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Sleep

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Original poster

5am start to day- it is killing me!

32 replies

roslily · 06/05/2010 11:37

Ds is 8mo. We are currently co-sleeping, although he is more than happy to sleep in his own cot too.

Whichever way we do it he has decided that 5 am is a good time to start the day. Today it was 4.45am! He is still tired, as far as I can tell, but also smiley and wanting to play!

I am working full time as a teacher. I am finding it hard, as I can't even go to bed early as I do my work after he has gone to bed. Earliest I have managed is about 9.30pm.

Anyone got any suggestions? I have tried reintroducing dummy (he self weaned a few months ago), cuddling, not talking to him etc. But if I don't get him up to play he just starts crying.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

crawley · 06/05/2010 14:42

has the waking early been gradual? I found that my daughter was waking earlier and earlier so I cut down her daytime naps and she started sleeping til 7am again. also if they are getting more active in the day they can start waking because they are hungry.

Original poster

roslily · 06/05/2010 17:46

Thanks, yeah I suppose it has been gradual. He slept through from about 6 months and getting earlier.

He is at CM during day and doesn't often sleep much there, but I will talk to her about it.

I am BLW, and he eats quite a lot during day (according to CM) and has 4 7oz bottles a day, so not sure he is hungry.

OP posts:

crawley · 06/05/2010 18:19

then again most of the time with babies they just do what they want which I am finding out!
it is true though that proper napping in the day results in better sleep for them at night.

M78 · 06/05/2010 18:59

my dd is 8mo and for the last 4 weeks she has been waking up between 4am and 4.30am every morning. The only way i can get her to go back to sleep is by feeding her. She will then sleep on top of me until 5.30am, sometime 6am. Unfortunately i can't go back to sleep and i am so tired! Apparently moving the morning nap to later can help with early wakings. My dd has her morning nap normally at 8.15, so I am going to move it 10 min every day until she goes down at 9.30. I really hope it's going to work! We are cosleeping aswell by the way and I also work in the evening and don't manage to go to bed before 10.30pm......

AngelDog · 06/05/2010 20:10

Some of the books recommend an earlier bedtime to deal with early waking. And definitely more naps during the day - the sleep begets sleep thing.

If he seems tired and he's gradually been changing his wake up time, it does sound as if he could have been gradually getting overtired from insufficient daytime sleep.

belindarose · 07/05/2010 10:16

Oh dear, sounds like the 8 month olds are all the same! Mine is waking up at 5.30 every day too - I try to convince her it's still night time, but she's having none of it. Not too good at sleeping the rest of the night either. But, I'm not at work, so lots of sympathy to you (OP, I was your 'bump buddy' on another site!).

Galena · 07/05/2010 20:50

We've just put up blackout lining velcroed round the window so no light can get in - DD has gone from waking at 5:30 to waking at 7:00am. May be worth a try?

Milsy · 07/05/2010 22:34

I found this useful - baby waking early

rusmum · 09/05/2010 20:55

my dd wakes up at 430 am everyday for the last 6 months (she is 22 months). I too work as a teacher and am shettered!!!!

Original poster

roslily · 12/05/2010 19:53

I am a teacher too! well our childminder can't look after him anymore, so will be looking at nursery. Hopefully I will be able to sort out daytime sleep with them.

I have ordered a blackout blind which should be arriving soon.

Belindarose- did you have a little girl?

OP posts:

tinks27 · 13/05/2010 05:36

my little girl is the same.nearly 6 months.varies between 5 and 5.45 most days.she has good sleeps in the day. not too much not too little
have tried the usual, but to no avail.she doesn't cry when i leave her, justs chats and plays, but does not want to go back to sleep!! And figure can't leave her for hours without feeding her, so tend to get her up at 6 and start the day.

reckon this is her pattern. was hoping it would get later with age.judging by this thread maybe not!!! was hoping to stop going to bed at 9pm at some point!!!

did drop the late feed quite early ( about 12weeks )so was wondering if i created a rod for my own back!!?? can you re-introduce it or is this waaaaaaay too late?

devilsadvocaat · 13/05/2010 06:47

have you tried doing a dreamfeed before you go to bed?

Original poster

roslily · 15/05/2010 10:43

Yeah we used to do that, but he stopped taking any milk at it, so dropped it.

Tried black out blind- no help. This morning it was 4am. Gonna try to work on his daytime sleep.

