Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

Original poster

5mo (almost 6o) old waking every day at 5am..HELP!

44 replies

SB1712 · 28/12/2021 06:22

My 5 month old has always been a tricky sleeper but in the last couple of weeks has been waking earlier and earlier and now wakes anytime between 4.30 and 5am Sad

She only dropped her night feed about a month ago and would self soothe with the dummy and although she woke for that she would go back off til nearer to 7.
I can cope with 6am starts but I am exhausted with the constant night wakings and then the 5am call time Confused
She goes to bed around 7pm every night and it’s worth saying will sleep quite soundly until she wakes at 4, occasionally she is restless and needs the dummy being put back in.

She’s really not a good napper either, only going down for 30 minutes at a time in the day. I feel exhausted and feel like I’m not doing enough for her because other babies get so much more sleep. No matter what I try whether it’s pram, car, cot she will not stay asleep more than 30/40 mins max.

Because of her bad sleeping habits I feel she is growing more and more cranky as the days go on.
At home our room has a blackout blind, I play deep white noise in the background, she has a comforter and dummy and can normally for the most part get herself to sleep.

Does anyone have any advice or has been through something similar? Sad

OP posts:
Overthebow · 28/12/2021 06:31

A 5am wake up is pretty normal for a lot of babies. For your 5 month old to have dropped night feeds and to sleep fairly well from 7am to 4.30/5am is pretty amazing. It’s probably that she’s had enough sleep by then and wants to get up for the day, 5am is not an unusual start time especially going to bed at 7pm.

Rainbowqueeen · 28/12/2021 06:37

Sorry I have to agree, it is fairly normal.

You will need to ride it out. Make sure you and DH take turns in getting up with her. From your post it doesn’t sound like he is doing his share. That needs to be fixed immediately. I don’t care what his day job is - he can do at least 3 early morning wakings a week.

Also. go to bed earlier It sucks it really does but it won’t be forever

QforCucumber · 28/12/2021 06:41

Ds is 18months and is up between 5-half past every day. At 5 months old he was waking every hour, until he was 11 months. I’m now more than happy to take the 7:30-5 solid sleep. I just make sure I’m asleep by 10:30, and a couple of nights a week actually go to bed at 9.

mayblossominapril · 28/12/2021 06:41

It’s fairly normal and early wake ups can last for years. My two allowed me a lie in this morning until 5.30!
At this stage you could put her to bed an hour later to see if she then wakes up an hour later. Move it gradually in 5 or 10 minute increments. Going to bed early will also help.

Original poster
SB1712 · 28/12/2021 06:43

It’s hard as when you google it (which I often do when she wakes up!) it says anything before 6 is considered early waking and it doesn’t help that those around me have babies that sleep way later and you can’t help but compare.
I don’t feel she gets god quality sleep from 4.30 and then as a result I worry her first nap of the day comes too late as I try not to bring her back up til before 7.30.

If she napped more/better in the day I could probably get my head around the 5am starts a bit more but I never feel she wakes up refreshed from the 30 minute cat naps and from 4pm I feel it’s a fight to keep her going until she goes down.
Should I perhaps bring bedtime forward slightly?

OP posts:
Overthebow · 28/12/2021 06:43

Sorry I meant 7pm until 4.30/5am. Can you tell I’m tired from multiple wake ups and an early start from my toddler!

Original poster
SB1712 · 28/12/2021 06:45

@QforCucumber

Ds is 18months and is up between 5-half past every day. At 5 months old he was waking every hour, until he was 11 months. I’m now more than happy to take the 7:30-5 solid sleep. I just make sure I’m asleep by 10:30, and a couple of nights a week actually go to bed at 9.
Yes maybe I need to bring my bedtime forward more often but I find I enjoy the evening time of a few hours to myself to catch up on reading/Netflix and just generally catch my breath! Confused
OP posts:
Original poster
SB1712 · 28/12/2021 06:47

@Rainbowqueeen

Sorry I have to agree, it is fairly normal.

You will need to ride it out. Make sure you and DH take turns in getting up with her. From your post it doesn’t sound like he is doing his share. That needs to be fixed immediately. I don’t care what his day job is - he can do at least 3 early morning wakings a week.

Also. go to bed earlier It sucks it really does but it won’t be forever

In fairness he takes her down from 6am until her first nap so I’m able to sleep another hour or so but as I lie next to her I feel I wake at every movement and murmur in the night. I was never a light sleeper however I could probably head a pin drop now!
OP posts:
GiltEdges · 28/12/2021 06:49

She goes to bed around 7pm every night and it’s worth saying will sleep quite soundly until she wakes at 4

In that case, if it was me, I'd be going to bed earlier until this phase passes.

I find I enjoy the evening time of a few hours to myself to catch up on reading/Netflix and just generally catch my breath!

I get this, but your baby is still really young. There'll be loads of time for you to get your evenings back once the sleep situation is better. Surely feeling rested is the priority over a couple of hours of Netflix?

FWIW, like a PP I also had an hourly waker all night every night until DS was around 18 months. I quickly learned you just need to do what you can to survive.

Snowoctopus · 28/12/2021 06:51

You have described a baby who sleeps incredibly well for their age! It’s very normal for daytime naps to only be 30 or 40 mins at that age. If the early wake ups are a problem you could put baby to bed later, maybe at 8pm. Have you tried offering milk and cuddles at 5am? This may help them to go back to sleep for a while.
Honestly, you’re baby is sleeping incredibly well for their age and you’re doing a brilliant job!

