6 1/2 month old started waking at 5!!!!

[Beed]

He used to sleep 1 1/2 hours on his normal routine.  I put him down to nap at 8.30 today as suggested and he only went 45 mins.  I've also just had an hour of screaming and crying because I put him down for a catnap at 4.00.  He didn't have one and is now having his dinner.  I'm stressed, he doesn't know what on earth is going on....................................I feel like I've lost control of the whole routine.

I don't get what you mean by 'move his first nap back'?  Do you mean make it 15 minutes earlier?  And 'up bed time' do you mean make it earlier or later?

[meltown]

sorry, make his nap a bit later.  if he was naping that long before I would say it's just to early for him.  most babies take an early morning naps at 9 or 10.  mine has always been the exception and right now at 11 mo his mornign nap is around 11.  it makes it hard because his afternoon nap isn't until 3:30 or 4 but it is what works for him.  I do think that 4 hours is to long and I think you could move it a bit earlier but maybe try 9:30 and see what happenes.  for the next few days it should be kind of a trial and error type thing.  don't beat yourself up.  you are just trying things to find his fit in a routine so that you can fix the morning wake up. 

since he didn't take a cat nap I would move his bed time a bit earlier so he doesn't get too overtired and then try again tomarrow.  it's ok to have bad days.  it took me a long time to learn that one bad sleep day isn't going to kill them, especialy if you are helping them to get better sleep in the long run.  I know your pretty tired too, just hang in there!

[Beed]

5.10 wake again 
Tried leaving him to see if he would settle and go back to sleep but then we had an hour of crying and wailing.
Took him out of his room at 6.20
He drained 6oz of milk at 7am.
Here we go again.....................

[DJs mummy]

I couldn't read and not post.  I just wanted to let you know I'm with you with exact same thing.  Hannah is the same age and has recently started waking around 5.30am. So not fun.  Will write more later.  Hang in there.

[Layla]

Its not an overnight fix. It took me about 2-3 weeks to correct the morning wake up time.

[Beed]

apparently it's quite common at this age!

[Beed]

I decided yesterday that it was teething that's been causing DS to wake at 5am every day suddenly.  I am convinced now!
This morning he woke a little later, 5.45!, we put some teething gel on and he went straight back to sleep again.  Admittedly, not for long, but it was quite near to his normal wake up time of 6.20ish.  I can see the white dots there and he's dribbling constantly again and chewing his fist so hopefully once they've broken through he should go back to sleeping a bit longer...........................
x

[DJs mummy]

Beed , that's interesting - I'm wondering if that may be the same thing with Hannah.  I'll have to try the teething gel tomorrow.  We too can see the white of the teeth through the gums and she seems to be chewing on stuff all day long.  Hmmm, I hope the teething gel continues to work for you.

[meltown]

hope it keeps working

[Beed]

Hi
Things were going great until Friday!  DS decides he now wants to wake in the evening - any time from 23.00 to 01.00am.  I presuming this is teething still as the dribbles are flowing and the gnawing on everything is still happening.  He's been very clingy and whinging most of hte day.  He went ballistic halfway through dinner yesterday for no reason and then decided he would eat the rest of his food! However the morning time went back to 6.00am as I put his morning nap to 10.00am rather than 9.30am and it worked!  (Naps have become a nightmare as have re-settling because he can pull himself up to standing now).  Yesterday though, he fell asleep at 9.30 until 11.30am and this morning woke at 5am I couldn't deal with it after he woke at 23.00 last night so DH dealt with him.....but he gave him his bottle early and DS fell asleep about 7am until 8.20am.  He probably won't have a morning nap now will he?  Does this mean he'll wake mega early tomorrow now?  He's refused an afternoon nap for 3 days now.
I feel totally out of control with him again and to be honest don't think i've coped very well the last two days - I just seem to have lost what's going on with him...................help!
P.S.  Have noticed he is quite snotty and sniffly and has started coughing a little, I guess this is what is causing it.  He just fell asleep on my shoulder at 11.00am so have put him in his cot.  Can cold/cough give him separation anxiety?  He has been a nightmare wanting me constantly for the last few days.  How do you get over that or will it pass once he's feeling better again?

[meltown]

ok, a couple things.  if he is going through seperation anxiety thent he best thing to do is stay with him until calm then slpwly move toward the door so he is assured that you are still there and eventually he will learn that you leaving doesn't mean your gone forever.  Teething and milestones like standing and such can cause sleep issues.  it will pass with time, but it is just annoying in the mean time. 

as for today, just do the best you can to get naps in and such, keep bed time th same and then hopefully tomarrow will be better.  days like today will happen time and again.  I'm sorry, I can't remember if you are doing 2 naps or 3 still.  if 3 then it might be time to move to 2 some kids dot his wearlier then others and such.  Have you noticed DS pulling on his ears or anything in that direction.  sometimes coughing and congestion can cause Ear infections in LO's and this definatly messes with sleep.

[Beed]

Hi
Thanks for replying.  Yes, I do stay with him and rub his back and then I take my hand away and stay standing there a while longer until I feel he's relaxed enough, then slowly walk to the door and leave, but to be honest I think he's asleep by the time I leave.  If he see's me leaving he pulls himself up to standing and starts crying again and we have to start all over.  I do have to pick him up to get him to calm down first then put him back down.

He did have another sleep this afternoon for an hour in his buggy when we were out walking.  So that's 3 naps today - 7am to 8.20am, 11.00 to 12.30pm and 15.30 to 16.30.  He normally has two naps, one in the morning and one around lunch time.

Are there any other signs of ear infection?
x

[meltown]

my friend just found out her daughter has one and she only had grumpiness and diareah.  sometimes they just are grumpy and don't feel good.  if you think it could be that I would go see your ped just to be sure

[Beed]

Update:
Think he had too much sleep today in the end!  Kept routine as normal this evening - 6.30pm bath, 7pm bottle and bed..............only bed ended up being 8.20pm as DS kept pulling himself to standing in the cot.  I just don't seem to be able to do anything about this, if I lie him down he gets straight back up again, if I go out the door he starts crying.  So I'm constantly having to pick him up, calm him down and then try again.  It just wasn't happening tonight though and he was laughing at me!  So in the end I gave him some more milk as I remembered he hadn't had his 11.00 bottle because he fell asleep.................he was zonked after that and has been asleep since.
Could he also be having a growth spurt?
Oh, I don't know, I'm trying to find answers all over the place and getting myself more and more confused.  Tomorrow hopefully he'll wake normal time and we can do his usual routine.  I just don't know what to do about the standing situation when I put him down for naps etc.
x

[meltown]

the only thing you can do is continue to do pd.  then try to calm int he crib.  it iwll take a little while but he will enevtually get the Idea