Is 5.30am a normal wake time?

[Sleepbabysleeppls]

DD 11mo has been waking between 5-5.30am for months. I have tried many things.

Anyway, the jury seems to be out on whether this is a ‘problem’ that needs solving. The majority of literature on the internet seems to suggest anything before 6am is problematic. Sarah Ockwell-Smith says 5am is very normal.

I’m a FTM so would be great to get others views/experiences. Currently feel like I’m the only one in my RL circle of friends battling this. But then maybe they have wakes in the night whilst my DD sleeps through mostly.

What are your experiences - is this a problem that needs solving or will it get later in time? Not sure how I would ever drop to one nap with such an early wake.

DS woke at 5-530 until he hit teenage years. Didn’t matter what time he went to bed. We didn’t all get up at that time though, once he was old enough to stay in bed even if awake. He would play quietly or read until a reasonable getting up time. Couldn’t do that reliably until he was about 4 though.

No and yes. Kids can get into habits but you can alter them with perseverance

@honeybee9871 He has his first nap 9/9.30. It used to be for 1hr 15 mins but I’ve started cutting it to one sleep cycle (40 mins). I had hoped this would help early wakes and extend his lunch time sleep but neither has happened so now he’s getting even less sleep 😟

This won’t help you but we get up at 5am normally for DH’s commute (and for mine until the pandemic, now I mostly wfh, just one day a week in the office). My DC’s usually slept until at least 6:30 / 7 but it wasn’t a problem if they woke early as we were already up.

By way of update, for the past 2 weeks we have managed to resettle him at 5am when he initially wakes (takes 10-20 mins or so just a cuddle) and he’s then been going back to sleep. I then have to wake him up at 7am … which seems mean but otherwise I think he’d be sleeping too late and everything I read relating to infant sleep suggests they should have a consistent wake up time?!

god it’s all so complicated isn’t it. Anyway, he clearly must still be tired in the morning if he’s going back to sleep so easily and for so long. Do you think this suggests it’s over-tiredness causing the early wakes?

By having a 7am wake I’ve been able to push the whole day back a bit which means bedtime is now 7.30. That hasn’t made any difference to the early wake though.

should I just be glad that for the time being we are able to resettle him?!

From what I’ve read the important thing is that they get enough sleep overall and not when, so the routine should fit your own. If a later bedtime works for you, then go for it, and if you want an earlier wake up then that’s ok too. The ‘golden standard’ 7-7 seems to be a very British or American thing, all over the globe babies have very different bedtimes and wake up times, and it’s all normal. So I’d suggest, with absolutely zero experience as mine is only 4 months and laughs at routine, that to get a later morning you might need a later bedtime?

Yeah both mine woke up at this time until they got to about 3, think it tied in with teething? Not sure, I've blocked it out 😂

Bouncy fucking iggle piggle at 5.30.. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Some times I wake up around then, although not sure why