begin to tackle this? Do I need to change his routine radically? Any advice gratefully received.

bubblymummy, the issue of sleep is a tricky one, but unfortunately what you describe doesn't seem out of the ordinary. My ds did the same at about the same age. Slept through from 8 weeks, etc, then starting getting up at 5.30 every morning. Now he's 2.4 and he gets up at 6.30! (what a break!!?). Of course, the lighter mornings might have something to do with it, or the dawn chorus of the birds? It's a phase, but no one can say how long it will last. I'm not much of a one for routines .. personally I think children sleep when they need to and wake up when they want to! It is exhausting though, poor you! I think you're right about the crawling/walking thing. I noticed that my ds couldn't wait to start exploring as soon as he was able to, and his mornings were definitely earlier until he got used to the idea. Bear with it ... if he's active and was born a good sleeper, he'll go back to that soon enough.

Because its getting lighter in the mornings?

Blackout blinds the way to go I suspect

It was around this age DS1 started waking early after being a super sleeper before. I resolved it by cutting out the morning nap and just letting him sleep 12-2.30pm. Blackout blinds help too I'm sure but to me it sounds as though he's just needing less sleep.

DS1's routine is now bed at 7.30pm, up at 7am (though sometime he wakes earlier and plays quietly in his room but that's relatively recent), nap 12.30-2.30pm. I found this fits better with clubs and activities so if you can aim for a longer lunch time nap it might help your social life together too.

Will try anything.

When baby has nap at around midday, when do you give lunch??????

bubblymummy, I second liquidclocks suggestion - in fact moving naps has solved my lo's early waking (I posted about it recently), another mum suggested moving to 1 sleep in the day after lunch, my ds now sleeps 12ish - 2ish but always awake by 2.30 and goes down at 7pm til anywhere between 6 and 7.30am!! I give him an early lunch (between 11.15 and 11.45 depending how tired he is) and he is in his cot by 12.30 at the latest. I then give him a snack when he wakes up as it is a bit too long for him to go from such an early lunch until tea time. hth
ps bet he wakes up at 5am now I've posted this!!!

this just landed in my inbox! Thought it might help

Thanks guys - I'm going to try cutting down naps.

He tried to sneak in a late little nap and I wouldn't let him. He's not pleased, but at least I know that tonight he'll go to bed sufficiently tired to perhaps sleep through to 6.30. Please?

Will slowly shift his pattern.

That link is excellent - many thanks!