6 month old - EARLY WAKINGS

[Aiden'sMom]

Hi there

I know this question has been asked many times, I have looked at the board but still am not sure what to do!

Aiden (6 months, corrected age: 5 months) is a good sleeper however the past couple of weeks, he has been getting up earlier and earlier.

** On 3.5 - 4 hour EASY, trying to get him to 4 hour, has always woken up to feed at 6am.
** Has not had a DF for over 2 months, stopped night feeds over 2 months ago
** Sleeps in a miracle blanket - trying to slowly wean off!
** Self soothes to sleep
** Has been woken up between 5am the past week due to a very dirty diaper!

ROUTINE

Wakes up 5.30am
E 6am   240ml
A 6-7am
S around 7-7.15am (up for 2 hours) NAP: 1- 1.5hours

Wakes around 9am

E  9.00am 180ml
A 9. 30-10.30am
E 10.30am Solids (just starting rice cereal)
S 11am (NAP: 1.5 hours)

Wakes around 12.30

E 12.30 - 1.00pm  220ml
A 1.00pm - 2pm
E: 1.30pm :Solids (rice cereal)
S:  2pm

Wakes around 3.30-4pm (ideally like him to wake at 4.pm as it means he is up only 2.5 hours till bedtime)

E 4.30pm
A Bath at 5.45pm
E  6pm
S 6.45pm ** He dropped catnap about 3 weeks ago, he does still have it occasionally when he has woken too early and hence his sleep routine is out for the day.

When he wakes before 5am, I leave him to grumble for 10-15 minutes, he grumbles and then quietens down and then grumbles, no crying.  This morning he woke at 4.45am!  ???Left him till 5 am, still grumbling, crept into nursery to check diaper, no issues, left for another 10 minutes, still grumbling, put my hand on his chest and he quietened down......at 5.45am, gave up and got him up for his feed.

Any ideas on how to get him to sleep till 6am again?? Not sure he will make it to 7am

Thanks in advance to you all!

Claire

[macsmum]

so is lo not crying when u get him up b4 6am, if he isnt crying and just fussing then i would leave him till he properly cries as by going in b4 he cries u are reinforcing the early wake up, nothing else seems to stand out in your schedule.
the only other idea would be to feed him when he wakes early then put him straight back down and wake at 7am start your day there?
then your day would look something like this
7am awake
9am sleep(2hrs?)
11am awake
1pm sleep (2hrs)
3pm awake
5pm catnap
7to 7.20 bed? maybe if u get him back to a 7 am wake up he will go back to the catnap
If he wakes from a dirty diaper try changing and putting him back down, see how he goes, if he isnt crying on waking then he will probably go back off if u leave him to murmer and grizzle for a little bit?

What are your thoughts>
Emma

[torontomamma]

I remember going through this very thing when my lo was the same age... for me it meant increasing A time and reducing nap time.  I switched to 2 longer naps (1.5-2hrs) and a cat nap (I went no longer than 45 min for this).

I would try to aim for a similar schedule to what macsmum suggested, even if you have a wake up of 6am you can just move everything earlier.

It was a struggle for us that lasted a few weeks, hang in there, as you can see from the posts, it's very common  We are now on two naps a day, so between 6-9 months, I think there are a lot of changes that happen Activity and Sleep time.

Best Wishes,
Jaime

[Aiden'sMom]

Thanks Emma and Jaime for your advice. Needless to say, Aiden has continued to wake at 5am and this morning at 4am!!! I have left him for up to 45 minutes grumbling not crying.  However, found this morning (I sneaked into his room unseen) that his tummy was grumbling away like ours does when we are hungry.  I decided to take this as a 'night' feed and he guzzled down 240ml immediately!

I am going to try and increase his fluid volumes during the day to see if it will knock out these early wakings. He has always been a very hungry chap and I think just needs more food.  However he already takes 200ml fives times a day which is quite a lot.  Will increase to 220ml and see if that helps out the situation. He has also started on rice cereal once a day.

Jaime, I am also trying to keep to his 2 hour activity time at least so he doesn't nap the day away - he even stays up for 2.5 hours sometimes.

Will let you know

Cheers

Claire

[torontomamma]

Could also be a growth spurt then?

All I know is that it passed... some days it seemed like it never would, and we struggled for about a month tweaking things until we got it right.  And now she sleeps great -7:30-6:30 everyday...

So hang in there, it gets better soon!

Best wishes,
Jaime

[Aiden'sMom]

Thanks Jamie.  I fed 240ml at each feed and he gulped down his rice cereal however still woke at 5am! I left him till 5.45am and then fed at 6am. He also grizzled at 1-1.20am but I left him and he was fine.

I am going to try keep him up for 2.15hours over the next few days and see if that makes a difference, with increased feeds and only feeding at 6am.

Lets see!!!

Cheers

Claire