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Sleep

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Original poster

Early wake ups HELP x

12 replies

MeadowEve · 27/02/2019 06:29

Hi all, I know there are lots of threads on here about early wake ups but I’m struggling to understand why my baby wakes. She is 8 months old and has always been a ‘good ‘ sleeper, as in she sleeps through but she wakes at 5am . She has an embedded bedtime routine and goes down easily between 6-7 ( usually 6.30 ) but wakes at 5, she isn’t hungry just awake... she naps twice a day for 2-3 hours and is established on solids. Any suggestions? X

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Valdy · 27/02/2019 06:35

I'm in the exact same position op except my LO is 12 months, always been an amazing sleeper and the past couple of months he wakes at 5;30 on the dot everyday... no matter what time he's gone to bed (could be later than usual 6:30pm if we've done something in the day that's gotten us home later) and I'm really stuck. Do you think you DC is napping too much maybe? Or try pushing naps and bed time a little to push waking up time?

Bananarama12 · 27/02/2019 06:46

Well 6.30 until 5 is quite a lot of sleep plus 2 lots of 2 hour naps. My DS woke up at 5 until he was down to 1 nap at about 1 years old. He now wakes between 7 and 8. Just something you have to put up with I think!

Original poster

MeadowEve · 27/02/2019 06:49

Yeah totally agree.. is lots of sleep.. and I can’t push bed time much later than 6.30 because she is exhausted, she wakes at 5 am but by 7 she is flagging again? So I feel like if she had that extra 30-60 mins she would wake up fresh.. it’s almost like she isn’t ready but isn’t that tired to go back.. I think your right.. coffee all the way 💤

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Original poster

MeadowEve · 27/02/2019 06:51

It’s so hard!! The difference between 5am and 6am is massive I’m mum world isn’t it! Haha well she naps every morning about 9 for an hour then by 1 she is ready again .. maybe I’m not sure what’s the best to try push? What would you suggest from experience with your little one?

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Original poster

MeadowEve · 27/02/2019 06:53

Sorry the naps are 2-3 in total all day not each*

OP posts:

TeddyIsaHe · 27/02/2019 06:55

I agree the difference between 5 and 6 is huge when you’re a parent!

What time are her naps? Might it be worth shortening the second one and letting her have a small later nap so you can push her bedtime back?

Bananarama12 · 27/02/2019 06:55

I just used the morning nap for a nap myself and then the day started properly. I feel a lot more human now he wakes later but as you can see I now wake before him

Original poster

MeadowEve · 27/02/2019 09:19

To be honest the afternoon one varies.. usually the morning nap is around 9-10 am then in the afternoon 1-2 ish.. then bath starts at 6... sometimes she has a quick 30 mins about 4 if the afternoon nap is early/ short.. is so hard to pin point what the cause is.. I’ll definitely try though, thank you! She is asleep now.. been napping since 8🙄 ... I wish she would just have that extra hour in the morning lol x

OP posts:

modge · 27/02/2019 10:47

I haven't tried this personally but have heard/read that they use the early nap to 'catch up' on the missed night sleep, and so by pushing the morning nap later, it encourages them to sleep longer as they won't get the catch up time.

Not sure if it works in practice, but you could try pushing the morning nap back by 15 minutes every couple of days and see if that makes a difference?

CleanAndPaidFor · 27/02/2019 16:16

I hate to say this OP, but my eldest son woke up at 5.30 every morning until he was 6. Years not months. We tried everything but as you say he was just knackered by 7 in the evening. The upside of it was he was always easy to get to sleep and rarely woke up in the night. He's 15 now and would sleep in all day if we'd let him at the weekends- but he's still good at getting up early for school.

Original poster

MeadowEve · 27/02/2019 16:38

Haha this is my fear.. she is so easy to go to bed as you said your son was and also sleeps right through, so I know I should be very thankful but 5am 😩😩 haha! Suppose if all else fails my bed time will just have to be 9pm every evening.. thanks all for your advice, I’ll see what today brings.. she had an hour, 30 this morning and an hour nap at 2.. 🤷‍♀️ X

OP posts:

SnowWhite26 · 27/02/2019 20:14

My 3 and half year old did exactly this once we dropped both dream feed and night feed. She would wake at 5.30. we just took it in turns to get up. It is awful and im starting the same routine again with 6 month old. I didn't want to but they are both tired by 6.30-7. 6 month sleeps with a dream feed till about 2 3 or 4 but then is just awake. I then feed and he chats a bit more and wakes about 6-7 ish. I am trying to reduce night feed down as i think its just habit but he then wakes at about 5-6ish for the day. At least we get the evenings i guess. My 3 year old started sleeping 7-7 sometimes 8 at about 1.5-2 i think when naps started getting a bit less. I tried everything but in the end decided we take it in turns to get up and enjoy our evenings. X

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