5am wake ups!!

[sparklestar4]

My little boy is 11 months old and has been waking up at 5am every day since 8 months. I’m at my wits end, I’m shattered and it’s affecting the entire family.

His current routine is:

5am wake up
9am Nap 1
10am wake up
1.30pm Nap 2
3pm Wake up
6.30pm Bed

We’ve tried adjusting his nap times but still 5am every day! We’ve tried an earlier and later bed time and still the same.

Any tips or do I have to admit defeat that this is the time he wants to start his day?

How long did you give the later bedtime to take effect?

Do you have blackout blinds?

What time is breakfast/first milk and what time is last meal/milk? His body clock is a strong factor now, can be reset though!

(Also 13 hours total sleep in 24 hours is pretty good going. We didn't get more than 12 at that age I think

Try capping the second nap and make sure you have genuine blackout blinds in the room.

The ones use tracks that form a seal around the window frame, there should be no light coming through at all.

Even with those changes you still might be stuck with early wake ups for a while. Really depends on each child’s body clock

My daughter was like this, it did pass eventually
I tried less naps, blinds, later bed time but this was her body clock
Even now, age 20, she is up before all of her friends 😊

Her younger brother was the opposite- late to bed, bad at night and then she would wake at 5am -that’s another story 😳

IT WILL PASS 😊

13 hours total is a completely normal amount of sleep for a 11 month old, if not on the high side. You either need to reduce day time sleep or make bedtime later or potentially both. Personally, I’d reduce that morning nap to 20-30 minutes, bring the afternoon nap 30 minutes earlier (keep at 1.5 hours, so reduce total sleep from 2.5 hours to 1.75-2) and make bedtime a little later. That might just increase sleep pressure enough to get you a bit later in the morning.

My dd was exactly the same - it was 5.30am for AGES. Some kids are just early risers.
It will get later but for us it was years - she’s 6 yo now and wake up time is usually 6.45 - 7. Usually asleep by 8pm.

i had two terrible sleepers and really wouldn’t mess with bedtimes if he is sleeping through. It’ll gradually get later in time and you can gradually make bedtime later with it. Do you have another parent you can take turns with to do the 5am and go to bed earlier? It will pass as he gets older.

Thanks so much everyone for the replies.

@Mulledjuiceyes we have blackout blinds, that was the first thing we tweaked. His room is pitch black so no light peeking through.

Milk is 6/6.30 and breakfast is 7.30/7.45. Last milk is 6.20, bed by 6.30. He physically cannot go any later 😩

We lasted about a week at a time everytime we changed or tweaked his routine and we were regimental with that too.

My partner does help but he’s just as exhausted as me, even with a 9pm bedtime.

I think I’ll resign to the fact this is just his way and pray he’ll grow out of it 🙏🏻

Omg I thought this was my post 😂 my boy is 11 months and we have the same problem

i try so hard for latet bed time but he can’t last - he’s started nursery too so he’s absolutely exhausted when we get in

Husband has had a few successful times he’s gotten him back down until
near half 6! But it’s rare

im hoping when the morning nap goes it might help the situation

nothing helpful to add really just solidarity

my 4 year old will sleep in until 9 and has been like this since she was around 2.5 so I’m hoping he eventually does too 😂😂😂

@FupoffyagrassholeI have a 4yo too!! She sleeps amazing until 7/8!! So 5am wake ups have never been a thing. I’m the same as you, really hoping age and maybe once the naps drop it will happen!

thank you though, good to hear I’m not alone!!

Agree with this - and this is what we did - and it worked.