Author Topic: 1 year old wakes so early - what to do?  (Read 1198 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Jusser

  • New & Learning The Ropes
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 49
  • Location: Wicklow, Ireland
1 year old wakes so early - what to do?
« on: September 04, 2006, 14:07:10 pm »
My LO turned 1 two weeks ago and since just before his birthday I have started to try to transition him to one nap. Over the last few weeks I haven't put him down in his cot in the mornings at all, I have just allowed him to take 20/30 mins out in the car, and on the very few occasions I have put him down I woke him after 30 mins... I was hoping this would help with his waking very early in the morning (average 5.45 but sometimes 6).  This was his routine up to a few weeks ago:

6.00 wake, leave in cot alternating between moaning and chatting but not full blown crying ! Sometimes go in and say "it's still night time, go back to sleep", tuck him in etc. but this rarely works.
6.45/7.00 - get him up - 6oz milk in cup
8.00 breakfast
9/9.30 - nap 1 hr/1 hr 15mins
12.00 lunch
1.30 - nap 1 hr/1hr 15 mins
5.00 tea
6.15 bath, 8oz bottle, bed by 7

He sleeps all night, occasionally wakes if teething but generally is down from 7 till morning.

The last few weeks routine has been more or less the same, except morning nap has been later and shorter.  Lunch time nap has got a bit longer but generally only 1hr 30 mins, not the 2 hours I was hoping for.  Also I thought having a short morning nap would have helped with the early morning waking, but not to be.  He does always seem very hungry when he wakes and downs his cup of milk at breakneck speed ! 

Questions?  Is this just his biorhythm?  Maybe he'll always be an early riser? ::). Is hunger a possible reason for early waking at his age? (I would have thought he is too old for this).
PS. The last 2 mornings I wasn't well so I put him down for his morning nap as before (I wanted to go back to bed! :-[) and both times he woke after 20 mins - I wonder has his body clock already adjusted to the shorter sleep?

Any thoughts?

Thanks! ;)
Justine
Justine - Mum to my gorgeous Happy Lion.


Offline TJ & Stephy's Mommy

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 17
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 797
  • Location: USA
Re: 1 year old wakes so early - what to do?
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2006, 04:04:48 am »
Hi Justine,
I hope you're feeling better.

During one of my doctor visits, I asked my doctor how I could get him to sleep in later so that we didn't always have to start our mornings too early (6:30am).  Basically, the doc said to me that babies biorhythms are set and probably won't change or adjust to our lifestyle until they're 3 years old.  :o  I don't know if my LO will always be an early riser but I'm hoping that will all change when he's 3.

But I've noticed the last few mornings that if I leave DS alone and let him chat and roll around in his crib, he would fall back asleep for another 45 mins to an hour.  Maybe try not going when he wakes up and see if he'll fall back asleep?


Offline Colin Macs Mom

  • Queen B
  • Global Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 854
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 26994
  • Location: Bothell, Washington, USA
Re: 1 year old wakes so early - what to do?
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2006, 17:59:26 pm »
Justine,

One year is pretty early for the one nap transition - most do it closer to 18 mo. Are you sure he's ready?
Jessica
Mom to Colin Ronald, August 18, 2005
Spirited + Reflux =  :o


Offline RachelC

  • Girl Scout Extraordinaire
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 865
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 22975
  • Location: Pennsylvania, USA
Re: 1 year old wakes so early - what to do?
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2006, 18:06:34 pm »
Just lurking...

I am in the same boat.  I don't *want* to go to one nap, but it seems like some adjusting will need to happen for us as she will only get a catnap in the car most mornings (as I am running dd1 around).  Tried today and I had a grouch by 11:30... took 45 minutes to get down, woke after 30 minutes, down for another 45 and now I am waiting.

We have always dealt with 5:30/6 wakings and have not been able to shift them at all!


Proud to have breastfed for a combined total of 35 months


Offline Jusser

  • New & Learning The Ropes
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 49
  • Location: Wicklow, Ireland
Re: 1 year old wakes so early - what to do?
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2006, 08:41:51 am »
Hi everyone, thanks for your replies.... Colin's mum, I thought 1 year was average for the 2-1 nap.  I have to say, since posting things have improved a lot.  DS is taking about 20/30 mins in the morning (either car or sometimes cot) and then a good 2 hours or more in the afternoon.  Also he has started to sleep closer to 7 in the morning.  Who knows, this could be temporary  ::) but will enjoy it while it lasts.  He is definitely not able to go from wake up to lunch time without some sleep, so I will have to continue to bring him out in the car or, if I have nothing to do (like this morning) - put him down and wake him after 30 mins max.  Thanks again folks and wish me luck for his MMR this morning, I am dreading it !! :'(
Justine - Mum to my gorgeous Happy Lion.


Offline Harvey and Theos Mam

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 95
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 1533
  • From S.Wales
  • Location: S.Wales
Re: 1 year old wakes so early - what to do?
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2006, 09:36:31 am »
I say that you should just get used to an early riser. lol

Harvey wakes anytime between 6-6:30am. He did start to wake at around 7am but that didn't last long, he made up for it by waking at 5:30am every morning.
Theo used to wake at 8:15am every day until H woke him once too often and now he is an early riser too. :(
Rhian
 

Offline squeaky's mum

  • BW Devotee
  • ****
  • Showing Appreciation 24
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 303
  • Sophie and Tom
  • Location: Norfolk, UK
Re: 1 year old wakes so early - what to do?
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2006, 10:14:33 am »
Just a thought,

Sophie seems to start waking early when she is hungry, although that's 4-5am, 6am is normal for us!! She did something similar at the same age and I upped the amount of food she was getting in the day by giving her a couple of snacks.

Good luck wit the MMR, its our turn next week, I'm also quite scared  :(

Claire
Claire

Mum to Sophie (08/07/2005) and Tom (09/02/2008)

Offline Jusser

  • New & Learning The Ropes
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 49
  • Location: Wicklow, Ireland
Re: 1 year old wakes so early - what to do?
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2006, 12:23:16 pm »
Thanks again everyone.  p.s. MMR went great, DS just flinched, no crying or anything - what a trooper !
Justine - Mum to my gorgeous Happy Lion.


Offline Colin Macs Mom

  • Queen B
  • Global Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 854
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 26994
  • Location: Bothell, Washington, USA
Re: 1 year old wakes so early - what to do?
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2006, 16:07:33 pm »
Justine, I'm so glad that you're seeing improvement.  :D   As for your question though, some LOs do make the 2-1 transition early, around a year, but that's definitely not average so to speak.
Jessica
Mom to Colin Ronald, August 18, 2005
Spirited + Reflux =  :o


Offline Kimberly®

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 126
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 4288
  • Location: North Bay, Ontario Canada
Re: 1 year old wakes so early - what to do?
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2006, 16:13:57 pm »
I'm glade to hear things have improved for you. 2-1 nap always depends on the child. I know my DD is on one nap (12.5 months) and does very well on it. Sleeping 2-3 hours. Follow your LO's ques you'll know what he needs :)
Kimberly