EARLY WIDE AWAKE CLUB!! WANT SUPPORT? JOIN US!

[jennyh]

will not be handing over the jar of coffee,it didnt work

[clarapist]

Hi all
Texasmom- thx for asking. It's SOMEWHAT better. Connor has been waking 6:30-6:45 for awhile, but this am, was up at 5:45, and then back down again, (and I thought- YAY another 45 minutes!) but, alas, up at 6. Not too bad, but he fell asleep at about 8:20. That's LESS than 10 hours of sleep. 

I am going to Colorado for 2 weeks in August. I am SOO scared of the time change (it will be 2 hours earlier). I don't want to get up at 4:00 every day!!

[Tor]

Hi 

You all seem to know this site so well, how do you stop yourself receiving the update in your 'show new replies to your posts', i.e I posted on the 3-6 month feeding board months ago and don't want to see new posts that are added about that now, can I remove myself from that?

Thanks
Victoria

[jadeborn]

Clarapist,

Do you always put your LO down around 8:30?  I put mine down at around 7:00 or 7:30 and we have the same problem.  He was doing well, waking at about 6:30 for awhile, but then he dropped his early morning feed (anywhere between 4:00 am and 5:00 am) and he doesn't go back to sleep after waking up close to 6:00 am because he is hungry. . .

I will also be going on vacation in August to an ealier time zone.  I'm hoping that if I put my LO down at 7:00 or 7:30 in the new time zone, he won't wake up until at least 6:00 am, but I'm not counting on it because he still wakes up at the earlier time when I put him to bed later in my own time zone.  We'll have to KIT and give each other ideas on surviving the time change.  Maybe something will work for one of us and we can share with the other.

On the up side, I'm hoping to be able to retrain my DS to sleep until at least 6:00 am in the new time zone, and hopefully get him to start sleeping until 7:00 am when I get back because the time zone is an hour different!  Wish me luck!

Jadeborn (Annette)

[clarapist]

Well, I jinxed myself. ;(  I THINK DS is teething (at least that's what I hope this is!) He was up screaming at 3:45am. Took till 4:45 to get him to go back to sleep.  THEN he was up at 5:30, but went back to sleep, then up at 5:50 screaming. I ended up taking him for a walk (Mommy needs the exercise anyway) and it took about 20 minutes, but he fell asleep for another hour (till 7:15). I won't get in that habit, but I really wanted him to get more sleep!

Annette- we put him to bed anywhere from 8-8:30 depending on what time he woke up from last nap.  Today was all over the place, b/c not only  did he have the above issues, but he didn't take a pm nap!!  So, we put to bed at 7:25. (Tried for earlier, but it took a long time for him to drink his milk) I am totally keeping my fingers crossed!! 
I am SOOOO scared about the time change, b/c he is the same way in that if he goes to bed later here, he is up the same time. I am debating slowly pushing eating times forward in the few weeks before our trip to add those 2 hours.

[marcimommy]

Hi ladies, can I join in?
My DS is 4 months old. He used to be a great sleeper but when he hit the 3 months growt spurt he started waking up early.    Now he usually is up around 5:00 - 5:30 a.m. Sometimes I can get him to sleep longer but most of the times not. If I'm lucky he lays there and entertains himself with his feet or hands for a while.   
He's on a 4 hours routine now. An average day looksl ike this:

E: 6:30
A: 7:00 - 8:30
S: 8:30 (sometimes he goes down at 8:00 and that makes me think that he didn't sleep enough)
We also battle short naps but this is usually a good 2 hour nap. If he wakes up earlier and can't resettle than I would just gove some more A time before the next feeding.

E: 10:30
A: 11:00 - 12:30
S: 12:30  This nap usually is worse. He would wake up after 45 min 1 hour but most of the times I can resettle him and get another hour or so.

E: 2:30
A: 3:00 4:30
S: 4:30- 5:30

E: 6:00
A: 6:30 - 8:00
Bath at 8:00 p.m.
E: 8:30 p.m. (He won't take a DF so we still kind of cluster feed him)
S: around 9:00

I know the bedtime is late but we both work and don't get home before 5:30 p.m.
Do you see any specific reason for early wakings? Or is it just something I will have to live with? Thanks for any advise and suggestions! 

