13 month old now waking at 5am.

[ChrissyFrances]

My 13 month old has started waking at 5am.

He's usually a dream at sleeping, other than the odd sleep regression.

He usually has 2 naps a day amounting to 3 hours and then goes down at 7-6.30/7

Now he's having 2 naps still and going down at 7 and getting up 5/5.30

I put him for a nap at 9ish (1hour)as I heard if it's too early then he thinks it's an add on to his sleep and then he goes for another nap between 2/3pm (1-2hours)

If he wakes before 4.30pm he is able to go down at 7pm with no issues.

He is so tired he needs 2 naps still. He's a very happy baby , he's now cranky with being tired, wee soul.

Is this a sleep regression? If I keep him up later he is tired because of the early wake up but I wouldn't want him up later than 7.30.

I go back to work full time in a couple of weeks. I don't mind getting up early but it's just a change for him and his routine. Any advice would be appreciated x

Babies can only sleep so much, if they need roughly 10/11 hours overnight then a 7pm bedtime will result in a 5am wake. If I could go back (my eldest is 5.5) I would never attempt a bedtime before 8pm, I’ve had 5y of 5am wake ups with! Most kids don’t sleep 12h at night.

Is it because it's getting light earlier, so blackout curtains might help?

This is new in the last couple of weeks. Since he was a few months old he more or less has been a sleepy baby at night, we have been incredibly blessed so I'm assuming something is up to change his routine , not ours. He decided on the sleeps.

We live in the Outer Hebrides and it is hardly dark at night so I think it could be that as the birds start getting very vocal at 5am. I have black out blinds and a black out curtain also. I need to sesh the birds and see if that makes a difference!

**ssssssh the birds!

Is there a specific reason you want him down at 7h30 ? That's awfully early. Mine never went down before 8pm even as babies.

I would try pushing his bedtime back a little, maybe do it gently, 5 mins later one night, then another 5 mins later etc until you get to 7.30/8pm.

I have been really going by what he's been doing & until a week ago, he slept 7-7 with 3 hour nap in the day.

If I thought he would benefit from a later sleep I would be all for it. He woke at 5am this morning and has had 2 naps & still was so tired and cranky by 6pm , I put him to bed at 6.15pm & went to sleep straight away so I'm presuming it's a sleep regression. I'm happy (ok) with getting up earlier but I know it's not suiting him. He slept from 3 weeks old 5 hours plus & has mostly been so good.

He's 2 1/2 stone and extremely tall & a really good eater so I presume that's why he's a good sleeper usually.

I will increase his bedtime to 7.30pm (if he stays awake!) & see if that makes a difference.

What would happen if you capped the second nap at an hour? Babies increase their stamina all the time, your baby may simply be able to stay awake that bit longer and need less daytime sleep than even a few weeks ago.
My LO is a similar age and does 2h daytime sleep. My LO is currently flipping between one and two naps. Sleeps ~7.15pm-6.30am.

He slept till 5.30 chatted for a bit and when I went to go in for him at 6am he was asleep till 7!

I will cap his naps and see if that makes a difference. Hopefully the later morning has regulated his sleep a bit better & I will shift his bedtime gradually to 7.30.

A few comments about why I put him to sleep early. It's what he needs & all the information I've read is that's the guidance for bedtime. I think an early bedtime and an early start is more productive for him & us but the 5am starts was affecting him.

Thanks for the all the advice. Hopefully changing naps and slightly changing bed time will help x

Just to add that this was happening to us too, and we've had three better nights since I charged up the white noise machine and left it on all night. I think it's the birdsong at 5am - it's very loud!

My baby is the same age and does the same, I think it’s the light mornings so we’ve put in a blackout blind. What time is his last meal? When my DS started nursery I found he had his last meal too early so started feeding him another dinner after nursery and that’s helped too

Also he has always gone to bed between 6.30 and 7pm, I thought this was quite normal tbh? I would rather be up with him at 5.30am in a good mood than up with him at 8pm grumpy and wanting his bed!

At that age mine was going to bed at 6 and getting up at 5. But he'd always got up at 5😭 you're not doing anything wrong, babies like to just keep you on your toes 😂

We have birds nesting in our porch roof which is beside his bedroom so I reckon it's that. I need to get the Hoover album primed for 4.30ish!

I feed him at 5.30pm but with going back to work next week & my fiance working we do have to slightly change his routine slightly. I always thought it was early bedtime for babies, I couldn't cope with 8/9pm bedtime, I like my chill time time with a chocolate before my own bedtime x

Did you find a resolution? I feel as if I typed this because this is exactly my 13 month old to a T.