When will my 14 month old boy start to wake later?

[Mazarati]

Hi all,

My 14 month old boy has never been a great sleeper. Though now he does get around 10 hours a night straight through (mostly). We put him to bed at 7pm every night, and like clockwork no matter what we've tried over many months, he still wakes at 5am, sometimes 4.30am. 5.30am is an occasional lie in, and 6am only occurs if he's been up all night for whatever reason. We've tried most methods experts recommend to remedy this but nothing has worked, so we've decided to just accept it and ride it out. He sleeps in his cot. He's a very lively, big and active boy, so I need my 8hours sleep to keep on top of things through the day. So every night I begrudgingly take myself to bed at 9pm. I'm then rudely awoken very early every. Single. Morning. I don't always sleep well and neither does he so must days I'm knackered. He is absolutely full on from the moment he wakes. He's also in an incessant screaming phase, which at 5am adds to the misery. So long story short (apologies for taking so long to get to the point), when does a child start to sleep later???? I've been waiting since he was 6 months old to grow out of this. Any glimmer of hope would be much appreciated! Thanks, from an exhausted mumma

Mine suddenly started sleeping better a couple of months ago, after previously being up 5/5.30 pretty much every morning. Like you we tried everything! He now sleeps 7.30-7.30ish pretty reliably most nights. He’s 19 months. It seemed to coincide with a big leap in physical and cognitive abilities so I think he’s genuinely just more tired now.

Oh this is very hopeful and music to my ears! What time do you put him to bed? X

Usually between 7 and 7.30, it takes him a little while to fall asleep at the moment but I’ll take it because he’s sleeping!

What's his daytime sleep like? Strikes me he is prob at over tired and that is what'causing him to be restless when sleep pressure is low.

I had an early waker like you, he's 16 months now and suddenly started sleeping 7-7ish (I NEVER thought I would ever write those words. He was an awful sleeper as a baby and then when nights got better a really early riser - up between 4 and 5am at 14 months). I think dropping to one nap helped him to that point but it wasn't instant. It will probably all go backwards soon but right now it's bliss. There's hope!

It could be that you are overestimating the amount of sleep that he needs. It varies a great deal (as it does with adults) but of course all the 'advice' is for the average baby.

Does he nap? You could try cutting back the nap by half an hour and / or putting him to bed half an hour later.

I know you may have tried a later bedtime but really you need to try it for a couple of weeks consistently before saying it doesn't work. Its a bit like jetlag. If you're making a change to their sleep pattern it takes time for their body clock to adjust. With my own son we had to cut his nap completely before he slept through the night and stopped waking at 4am (at 2!) and it took 2 weeks for him to build the stamina to get through the afternoon. Then he just added the nap time on to his night sleep. Of course it's too early for you to cut out the nap but you could shorten it and see if that works.

DD went through that phase around the same ago. She started sleeping through at 11 months, then it was early mornings for a good few months. Gradually got later. We’ve had a few 7ams but it’s mostly 6.30am which I can cope with!

Surely if you put him to sleep at say 11pm then he'd wake up circa 9am?

Makes sure the room is quiet and completely dark. The daylight will wake them up .

For a long time we put DS to bed around 7.30-7.45pm, he would still wake early until we introduced a gro clock (when he was 19 months old) which worked a treat. He would then sleep 7.45pm-6.45am with a daytime nap. It was only when he dropped the daytime nap that we started putting him to bed at 7pm.

I think some toddlers just need less sleep than others.

But him to bed letter. He clearly doesnt need 12 hours.

Also, are you a single parent? Im wondering why you have not had one good night’s sleep or one lie in.

My son was 6 before he started waking later. My other two were about 4 years old or so.

Didn't he start waking an hour later when the clocks changed? Or did you move his bedtime back too?

My youngest is the exact same. 13 months old and bedtime is no problem, 7pm, but we are up 4am-5.30am every morning. She’s only bottom-shuffling so I’m hoping as she moves more she will tire more. I’d like her to go down to one nap but she really wants her morning nap as by 9.30 is really tired. Vicious circle. My three year old is being a real handful during day in lockdown so I’m rather tired.

Not sure what to suggest but several of my friends babies went through this phase at about 14 months and it was autumn/winter. It was grim but it seemed to pass

My daughter is 2.5 and has been a 5/5:30am riser since newborn. Like you OP we have tried everything and just try and accept it's how it is, although some days it drives us wild and anyone who complains their child woke them up at 6am - I want to drop kick into next week haha!

It's used to be like clockwork but this has changed slightly recently, had a 05:45 wake up this morning which felt like a lie in but 04:45 the last 2 mornings randomly which hasn't been the case for a while. She naps in the day 50% of the time which makes absolutely no difference to what time she wakes.

Sorry no advice OP just my sympathies x

Mine is 2.5 and always has been 5:30. I don't see it changing. I do wonder why you are always doing the early mornings? We swap so one day me one day my husband. And we get lie ins at the weekend each too.