[jadeborn]

Earlier bedtime might result in a later wake up time, but there is no guarantee.  I'd switch around the nap schedule and shorten the third nap, so he could go to bed earlier.  I know it's hard not to spend more time with you LO after work (my DH doesn't get home until 6:00 and our LO goes to bed at 7:00), but weekends are SO much more fun when they are well-rested.  BUT if your LO doesn't seem overtired in his behavior and this schedule, especially in the evening, is working for you, then I would just live with the early wakings and enjoy your LO!

[michD]

Oh I am so happy to have found this board!  We have just started EASY with our 18 week old and so far so good, he is getting the sleep that he needs throughout the day, but he is wide awake and wants to play around 5am, sometimes he even starts to stir around 4:45!  I am treating it as his waking up time and we try to start EAS at that time, but he very rarely eats, he needs to have a nap by around 6:30/7 and he only naps approx 45 mins. 
He can barely stay awake and hour to hour and half and then needs to be put down for a nap.  His naps do seem to be lengthening though, he can now nap close to two hours - but that is only if i go in there when he starts to come into REM and help him go back to sleep, usually with the use of a dummy and patting and covering eyes etc!
he is still waking up at least 3 or 4 times after 12midnight though - is this normal?  He goes to bed at 7pm.  our day goes something like this...
5:30 - awake, but doesn't take very much milk and we have to fight to get at least one ounce into him.
6:30/7 - put to bed for a 45 minute nap
7:30/45 - wakes up, try to give him milk, very often this is a fighting battle, but eventually he takes around   5oz EBM - that can take up to an hour sometimes to give him this milk.
9/9:30 - tired, goes down for a nap, can nap for close to 2 hours if i am there to shush/pat him back to sleep
11am - eats +/- 5-6oz EBM then has activity time, door bouncer, playmat, a walk...
12:30/1pm, has a nap again, this one can only be about an hour/half
2pm, eats - 5/6oz EBM then activity time
3:30 - gets tired again, down for another nap, once has slept for 2hrs 15
5:45/6pm -wake up, eat, usually a quick breastfeed (maybe will only consume about 2 oz max)
around 6pm bath time
6:45/7pm, bottle of formula, can take up to 6oz sometimes
7pm - very sleepy, put to bed
11pm - DF of 5oz formula
then the night is unpredictable -
wakes around midnight/2am - shush/pat back to sleep with dummy
(last night for instance, he woke almost every hour until 5am! and i couldn't understand why)
then 5/5:30 am we start all over again

does it look like he is getting too much daytime sleep?  thing is he gets tired out and needs it and i am of two minds whether to keep him awake and risk him being overtired.  Only once in his short life (and this wasn't on EASY) he slept from 7pm to midnight, had a feed, then woke only at 5am - and that was when he had jabs and i had given him paracetamol!  maybe that was why:)

in any case, this is a great place to come and vent and realise that there are others awake at unearthly hours of the morning with a baby that wants to chat:)

thanks ladies!
michelle and Joshua 18 weeks

[clarapist]

Hi Michelle. Welcome.  I have been on here since DS was 8 weeks and still haven't figured him out!  Here's my 2cents worth based on your routine (and you might want to start a new topic, perhaps in EASY and copy/paste your routine to get a moderator's feedback.

1) If your LO won't take any oz at 5:30, why try??  Maybe try to resettle and see if will go back to sleep??? or start the day's feed a little later.   I don't think you said you are feeding him overnight?  (bc if so, then he won't be hungry. How many oz do you think he is getting over 24 hours? Around 32ish is average.
2) Have you committed to doing a 4 hour EASY (ie eating every 4 hours?) It almost looks like there's some intervals that are shorter.  Perhaps you could start by delaying the early morning feed to 6am, and then doing 6, 10, 2, and 6, then top off before bed?? 
3) I couldn't tell how much day sleep your DS is getting, but if I recall, I think it should be about 3-4 hours.

