Early Waking - will she go back to normal?

[silverback1975]

Hi,

My 7.1 month DD has started waking up around 5/5.30 am the past week or so where previously work around 6.15am (much more sociable hour - I have been naughty and getting her and putting her in our bed for around 45 mins until around 6.15 am....She is still swaddled during the day and unswaddled at night (lovie, dummy and sleeping bag) - so when we does wake after 5am she is chatting to herself (not really crying) - how can i get things back on track and get her awake after 6am? Some other things to mention is she has no teeth yet and has just started crawling.

Routine is
6/6.15 awake - bottle and solids breakfast
8.30 - 10am sleep
10am bottle
12pm - 20 min catnap
2pm bottle
2.30 - 4pm sleep
4.30 dinner - solids
6.30 bottle and bed

I was also wondering if now she is unswaddled at night (only the past 3 weeks) causes her to wake early (hands free to play with now). This routine is working really well for her and eventually I will increase her A time and drop the catnap. I just need to to extend her awake time first thing to what she has been doing (6/6.15)

Any suggestions?

[Mom to M&M]

Could definitely be developmental and/or related to the swaddle but at her age she probably also needs a little more A time. I'd work on getting her to the following routine (or something like it) - just do it slowly and extend gradually.

- Wake 6am
- Nap 8:45-10:15
- Nap 1:15-3:15
- Bedtime 6:30

Also, if she wakes at 5 am, I'd leave her as long as possible if she's not crying or upset. She may surprise you and chat and play and fall back asleep!

[PeepersMom]

I am not sure what to tell you to do, but I know someone will have some tricks for you.  

With regards to my experience - my son goes through phases of this.  I don't really change too many things except his naps - I mean I am not going to put him down for his first nap at 8 am - so in that sense I change - the earliest I will nap him is 9 ( but he is older)  and also I don't take him out of the crib before 630.  Unless he is screaming which he usually isn't.  And I totally agree with Marissa's Mom - my son would regularly fall back to sleep when he was this age. I treated anything before 630 like a nighttime wake up. 

You might want to make sure he has a full belly before bed, too.  Sometimes that does make a difference with my lo.  Like if he only has a piece of fish, broccoli and peaches for dinner he might wake earlier b/c he is hungry.  But if he has a nice fatty/starchy meal like chicken, beans, and rice he'll sleep later.  

Anyway, just a few thoughts.