Help with a VERY early riser!

My DD has started waking at 5:00 a.m.  I cannot get her to go back to sleep.  I have to get up at 5:45 or 6:00 for work, but that extra 45 minutes is well worth it!  She has been doing this everyday since last weekend.  Does anyone have any suggestions to get to sleep later.  I am not looking forward to being up at 5:00 a.m. this weekend.  I forgot to add that she is so tired and cranky by about 6:30 that I can barely get ready for work.

[mami1323]

Oh man, I wish I had some answers for you.  I usually put my son in bed with me for the last hour and he falls right back to sleep.  On the weekends I tend to do the same thing.  My fiance works early in the morning so it will just be me and the baby.  When he doesn't work it becomes difficult because there isn't enough room.  Have you tried feeding her a bottle?  Sometimes that puts my son right back to sleep.

[wonderme]

What time does she go to bed the night before?  Are you breast or bottle feeding?  Are you up later than she is the night before?

Have you tried rousing her a 1/2 hour before you're ready for bed to give her one last feeding? Keep it dark and quiet and limit talking to her. Since you're up anyway it might help her sleep a little longer in the morning when you want to sleep.

How old is she (sorry, I should know since I'm on here so much, but some days I don't even know my name or how old my kids are!  Just kidding)?

I've also mentioned on here before about a study I read that suggested once a child reaches 11 lbs. they are capable of sleeping through the night as long as they get all their calories in before bed.  Sleeping through the night is really only considered to be 4-5 hours at a stretch although by say 4 months it can be 10-11 hours.

My youngest is just under 4 months and she's sleeping for 8 hours at night...but I make sure she has plenty to eat before bed.  My older two were also great sleepers from an early age, but at about 5-6 months they both started waking up again in the middle of the night.  They were hungry...so unless I wanted to get up in the middle of the night, I needed to make sure they had more to eat throughout the day.  It took about a week to make the adjustment, but then they were back to sleeping like champs.

These are just suggestions...every child is different and has different needs...and while I agree that a child's needs come first, I am a firm believer that mommy and daddy need to be sane in order to make sure the child's needs are met...for me that is getting adequate sleep.

Let us know how you're doing.  Good luck!

[GNicole]

Is it possible to put her to bed a little later? I agree with the above posters. Maybe she is waking up so early because she is hungry. Can you give her more to eat before she goes to bed at night? Good luck to you- I know Avery changes her sleeping habits all the time. Just when I think we are doing so good then she will start getting up in the middle of the night again.

[lfb]

I have always put her in my bed when she wakes and she used to go right back to sleep.  This week, she just sits right up and starts fussing.  I do give her a bottle when she wakes up, but even that has not been working.  She goes to bed at 8:00 and usually still wakes up once to eat in the middle of the night (not always).  I know at 8 months she should be sleeping all night, but I am not one for the CIO method.  

[lfb]

I try to keep her up later, but she gets so fussy and I can't do anything.  She is really ready by 7:30 but I keep her up until at least 8:00.

[mami1323]

Hum!!!  Can you let her fuss a little?  Maybe you are too quick to get up with her and now she's getting into that routine.  I sometimes let my son whine for awhile instead of getting him right away and if he's not hungry he will put himself back to bed.  This is not all the time of course but I let him whine for a little while.  Once it becomes a real cry I get him.  I know either way your sleep is interrupted but if she sees that you are not quick to get her she will learn to put herself back to sleep.  Does your dd usually get up at 5 am if she's up later than 8 pm?

[mami1323]

My son usually falls asleep at 8 pm and I let him sleep, then at 9:30 or 10 pm I wake him up and change him into pajamas and give him another bottle.  He goes right back to sleep after that.  Can you try that?

[lfb]

I could try getting her up.  I have always been afraid she would stay up.  I let her fuss some this morning.  She didn't ever really cry, but she didn't go back to sleep either.  I was awake the whole time listening to her.