How does he get to sleep? With the dummy?  It MIGHT be getting to be a prop-which might be causing the night wakings. ( I have no experience with this, check out the props boards)

Again, if you post a new thread, you should get some more experienced feedback. In my experience, no matter what I did, my LO would do his own thing!!! 

[OliverRowland]

marcimommy:  i was jumping around and noticed your post...i hope u don't mind me jumping in.  The one thing I would suggest is an earlier bedtime!  How much total day sleep would you say your lo is getting on average?

[NadineH]

Has anyone thought maybe the babies are waking because they are hungry?  I have a 4 1/2 month old who was night waking and I started giving him cereal yesterday and he slept till 5 am, but I know that he will down a 9 oz bottle and then I can put him back to bed for 2 to 2.5 hours.
Now I am a new first time mom so what do I know, maybe this is my just my kid.  But if anyone has the answer to make my little one sleep to 7:30 am I would love to hear!

[newmom7]

Yes I need to join too! Let me tell you...just look at my post about mom's with early wakers-help!? (I didn't see this forum until just after I posted)

Anyhow, I am SO glad I am not the only one with an early waker! 6a.m. is a luxury...its usually 5-5:30 and he plays in his crib for 45 minutes or so before I cave in. If he's crying of course I respond but change him then leave him to play, or fuss. It is TOUGH. I too think those who have babies who wake up after 6a.m. and actually take good naps on a consistent basis are lucky! Our ds has been waking at 5a.m. lately plus taking only two 45 minute to 1 hour naps. Usually one is at least an hour, but still...he is SO overtired. I don't know what the problem is. I give up. Let's just say he must be a difficult baby. I feel like my friends were blessed with angel and textbook babies....I guess I wasn't. It's always something with him. But maybe that's all of them!

By the way, what time do your early wakers go to bed? My baby has to usually go down by 6p.m. he's so tired, 7 if I'm lucky. (consequently he still wakes up at 5 or 6, and yes, sometimes even 4:30) All the other mom's I know look at me in total disbelief when I say this, like I must be doing something wrong, or there must be something I can do to fix it. Well I got news for them-I CANT! 

[newmom7]

by the way...my ds is 10.5 months old

[MummyMcClelland]

Need help with the early waking!!!!  My 11 mo old lo has recently (past month) started consistently waking bw 5-5:30am.....she will usually awaken and then do little fusses and sometimes I imagine (and hope) she will go back to sleep but this has rarely happened.  She usually goes down around 7pm...so I am so grateful she has stopped night wakings, but in the morning when I go into pick her up, she is still exhausted.  I have tried helping her back to sleep in the morning but without success.   Once this worked and she was back until after 7!  She seems pretty ready for her BM in the morning too.
Our routine is

5-6 am wake
6:30 BM
7:30 walk
8:30 Breakfast solids
actvity
9:45 am nap about 1hr 15-1hr30min
12 pm lunch
1pm BM
2- 2:30 here I try for an afternoon nap  but have been without much success--usually only a short one perhaps 35-45 mins
dinner 5 pm
bath
6:15-6:30 BM
7pm sleep
Even though her mood is generally good most days, most of the day, she yawns frequently and recently has started lying on the floor.  She looks and seems tired.  Any suggestions anyone?  Should I be more determined with the afternoon nap....it is so easy to put her down for the morning nap because she is really exhausted by then (around 9:45am)....sometimes if the afternoon nap isn't seeming to fly I'll go out with her, in the car or for an errand....she isn't crawling yet but is wiggling around lots on the floor and ready to move more.  I am not sure what else to try.....I am just a bit worried because she never really seems rested ):  Anyone else found ways to help their lo's sleep in- heck 6-6:30 would seem "late" these days!!! thanks all.....

[OliverRowland]

MummyMcCelland:  you might want to try and post the same question on the 2-1 nap thread.  Your lo may be ready to start shortening the am nap ...mine was at 11-12months.