Night/early waking - feed or pacify?

[snowangel]

Hi!

My lo is 5.5 months and 3 times has semi-slept through the night over the past two weeks - hasn't fed from 10:30pm til 7am. He does wake up and fuss around between 4 and 6am but nods off again. From 6am on he sounds awake but is sucking his hands in a hungry way, but still not crying and sometimes will still nod off. Should I feed him, pacify him or just leave him to it seeing as he's not crying? And if he's awake from 6am should I adjust his 1st nap accordingly or stick with the schedule? Thanks for any help!

S

[albertasweetpea]

Hi snowangel - love that name by the way!!  :lol:

From other posts around here and from experience with our DD, it is very typical at that age for them to wake between 4-6 am to play. :shock:

My suggestion is that if he is not crying just leave him be. Sounds like he settles himself back to sleep so that is wonderful!! I would certainly hesitate to start feeding him at this time as then he wont' be hungry for his first feeding of the day. Is he bottle fed? How much does he typically take during the day? Do you do the dreamfeed??

[snowangel]

Hi!

Thanks for the advice - me and DH lie in bed from 4 onwards wondering whether we should leave him with me feeling guilty about leaving him on his own!!!

I've just made the transition to bottles in the last month - he's not a great eater (he's on meds for reflux) but currently is taking around 27oz a day and is 13lb 3oz. I do dreamfeed him at 10:30pm but the last couple of weeks he's waking up between 8:30 and 10pm fussing/crying  :? - don't know if thats habit or hunger either.  :roll: I spend my life these days hugely confused!!!  :lol:

S
x

[Nate'sMommy]

S - we struggle with the same thing with Ian, 5.5 months.  Currently his bedtime is 7pm and he wakes to have a little crib party between 4 and 5.  It lasts over an hour.  I have experimented with everything - go in, don't go in, feed, etc.  I get the best results with a little bottle (3 oz) but sometimes the party goes on.  I guess he just needs to exercise his voice (which currently is a horrible screech!)  Today, though, he was up at 5:45.  I tried the bottle but nope, he was up for the day.  I do try to leave him in bed until at least 6:30am.

I read on another post to try moving bedtime up 30 minutes to 6:30pm - I may try that for a while.  It is a struggle to keep him up from his last nap until bed time.

I wish I could be more help - at least we can be supportive of each other until the NEXT phase of whatever hits!