Baby waking up at 5am (advice please!)

[Cary88]

I have a gorgeous baby boy 14 weeks (10 weeks adjusted). For the last three weeks he’s been doing a longer night stretch, now typically sleeps 7.15pm - 3.30am (which is great!) I then change and feed him in dim light and then he is back asleep in his crib by around 4.15am. However he then only sleeps for what seems is one sleep cycle, I then get woken up by him making noises in his crib between 5-5.30. He’s not crying, sometimes straining with the sleeping bag swaddle and sometimes just sort of his chatting to himself noises, his eyes are wide open and often he will start smiling when he sees me peering into his crib. I could leave him to it, but I know he’s still tired as when I get him out the crib and place him on me he falls asleep within 10 mins and will sleep on me until 7ish. However, I really don’t want to be getting into the habit of him sleeping on me for the last bit of the night!
I’ve tried adding a blackout blind, but it doesn’t seem to have made any difference.
Anyone had a similar experience and had anything work?
TIA

We did a dreamfeed as we were going to bed, which stopped the 3.30am wake, and then they’d get through until 6am and just accepted that was it for the day.

@InTheRainOnATrain thanks for the quick reply! I’ve been nervous about trying a dream feed in case I lose the one long stretch, but sounds like I should try it! I wouldn’t mind a 6am start if it meant less broken sleep at the end of the night.

Our little one (now 4 and a half months) was similar. Would wake early for a feed and then only have 45minutes (one sleep cycle). We found if she woke in the dark she would likely go back in her cot for a few hours, but if she woke and it was light she would go into a daytime sleep pattern. I've found as she's gotten older the time she wakes up is much later though. Usually around 6 - 7 am now. Hopefully it lengthens for your baby too

I tend to breastfeed in laying down position and let her co-sleep with me if it's light out when she wakes and we then tend to get two more hours - not for everyone but I figure she does most of the night in her cot and when she's bigger and in her own room I'd happily have her come in with us for morning snuggles and another hour. If you're breastfeeding there is advice on how to safely co-sleep if you did want to try that. I was worried about it at first but I find I'm in a much lighter sleep and I'm very aware of where she is and her movements.

I wonder if it's worth giving baby a chance to fall back to sleep independently. I've seen my baby awake early and gone to start routine of change and feed but by the time I've gone to the loo and come back in she's asleep again. Might be worth popping white noise on and seeing if baby falls back to sleep before jumping in if they aren't crying. It's definitely helped our little one to sleep for longer and to learn to soothe herself back to sleep.

Good luck! You're doing great!

Does whatever he is sleeping in have rockers? Our next to me did, my DD did exactly this around the same age, awake but happy, and I would rock the cot until she went back to sleep. Still an intervention but less than sleeping next to you