10 month old - 5am wake up

[happydays00]

My DS has never been the worlds best sleeper (well, certainly not since the 4 month sleep regression). But recently has started to sleep through the night (yay!) but only until 5:30 (noooo!) after that no amount of persuading will get him back to sleep. Previously, I would be able to cuddle him back to sleep in our bed if he woke anytime from 4am onwards.

Our current routine looks something like this:
Bottle on waking
8 - breakfast
8:30/9ish - bottle and nap for approx 1hr - 1hr 15
12ish - lunch
1:30ish - bottle and nap for approx 1.5 - 2hrs
3ish - snack
5:30ish - dinner
6ish - bath, bottle and bed. Usually asleep for 7 / 7:30

He is currently fed / cuddled to sleep. I know some might say this could be some of the problem?

My DD was an early riser but she would be in bed for the night by 6pm so I put it down to that and I think she had started to wake later than 5:30am by 10 months. Any suggestions? It feels like such a long day, particularly when you can't go to any groups etc to get out the house and he is so crabby for most of the morning with this early wake up!

No advice but my 2.5 year old still often wakes between 5 and 6... I often go to bed at 9...

@Mammyloveswine erm, thanks..?

A gro clock and a tots up reward chart worked for my toddler when she started waking early

@happydays00 That's a good routine, I wouldn't change it.

He is currently fed / cuddled to sleep. I know some might say this could be some of the problem?

Yeah, this will be your problem.

IT's really important for good sleep hygiene that baby goes to sleep where he stays asleep. So that means going to sleep in the cot not in your arms.

My 8 month old's routine is exactly the same except he isn't cuddled to sleep (not at night anyway. Naps are another story!). He also wakes at 5 - 5.30. Unfortunately, I think some babies are just early risers and not much you can do. Although if anyone does know the secret please let me know!

Do you have black out blinds? My DD was waking at 5/5:30, I couldn't get a black out blind the right size during lockdown so sprayed water on the windows and used tin foil, she now goes until 6:30 which is much better. I know it isn't really cold at the moment but I read sometimes they wake early if they're too cold and adding a pair of socks under their baby grow sometimes works? (Haven't needed to try this one as of yet though!)

@BabySleepTeacherUK I will attempt to break this habit, but he seems to be going through some sort of extreme separation anxiety phase at the moment so might give it a few weeks before I try.

I've got black out blinds and it's nice and dark in his room, it's like he just knows!

Interestingly, since writing my post he has done a few 6/6:30 wake ups. He's also woke a couple of times at 5:15ish, done a bit of shouting / a few cries but I've left him and he's gone back to sleep for 45-60 mins. This morning it was straight through until 5:55am. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ do these 7-7 babies really exist? (Don't tell me if they do really, it just depresses me!!)