[GNicole]

If every is getting sleepy when it is still too early to go to bed I give her a bath (she usually gets a bath in the morning). She loves getting a bath and that tires her out even more and she usually sleeps better.  Just a thought. Good luck. :)

[mami1323]

I know how that is, my son wakes up in his crib and as long as he's not crying, I leave him in there.  Although, I can't exactly sleep because he's making noises but I want him to be comfortable waking up in his crib and not getting hysterical because he's alone.  The last couple of days he wakes up and stayed quiet. Who knows, they change all the time.

[wonderme]

I agree w/ everyone's comments...b/c every baby is different (just like adults!).

My almost 4-month old goes to sleep at about 7 and then gets up between 9 and 10 and eats again and has no trouble going right back to bed and then sleeping until 6 or 7.

You really might want to try rousing her slightly for a last feeding so you get some more time in the morning.  She probably really needs the sleep at 8 pm but just needs a bit more to eat before going all night.

The bath is also a good idea...fyi, though, my dd gets sleepy and relaxed with a bath during the day, but the couple of times I've given it to her before bed, it only stimulated her and she slept horribly.  Doesn't make any sense, but that's what happened with her --so you see, every baby is different, you just have to keep trying til you find what works for your family!

Good luck!

[lfb]

I give my kids a bath every night.  It is part of our bedtime routine.  I think I will try rousing her for a last feeding right before I go to bed.

[pertykitty]

sometims its just a phase you have to wait for it to end.  my son did the same thing and it was tiring, we took turns getting up with him.  then as fast as it started it ended, hopefully yours will too

[romme80]

I agree with all the other posters. All children are different. My son is 3.5mths old and he goes to sleep around 7 or 8pm and I wake him up between 9 and 10 to give him a bath and one last bottle before he goes to bed. He always goes right back to sleep and sleeps til between 7 and 8am. He has been doing this for about 2 mths now. He has always been a good sleeper. My sisters little boy is a early bird and has always been. She says he gets it from his Dad. He wakes up every morning between 5 and 6 and doesn't go back to bed. He is now 3.5 years old. So every child really is different.

[ma2isiah]

I have been reading the healthy sleep habits healthy child book. And for early rising, they suggest putting baby to bed earlier... sounds odd, but I have seen it work for my son. Now dd on the other hand has always gone to bed early and got up early 630p-6a, she used to wake only once to breastfeed, but has been waking more lately, but that is another story. Basically according to this book, you should put her to bed around 7pm. If you are interested I can explain more on timing and the theory behind it.... Also it says to never get them up before 6 as they will keep rising earlier and earlier. I think it would be ok to feed her if she settles back down otherwise if she is not crying let her be until  at least 6.

[mami1323]

I would love to hear more about this theory.  My son tends to wake up anyway at around 10 pm for a feed but I'm really curious.

[Cheyenne_08]

man, I can't get ashtyn to sleep until 9:30-10 and he get sup at seven. Maybe he needs to be going to bed earlier?? Everyone seems to put their kid to bed at 8???

[mami1323]

My son doesn't go to sleep until 9:30 or 10 either.

[ma2isiah]

From Healthy Sleep Habits Healthy child...."When parents put their children to bed earlier, they get more sleep at the front end and the sleep later in the morning because they are more rested and are thus able to sleep better. Even though this is counterintuitive, it is true." According to this book also most babies 5-12 months should wake up between 6-7 am, take two naps at approx 9 and 1pm and then go to sleep between 6-8pm. This is based on research on biological sleep/wake rhythms.

Three things I really like about the book are that 1) the author has done  a lot of his own research and quotes other research studies rather than some sleep books I have read based on the authors opinion. 2) It gives many ideas on how to get your child to sleep better and supports breasfeeding 3) gives norms for different age groups (based on research).
I am currently trying to get dd to sleep better at night. She was doing really good, basically following this schedule and has now started waking up a lot during the night.  She hasn't been sick, not sure if it is teething or what?