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

[Carys' mom]

Thanks Andrea. Lots of {{{{{{hugs}}}}} to you too! I hope things get better for you. Carys is still in her crib, so climbing in is not an option unfortunately. Knowing her, she probably wouldn't let me anyway .

[andibig]

Thanks Andrea. Lots of {{{{{{hugs}}}}} to you too! I hope things get better for you. Carys is still in her crib, so climbing in is not an option unfortunately. Knowing her, she probably wouldn't let me anyway .

did you decide not to transition Carys to a bed then??
sasha LOVES her bed.just doesn't sleep all night in it ::)BUT doesn't attempt to get out of it either

[Carys' mom]

Hi Andrea,

We've delayed transitioning her because she hasn't climbed out since those 2 times. But we're planning on transitioning her this next weekend, so wish us luck! I don't know if it's going to be better or worse .

[andibig]

Mel

Good luck with the transition .I found that if I kept Sashas bedtime the same it was an easier transition for her.Sometimes she chooses which soft toys to go to bed with!!

We have sleep probs at the mo which are not connected with her bed.don't what it is????another phase most likely

[Tanners Mom]

Hello everyone...I have an early waking almost 5 mo old!  I thought I would write for some support and ideas!

First, I don't know what the deal is. A few weeks ago when I was practicing lots of AP (all naps in the sling, nurse him to sleep at night and then pray he doesn't wake when I buckle him into his carseat) Tanner used to sleep 8 hours straight, then up for a feed and then another 2-3 hours more sleep. But since I taught independent sleep and he is now sleeping in his crib...he only goes 5-6 hours and then another 3 or 4. He's been waking at 5:30am pretty consistently.

So...what to do when he wakes early? Any suggestions? We are 'supposed' to be on a 7a to 7p 4-hr EASY (E at 7, 11, 3, 7 and one night feed and S at 9, 1, 5, and bed around 7:30). But if he wakes at 5:30 should I get him and feed him and do 4-hr EASY from there? I haven't been. I've been waiting till at least 6:45am to feed him. If he doesn't cry - I don't go get him. If he does cry...I do get him.

I'm wondering...how do I regulate his routine when he wakes early? For example - shall I increase his A time by 15 minutes or so each time so he ends up going to bed at the same time at night? Or will this just continue any cycle of overtired that he is on. If he'll do it, I'll let him nap longer than 2 hours and that helps to catch him up too. I'm just nervous that if I did normal 2 hour A times that he would go to bed so early and then be up at 4am!

Do any of you try to sneak in another nap sometime during the day if this happens? If so, where?

Here's our day so far...what do you think?

5:45am - wake
6:10 - started to cry, I got him up
6:50 - BF
8:05 - put him down for a nap
8:15 - 9:45 Nap #1 (he falls asleep on his own and then I extended this nap by holding him through the jolts)
9: 45 - 11:15 A time (grocery store run...had to go - Mother Hubbard's Cupboard )
11:15 - BF
12:10 - put him down for a nap
12:35 - fell asleep on his own (this was just a few minutes ago so I plan to go to his crib and extend this nap too...hopefully for 2 hours!)

He seemed to do good with the extra A time...although after I fed him at 11:15 he was rubbing his eyes and got cranky for a few minutes but then I put him in his bouncy seat so I could put away groceries and he was happy as ever. Maybe the BF made him sleepy since he was all warm and cozy, snuggled with me? I don't know!

Just curious what you other Moms do when your LO wakes early.

BTW - I was able to extend yesterday mornings sleep by holding him through the jolts. DH gets up at 4:30am for work so I was up anyway. He moved ALOT between 5:30 and 6am but shortly after 6 he became really still and I could tell his breathing was deeper. I left him at 6:30. He woke at 6:45am! Tried that again today but it didn't work. 

Thanks and best of sleep to all of you!
~Jaci

[Tanners Mom]

Well, nevermind trying to extend that nap...I waited too long to go to his crib and he woke at 1pm - screaming. Now he's on my lap as happy as ever. I guess his A time was probably too long and he was overtired. I'm going to see if he'll go down for another nap around 2:15/2:30 or so.

[lochiesmum]

Wow, other people routinely see the dawn as well My son is 10 and 1/2 months old and has only just started to sleep through the night without waking for a bottle. However, now he wakes and gets up at 5 to 6am (usually closer to 5 than 6!!) In the beginning, I would give him a bottle in his cot and hope that he would go back to sleep, but as soon as I see the legs thumping on the mattress, I know there is just no hope for sleep and we have to get up!!
Any tips for squeezing an extra hours sleep out of the boy, he seems really tired when he gets up and I know he really needs more sleep

[momwho?]

Advice...I had a wonderful trip planned to go to Mexico with my DH and I left Carter with is grandparents for 9 days.  I gave her his routine (which included the 5:30 am wake up) and she tried it for a day.  she liked the plan but didn't like the early morning so she resorted to the DF at 10:30.  she is familiar with the dreamfeed because both me and my sister-in-law have told her all about it.  Now Carter has adjusted extremely well to the dreamfeed.  he goes to bed anytime a bit before or after 7:00 and with the DF and a quick diaper change he sleeps until 7:00 am or later.  Has anyone else introduced a df when their babies were around his age (8 1/2 months) and had it go successfully?  when I put him to bed at 7:00 I give him a full 7 oz and he gobbles it and I usually give him another 5-6 for the df and he gobbles both down very quickly.  I wasn't 100% happy about her introducing a dreamfeed at his age but since my mother-in-law was taking such good care of carter and he was sleeping I was ok with her decision.  During the day he gets lots of food so I am thinking he may just be extra hungry these days with a growth spurt and his two top teeth coming in at the same time and he needs the df to get him through the night...I am happy about the 7:00 am but I have mixed feelings about the df??  ideas/suggestions/other experiences??  ps....by the way Mexico was GREAT and I have a great tan. 