OP posts:

youlikewineilikewine · 15/05/2010 10:48

I've been up with DS since 5.45 this morning. And I fed him at 3.30 (he went straight back to sleep). This is on top of a 7pm bedtime and an 11pm dream feed

belindarose · 16/05/2010 09:23

Yes, did have a little girl roslily.
Mine's been ill for a few days, so sleep 'pattern' has gone completely out of the window. I'm going to sort out daytime naps again!

CoteDAzur · 16/05/2010 09:41

Why on earth would you start the day at 4:45?

Treat all wakings before 6:30 (for example) as night wakings - shhh, kiss, here's your dummy, back to the cot. If he cries, come back in a minute, shh/kiss/here's your dummy, out you go again. Do not turn on the lights, do not pick him up to play and do not give his milk before 6:30. It might take a couple of days, but his body will soon adjust.

tinks27 · 17/05/2010 05:27

does anyone have the magic answer?? Came back on to see if anyone had any improvements!! i had 5.15 this morning

i keep thinking there must be something i haven't done!!

my LO doesn't cry just chats and plays but WILL NOT go back to sleep. but then she is soooo tired by 7. i keep her up until 8 so the rest of the day doesn't go to pot.

tried feeding her this morning ( treating as night feed) - made not one jot of difference!!

she is a good day sleeper.

how do the 7 til 7 brigade do it???? i keep thinking - ' if i could just get an extra hour or so, i would feel so much better!!!' i know there is plenty with numerous night wakings, which must be hell, - but when you are this close - i can almost taste it!!! but can't reach the finishing line!! ahgghhhh

bunnyfrance · 17/05/2010 08:42

Snap - we were up at exactly 5h15 this morning and yesterday morning. Saturday morning DS (8 months) woke at 8am....go figure. Not one for a schedule haha.

crawley · 17/05/2010 08:43

you should definitely try sorting the daytime naps. it isn't instant so give it 3 days or so. try to let him nap for no longer than 2-3 hours in the day. with my daughter it worked after about 3 days. the waking went from 5am to 6.15 or so then back to 7ish. I agree with CoteDAzur any wakings before 6 or so really are night wakings. once you start give milk early it just throws the whole day out of sync!

Lozario · 17/05/2010 10:22

Since taking the same attitude as CoteDAzur and crawley, we've managed to stretch ds (11m) to 6 - 6.30. He plays for a bit on waking and then we let him get up at 6.45-7ish. And maximum of 3 hours sleep during the day.
He goes to bed at 7.30pm.

My friends whose babies sleep 7 - 7 (or later!! ) get much less sleep out of their babies during the day - to be honest I prefer our set up, I wouldn't be without my hour and a half in the morning and arvo to get things done!!

crawley · 17/05/2010 11:19

yes me too! now she is older (12.5mths) she has a 2ish hour sleep after lunch and still goes down at 7pm until 6.30-7 the next morning. she transitioned from two to one naps after being at the nursery for a couple of weeks - its much better now - but then we have been lucky that she has always been a good sleeper really.

wheresmypaddle · 17/05/2010 11:59

Another vote for trying black out blinds. DS (just 3) had started waking at 5.45am despite his curtains having black-out lining.

However, a lot of light was still coming arount and over the curtains, so yesterday I decided to use a travel black out blind to block out every bit of light. Brilliant, he slept until 7.15.

So it may be worth getting really meticulous about having a very dark room- worth a try!!

bunnyfrance · 17/05/2010 13:23

My problem with a totally dark room is, what do you do when you can't recreate those conditions eg. when on holiday or staying elsewhere?? Then you're stuck with a baby who will only sleep when it's very dark!

Original poster

roslily · 17/05/2010 18:59

Ha! 2 hours sleep in day- i wish. On a good day he will have 2-3 hours in total. He has never been much of a day sleeper.

I know i shouldn't start the day that early, but it is so hard to keep getting up to him, in the end it just seems easier to get up.

But i will try that tonight.

OP posts:

belindarose · 17/05/2010 21:44

I was determined last night that she wouldn't come to our bed (I get no sleep, although I love having her there, and she wakes up just as early to play with my face) and she stayed in her cot till after 7 (with many night wakings, last at 4.50am). I'm determined again, but have had 4 wakings since bedtime and each time she gets harder to settle! Lots of daytime sleep today and an early bedtime (she was shattered and dropped off easily at 6.30), so I'll see if that seems to make a difference.
Good luck and sympathy to the rest of you.

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