Nine Months Waking at 6.00a.m.

[CharlotteandCharlie]

Hi all.

Dd is just over nine months and has been waking all last week and weekend at 6.00.

Her usual wake time is 7 - 7.15.  I never let her go more than 7.30 (once in a blue moon).

I cannot find a corilation between good naps, better naps, crappy naps and going to bed sooner or later.  Honestly.  Each day I take an inventory of what happened the day before that may have caused this but I can't figure it out.  (She goes right back to sleep it I give her a few oz of formula)

Her a.m. nap is between 1.5 - 2 hours long and her p.m. nap is 1 - 1.5 hours depending on how the a.m. one went.

Is that too much for a 9 month old?  She goes to bed at 7.30 and was waking at 7.00.  That's reasonable isn't it?

The ONLY thing I can think of is that I took away two bottles 1.5 weeks ago and replaced them with a cup.  Her intake is not up to what it was because she's getting used to but we are working on getting used to the sippy cup.  She drinks 7 oz in the a.m., about 10 through the day via cup and if I'm lucky 4-5 before bed.
 
Any suggestions?

[GabrielleD]

Hi,

Are you talking about my DS??? Recently he has gradually pushed his wake time from about 7 am to 6 am. I have no idea what caused it. He is napping 1.5-2 hours twice a day, and seems to need it. DS also goes to bed around 7:30 pm. He is not on a sippy cup yet (we are just starting to train him on it), and only gets formula from a bottle. I am going to pay attention to the posts here, since I would also love to figure out what to do.

[teezee]

i think around 9 months or so lo's stop needing as much sleep so therefor they wake earlier. i would def cut down the total hrs of naps each day, leaving the shortest in the am and the longer in the pm. imo i wouldn't go past 2.75hrs naps / day.

if either of you would like to post your routine i could take a closer look...i will be gone after this evening for a few days so if i don't get back to you right away - don't think i am ignoring you - but will respond as soon as i get back

[CharlotteandCharlie]

Cruel cruel world.

She just started to sleep well for naps and night time.  I used to beg and plead that she would sleep for longer than 45 mins at a time.

Some days she sleeps for 3.5 hours tops.  Most days is more like 2.5 - 3.

Thanks for your reply.

[teezee]

it is ironic that as soon as you figure your lo out...they go and change on us 

[GabrielleD]

Teezee,

Thanks for taking a look at DS's routine. The times are approximate, and may vary by about 15 minutes. The times between feedings and nap times are his activity times:

5:50-6:00   Wakes up
6:10          Formula (6 oz)
7:00          Solids (3 oz fruit and 2 Tbsp cereal)
8:15 - 10    Nap
10:10        Formula (4 oz usually)
11:00        Solids (3-4 oz meat/veg and 1/3 cup yogurt)
12:30-2:30 Nap
2:35          Formula (3-4 oz)
5:00-6:00   We go for a walk outside, with DS in the stroller. He sometimes falls asleep for about 15-20 minutes.
6:15          Solids (4.5 Tbsp cereal and 3 oz veg)
7:15          Bath and bedtime routine (2 books)
7:30          Formula (3-4 oz), then bed

I appreciate hearing whatever ideas you may have.
Thank you.

[TDR'smom]

Would it help to up the amount of solids at 6:15PM?  Maybe he is waking early from hunger???  Especially if his milk intake is down a little.   If you do not want to up the amount of cereal try to give him more "filling" foods?  Avocado?  Something with more substance and fat.

Just a thought....

GOOD LUCK!!!

[GabrielleD]

Thanks for the suggestion; I'll get some avocado today. He loved it when he was younger, so it hopefully won't be a problem food for him.

[TDR'smom]

I hope it works.   Where in Maryland are you?  I am in Richmond, Va.

[GabrielleD]

Ellicott City (about 15-20 minutes SW of Baltimore).

[TDR'smom]

Let's try and get a group of BW's together from the Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina area.  Maybe this summer?!?!?!?

[Mom to M&M]

I FINALLY got my 9-month old to sleep past 6am after months of 5-5:30 wakings and trying everything. We tried earlier bedtime, later bedtime, more naps, less naps, more food, etc. In our situation, limiting naps too much actually made the situation worse.

The ONLY thing that seems to have worked for us is pushing her whole routine forward. For example, she still naps about 3.5 total hours during day and really seems to need it - she's a very active baby. But now she also gets 11 (or at least 10.5) hours at night. But we don't let her first nap start before 9:15 and preferably not before 9:30. We'll let her sleep up to 2 hours at that nap if she wants - as the morning nap tends to be her best one. Then we keep her up at least 3.25 hours, sometime 3.5 hours and her next nap starts around 3 and we wake her at 4:30 and bedtime is between 7:45-8. We've been doing this for some time now and for the past few weeks she's sleeping until at least 6:30 - sometimes closer to 7.

Keep in mind also that at this age many babies only need 11 hours night sleep - and many go back to 11.5-12 hours after one year old.

[*Natasha*]

We were having this problem as well for a few days off and on and it was due to teething and having a cold. We like Marisa Mom tried everything extend A time shorten it nothing seems to work. My DD also prefers a long AM nap and shorter PM nap and then bedtime is 7.15/7.30am. She now wakes up anytime between 6.30/7am and then first nap is 9.30/10am for at least 1.5-2hrs. We are still struggling with PM nap but that is another story.

[mazz]

My little girl has started waking up at 6am too - I have put thick curtains up and blocked out any light as I thought it could be that - her rouine is as follows:

Wakes 6ish
Milk at 6.20
Cereal at 7:45
Nap at 9:15 - 10:45
Lunch at 11:45
Nap at 14:30 - 16:00
Tea at 16:30
Bath at 19:00
Bottle 9oz 20:00
Bed at 20:15

She has been getting earlier and earlier each day - at this rate I'll be going to bed when she does!

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks

[andibig]

hi
have you tried putting her to bed earlier.say 7.30 instead of 8.15. it just seems like a long day for a little one.if my dd was up at 6am and not going to bed until after 8 she'd be screaming blue murder!! not sure if it will work just i read on another post that putting them to bed earlier makes them sleep longer

[CharlotteandCharlie]

Mazz, I have also heard that many lo's can't handle very long A time in the a.m.  I girlfriend (who has never had sleep issues) has a 12 month old who does very well with only 2.45 - 3 hours before his first nap.  Sleeps like a champ morning, noon and night.  Not that a shorter A time is what does it all but just an example of a 12 month old not doing well on 3.15 of A time in the a.m.

If dd wakes around 7 her first nap is at 9.45 and she is 9 months old.  As the day progresses she handles a long A time better until the evening where if her p.m. nap was no good she can easily handle 3.5 -4 hours if need be.  Every babe is different but its just a thought.

I have spoken with a moderator (who lives very close by) and we figure dd's waking between 4 and 6 is hunger.  I am definately NOT a BW expert, far from it but this is our schedule and I like it alot and for the most part of the week it all goes well.

7 wake
9.45 nap
11.45 wake
12-12.30 ish lunch
2.45 - 3 nap (Oprah's on) works very well for the time being!!
4 - 4.30 wake
7 get ready for bed
7.30 lights out

Every babe is different but its just a thought.