Author Topic: Why is he waking every morning at 5am? (Read 2755 times)

Sabine · « **on:** August 19, 2006, 12:38:30 pm »

My almost 14 mo old lo has conquered the walking milestones, eyeteeth and almost erupting molars and for the last two-three weeks has been waking every morning at 5am. I have tried wi/wo, I have tried removing the night light, I have tried earlier bedtimes but no luck. He is 23 lbs and I believe he is waking out of hunger. We have tried leaving him but he'll escalate from whimpers to all out crying so what we have started to do is give him his bottle and put him back to bed until 7 or 730. He is taking one nap during the day from 12-2 or 230.

Is there any way we can push his am wakeup time? Here is his schedule...perhaps he's not getting enough to eat during the day??

5am 8oz bottle and bed
7-730 wake and breakfast--1/2 to one waffle, apple pieces, 1/3 banana, some of dad's yoghurt and cereal bar and sips of water
930 Mum Mum and apple pieces (snack)
1130 scrambled egg, yoghurt, grilled cheese and ham 1/2 sandwich
1200-1230 nap (2-2.5hours)
230-3 snack rest of lunch sandwich, banana, milk (4oz)
530-6 supper (6T pasta with cheese, meat and veg with yoghurt and cookie)
7-730 milk 8oz and nutrios
then bed

Please advise...thanks.

Sabine

Erin M · « **Reply #1 on:** August 20, 2006, 02:44:15 am »

Hi Sabine--
Honestly from looking at your schedule, it doesn't seem like he's lacking for food. My 17 month old doesn't eat nearly that much and she weighs a few pounds more (I think -- bad mom, can't remember how much she weighs!). If those molars are still working their way through, they might be the cause of the early wakings -- I know my DD always wakes early when teething. The other thing I'm thinking is that he's probably into the habit of expecting that bottle now at 5:30 and it's a bit of a habit there. You might try giving him water instead of milk and then transitioning him to leaving a sippy of water in his crib -- I think I would try holding him off from that bottle at all costs though, as he probably expects it at this point, but probably doesn't need it. Maybe try delaying it a bit each day do he gets used to getting it later? Not really sure, I'm sure you'll get some other good thoughts from other folks.

*Natasha* · « **Reply #2 on:** August 20, 2006, 03:13:51 am »

I agree with Erin i don't think it is hunger he is eating great from you have written my DD has about the same in a day. After 12months the quantites they have drops (which i am finding) and they will eat when they are hungry. I definatly think it is teething as my DD is teething at the moment and IF she wakes due to them it is around 5/5.30am. Have you tried giving him some teething gel and trying to resettle him? If you continue with a bottle this will turn into a habit that will be hard to break the longer you do it.

rani999 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 20, 2006, 04:45:22 am »

Is it summer where you are? Is his room nice and dark so that we he stirrs he realises it's still bed time and not day time?

And make sure you don't make any conversation, just the same thing each time like "shhh, it's bed time".

Good luck
x

andibig · « **Reply #4 on:** August 20, 2006, 14:52:24 pm »

I agree with pp. this has got to be teething

as he is eating so well during the day. When DD was cutting her molars she'd often have early wakings, but i would never feed her. have you tried offering water instead of milk in the mornin(at 5am).

Sabine · « **Reply #5 on:** August 20, 2006, 17:42:07 pm »

Thanks for all the replies... I have tried offering water and he will gladly take 8oz and still cry for milk. Last night we put him to bed at 730 and he woke up at 6 am which is better

We gave Tylenol last night. I know he doesn't need that bottle. We usually give him one when he wakes and before bed. His eating was off yesterday too and he has his fingers at the back of his mouth constantly.

I will try the Sippy again and persist with the WI/WO technique but I just wish those darn teeth would come through. I can see the bumps on his gums at the bottom.