[texasmom]

Hi to all of you!!   

Tanner's Mom,
I think the advice given for if he wakes early is go to him only if he cries.  If not let him be.  If he does cry, you could try feeding him to see if he is hungry and then put him back to bed or try pick up/put down to try to get him to sleep more. 

As far as the bedtime, I totally know what you mean b/c I had the same dilemma.  I tried making his bedtime earlier, but it ended up getting earlier and earlier and earlier, and wake ups did the same...  I think earlier bedtime does work for some.  And we still have an early bedtime, but we had gotten to 5:30.  Honestly, I'm not sure what to tell you.  Have you tried starting a thread to see if you can get some more opinions?  I think sometimes you have to experiment to see what works for your LO.  You might get a later wake up if you put him down earlier.  That has happened for me.  I just wouldn't keep putting it earlier and earlier if it doesn't work.  But he does have to sleep, so the nap thing is tricky.  You certainly don't want him getting overtired.  That definitely can cause early wakings.  Is it possible that he IS overtired now? 

Maybe he just needs time to adjust to his new sleep situation!   

Hope something I said can help. 

Lochiesmum,
Sorry that you're having such the early mornings...  So you're saying that if you feed him in the morning, he won't go back to sleep?  What time does he go to sleep at night?  What does his day look like (naps/feeds)? 

Momwho?,
The only thing I know about the DF at his age is what I read in BWSAYP - Tracy said to wean the DF at 7 months, I THINK b/c it can cause sleep disturbances.  But goodness, if it is working, and he's sleeping till 7, I sure wouldn't want to change that!   

[lochiesmum]

I usually give him a bottle whe he wakes as he really wants one;
730/8am breakfast solids
9/930 nap
1140/lunch solids
1pm lunch bottle
230 nap
330/4pm afternoon snack/bottle
6pm dinner time solids
7pm bathtime
730 bottle
745/8pm bedtime
I have tried to put him to bed earlier, but he then just gets up earlier the next morning!! He has only just recently started to sleep through the night without waking for a bottle and this has prompted the early starts, he wont go back to sleep if I feed him though

[texasmom]

Lochiesmum,
So is he basically sleeping about 9.5 hours a night?  How long are his naps during the day?  I know that average sleep for his age (24 hr period) is about 14.  Is he doing that?  Is he happy during the day or does he seem tired and cranky?  I might be able to figure something out if you showed me how long his awake times are and sleep times.  Just pick a day. 

For example:
Wake 5:30
Nap 9-10:30
Asleep for the night 8:00

I'm just trying to see if maybe he is overtired?  Mine wakes early when he is. 

[rinajack]

Wow Brooke - Colin looks so grown up now!

[lochiesmum]

OK, we are definately not getting 14 hours in 24. His morning nap is usually the best around 1 to 1.5 hours, with the afternoon nap more like 40 mins to an hour. This is of course different when he is at childcare, he sleeps less there as the other kids wake him up.
Yesterday was
515 wake up and bottle
615 back to sleep
720 wake up
740 breakfast cereal and fruit
945 nap for 1.5 hours
1120 up from nap
1140 lunchtime solids
1240 lunchtime bottle (did not really want it)
230 nap time for 45 minutes
345 afternoon bottle
6pm dinner time solids
7pm bathtime
7.30 bottle
745 bed

[texasmom]

Rina, I know!  They grow too fast!!  Yours too.  She's so precious.   

lochiesmum,
Hmmm...  so you said if you put him down earlier for bed, he will wake earlier?  How does he seem when he wakes from that second nap, which seems short, but it might just be all he needs.  Collin wakes cranky when he needs to sleep longer.  Yours takes that good nap in the morning and his awake time is just a little over 2 hours before it, and then his awake time b/w first and second nap is longer.  If he wakes happy, then that's good, but if cranky, maybe he could go down for his nap earlier.  Or if happy, maybe he should go down later.  The way I judge is if Collin sleeps a short amount and wakes happy, he might have needed a longer awake time (I experiment), but if he wakes cranky, then he needed it to be shorter.  Also, in the evening your LO is awake for 4.5 hours.  How does he fall asleep?  If Collin cries or fusses when going to sleep, he's overtired.  If he passes out - like on the bottle - he's overtired.  Usually it takes him about 15 min to fall asleep at bedtime.  I know all LO's are different, but obviously all I've got is my experience - and what I've been told by moms on BW.    My LO has had lots and lots of early wakings.  Yours is actually sleeping about 10.5 hours at night.  That's not too bad.  I know a lot sleep 12, but mine's never done that.  If yours just recently weaned the night feeding, maybe he just needs that early morning bottle.  Rina actually told me to feed mine protein and veggies at dinner.  I think it helps to make it to morning.  You probably do that.    So I guess you just need to see if he's overtired or if maybe this is all he needs?  Am I completely confusing you?   

[rinajack]

Lochies mum....check out the toddler sleep board - a thread about success with pesky toddler wakeups.  We have had success in there, and now Zara wakes aroung 7am.  You too Brooke.  We are all making progress.  It could help both of you...