Snowoctopus · 28/12/2021 06:51

*your

GiltEdges · 28/12/2021 06:52

@Snowoctopus

*your
You were right the first time Smile
PurplePinecone · 28/12/2021 06:52

To be honest it sounds like she's sleeping very well. At 6 months that's brilliant that she's sleeping that long a stretch. She's probably hungry when she wakes at 4.30am. Why don't you feed her a bottle when she wakes and she might go back to sleep?

The early waking won't last forever. She should start sleeping to later as she gets older. I wouldn't change her bedtime. She's still very young so I'd be thankful she's sleeping that long stretch and know that it won't be forever.

Overthebow · 28/12/2021 06:53

Should I perhaps bring bedtime forward slightly?

You could try but I wouldn’t mess with it seeing as you’ve got her into a routine that works. Your baby is still so young and is really is brilliant she’s sleeping so well at this age. Sounds like you’ve got a lot of opportunity to sleep if your DH takes her down at 6am, so if you’re tired then go to bed an hour or so earlier.

Allaboutyou222 · 28/12/2021 06:54

Both my kids were early risers for ages. We got used to 5 am starts. Me and DH took it in turns. Went to bed early to compensate. It gets better eventually. Both teens now and won’t get up!

Starcaller · 28/12/2021 06:54

Do you give her milk when she wakes at 4? I'd be giving her milk to see if that sends her off again.

Original poster
SB1712 · 28/12/2021 06:54

@GiltEdges

She goes to bed around 7pm every night and it’s worth saying will sleep quite soundly until she wakes at 4

In that case, if it was me, I'd be going to bed earlier until this phase passes.

I find I enjoy the evening time of a few hours to myself to catch up on reading/Netflix and just generally catch my breath!

I get this, but your baby is still really young. There'll be loads of time for you to get your evenings back once the sleep situation is better. Surely feeling rested is the priority over a couple of hours of Netflix?

FWIW, like a PP I also had an hourly waker all night every night until DS was around 18 months. I quickly learned you just need to do what you can to survive.

It’s not specifically Netflix Gilt it was just an example of having a bit of downtime that’s all, as by the time I’ve cooked it’s 8pm and feels like I’ve blinked the day has gone by but I will go to bed earlier to see if this helps.
OP posts:
prayingforrainbows · 28/12/2021 06:56

Unfortunately it seems to be quite common. DS was always an early waker and still now at 20 months he's up for the day at 5am. Sometimes up a few times in the night too crying.
Occasionally he sleeps through 7/8pm until 6:30am but that's very rare and magical 😂

So sorry OP. For me I choose whether to have a night to myself and stay up a bit later or go to bed early (more often than not as I'm exhausted from being up so early).

Maybe split the week up and plan to alternate late/early nights? Re-jig the plan when you feel you need it. ❤️

Original poster
SB1712 · 28/12/2021 06:57

@Starcaller

Do you give her milk when she wakes at 4? I'd be giving her milk to see if that sends her off again.
No we don’t as I found even after trying milk the first few times she’d wake she wouldn’t go back to sleep so I don’t think it’s hunger I think like most have said she is just ready to start her day at 5.

Thanks for all your replies.

OP posts:
GrannyBattleaxe · 28/12/2021 06:57

I've had good sleepers and bad sleepers, do nothing different it's just them. My youngest is nearly 3 and still does 7pm-4.30-5am every single day. Her sister is nearly 5 and always does 7-7, in fact yesterday she was 7pm-8.30am!
I am incredibly tired, all the time, especially as I'm now an older mother...I cope by at least being in bed from 8pm myself most nights, just relaxing.

Original poster
SB1712 · 28/12/2021 06:59

**Prayingforrainbows I think this is what I’ll have to start doing, choosing a couple of nights a week to stay up later and the rest go to bed earlier than normal!
Hope you get some more 6.30 wake ups!

OP posts:
AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken · 28/12/2021 07:01

I always treated any waking before 6.30 as night time. They were changed, fed and comforted. I didn’t turn on the light. I didn’t make any noise.

QforCucumber · 28/12/2021 07:12

It’s hard as when you google it you’ll soon realise, no matter how much you Google, baby hasn’t read the websites so doesn’t know what they say about her sleep.

Dh and I still get our downtime, we eat earlier though - with the kids at around 6:00, then it’s bath and bed for little while dh gets the 5 year old ready for bed. Baby goes to bed at 7, older one asleep for 8. We will watch an episode of something for an hour, go to bed at 9, faff for a bit and asleep by 10/10:30.

SilverGlassHare · 28/12/2021 07:15

DS was like this - his personal best was up for the day at 3.55 in summer. It did get gradually better (ie by the time he went to school it was usually towards 6am before he woke and from mid-reception onwards, he started sleeping til after 7am most days. He does go to bed later these days though.

SilverGlassHare · 28/12/2021 07:19

And there’s always someone who says ‘I always treated it as a night time waking’ - well, my DS did not treat it as a night time waking! If he woke in the night, a quick pat would send him back to sleep. If I tried that in the morning, he’d just cry endlessly, no matter how much I patted or fed or changed him. Obviously I could try to ignore the wailing but a) it was distressing due both of us and b) I couldn’t sleep through the noise anyway. DH and I just took turns getting up with him - at least then one of us went back to sleep for a couple of hours.