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16 month old waking at 5am screaming

6 replies

Raddyradiator · 27/11/2022 07:48

For the past 4 months my 16mo DD has been waking at 5-5:30am screaming her head off. We leave her for 15 mins to see if she resettles but she never does and we take her down for milk etc. she sleeps through until 5am usually since 12 months old

she’s clearly still tired but I don’t know what to fix this. She’s rubbing her eyes and yawning from 7am but we usually have to get ready for work/childcare.

I have a almost 4yo DS who had the exact same problem and we never got to the bottom of it and he has only just started until 6:30/7 but with DD crying her head off he now wakes around the same time so we have two tired grumpy children every weekend.

any tips??

her routine:

5/5:30 wake up
12pm nap (either 1.5-2hrs)
7pm bed

her room is dark, around 18/19 degrees and she has white noise on.

I try to go to bed at 10pm to compensate but DS has also recently started waking at 12am/1am wanting me to sleep in his bed so I do just to avoid whinging in the middle of the night but of course I end up finding it hard to get back to sleep. The broken sleep and lack of sleep is killing me. I often work until 9pm so rarely get any me time anymore and I’m becoming a shit grumpy mum. For example this morning I took them both downstairs and told them they could play together and I would sit on the sofa and not play with them because it’s too early. DH and I alternate mornings with them but I can’t get any sleep because they both make so much noise. DS is also perpetually defiant so it’s all feeling soul destroying at the moment. Sorry for the rant. I just hate how awful the lack of sleep is and can’t for the life of me figure out how to make it better.

the rare occasions she does sleep later, DS also sleeps later and it’s great. I just don’t know how to make it happen every day.

OP posts:
BananaCocktails · 27/11/2022 07:58

I’d turn off the white noise
her body clock has gotten used to waking up that time
you
Don't go rushing in to scoop her up if baby is fussy but not in any distress, resist the urge to pick baby up. Instead, try giving a gentle pat until she calms down, but stop just before sleep comes so she learns to nod off on her own. A dummy can also help.
Don't assume she's hungry if she's gotten enough to eat during the day
Some parents help their babies sleep by snuggling up in bed with them, and they may even bed-share all night. If your baby is six months or younger, it's safest for them to sleep in a cot next to your bed

l

Numbat2022 · 27/11/2022 08:01

That sounds really shit. Might it be teeth? Mine woke up so much in the night at that age, I would cuddle and pat and sleep in his room but the only thing that ever helped was Calpol. For some reason I was always hesitant to give it.

It stopped once all his teeth were through at around 2.

StrawberryWillow · 27/11/2022 08:19

Sorry I have no advice but just wanted to say you are not alone! My 14 month old has never slept through until recently a few weeks ago, it was looking promising that she was starting to....last weekend she got a nasty virus and we are back to restless nights and up at least twice. I am beyond exhausted!

sunflowerandivy · 27/11/2022 09:34

BananaCocktails · 27/11/2022 07:58

I’d turn off the white noise
her body clock has gotten used to waking up that time
you
Don't go rushing in to scoop her up if baby is fussy but not in any distress, resist the urge to pick baby up. Instead, try giving a gentle pat until she calms down, but stop just before sleep comes so she learns to nod off on her own. A dummy can also help.
Don't assume she's hungry if she's gotten enough to eat during the day
Some parents help their babies sleep by snuggling up in bed with them, and they may even bed-share all night. If your baby is six months or younger, it's safest for them to sleep in a cot next to your bed

l

Why turn off the white noise?

Raddyradiator · 08/12/2022 05:51

Thanks for the responses. I have turned off the white noise and generally leave her for about 15-20 mins or so to see if she drops back off but no joy.

she knows how to fall asleep by herself, it’s just these awful early starts.

this morning she was up at 4:30 screaming her head off. I went and got her and cuddled for a bit which calmed her down but then she carried on screaming when I put her in her cot which of course woke up DS so we are in for a rough day.

She had a longer nap yesterday (2hrs45mins) so I don’t know if she gets too much sleep? She woke 5:00am yesterday, had a nap from 12-2:45 and then went to bed at 7pm.

I really need to fix this before I lose my sanity.

OP posts:
babyyodaxmas · 08/12/2022 06:01

Cut the nap back to 1.5 hrs max (maybe even 45 mins). 7-5 is 10 hours so not so bad really. The opposite of others on here I would quickly scoop her up take her downstairs before she wakes her brother. Early waking is the hardest sleeping nut to crack

www.google.com/amp/s/www.babysleepscience.com/amp/2014/05/22/how-do-i-fix-my-baby-s-early-waking

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