Thank you again for all the advice mommies

Sabine

Erin M · « **Reply #6 on:** August 20, 2006, 17:54:35 pm »

Hey if nothing else once the molars come through you know he's got 16/20 of his baby teeth (everything except those 2 year molars) -- I tried to look at it that way when my DD's teething was driving me nuts

Sabine · « **Reply #7 on:** August 21, 2006, 01:48:55 am »

Not looking forward to those

sabine

imsmum · « **Reply #8 on:** August 21, 2006, 19:24:19 pm »

I found that my dd got stuck on a 10 hour night 2 hour nap for awhile after nap transition. Things got better when we pushed the nap back a bit but with us it shifted her whole day forward .5 hours which was perfect. If the am wakeup is the problem and you don't mind a slightly later night you could try it.

Sabine · « **Reply #9 on:** August 21, 2006, 22:06:20 pm »

how would I do that?? his current schedule is as follows:

6am wakeup (lately with teeth 5am) bottle
7am breakfast
10 am snack
11 am nap (1.5-3hrs varies)
130-2 lunch
500 supper
700 bottle and bed

I find he can only stay awake 5hrs. Today I pushed him until 5h and 45min b/c he was awake at 5am and had a super long 3hr nap. How would you suggest I change it?

Sabine

Erin M · « **Reply #10 on:** August 22, 2006, 13:27:51 pm »

Very, very slowly....push back his A time about 15 minutes at a time for a few days, so 11:15 for a few days, 11:30 for a few days, etc. (Maybe more than a few days until he gets used to it.) Ideally, you want to get lunch in before that nap so hunger isn't an issue. Maybe bring your snack forward a bit in the process too. That's what seemed to work for us.

Sabine · « **Reply #11 on:** August 22, 2006, 23:43:36 pm »

i'll give it a go...things change depending on wakeup today 6am again, yesterday 5am but I will try as you say and keep you posted...thanks.

sabine

Swirl · « **Reply #12 on:** August 23, 2006, 00:51:44 am »

Hi Sabine,
Your schedule looks really good. I wouldn't really change too much of it. But the only
thing I would suggest is really trying to not give that morning bottle as your little one may
expect it everytime at 5am.
BUT it was about a month ago that my son (18mos) was waking up early 5am...
I tried putting him down later but that didn't work.
So I have stuck with his normal bedtime 7:30/7:45pm but I did do the wake to sleep technique and
it worked!!! It took a WHOLE week but I didn't give up and he is now FINALLY waking up at
7:15ish... (his naps are around 12:30ish-1pm for 2 hours)
So I went into his room around 4am (gave him a bottle sort of like a dream feed) and repositioned him in his crib.
He never woke up fully but it did change his sleep cycle. I did this for 5 days straight but I kept moving the time I went into
his room by 10 mins... 4am, 4:10am, 4:20am...etc. Also I pushed back his breakfast so that way he wasn't
expecting to get fed right away. ((I read that tip somewhere else to not feed breakfast or a
bottle as soon as they wake up or they will set their tummy's to be fed asap.))
Don't give up. I was willing to accept 6:30am wake ups but definitely nothing before hand and it
has been FINALLY paying off.
I really hope the wake to sleep technique works!!!!
Take care,
Diana

Sabine · « **Reply #13 on:** August 24, 2006, 11:57:52 am »

So here is an update....for the last 4 days we have been putting him to bed earlier ~730 and he has been going right off. I have extended am A time for 5.5hrs and he has been napping 1.5-2 hours consistently then after nap I do 6.5h A time and bed usually again by 730. He has been sleeping until 6am

. I have started giving him his bottle then and this seems to be working now (touch wood).

If the 5am monster rears his head again I will definitely try WTS (thanks Diana!!). I have also made his nightlight dimmer (I have it in there more for me anyways and this has seemed to help too),

Thanks again all!!

Sabine

Erin M · « **Reply #14 on:** August 24, 2006, 14:22:26 pm »

Excellent! Happy to hear it's going well

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