earlier and earlier riser

[KateMontero]

Until my son was about 4 months old he used to sleep until 7.30am, which I thought was very early.

When he got to 5 months he started to wake at 6.30am, which was dreadful.

This month he's been waking at 5.30am and the whole of the last week at 5am.

His bedtime is later than it used to be (7.45pm) but it doesn't make any difference to his wake up time anyway, apparently.

Any tips? And blackout blinds haven't helped so I know the answer is that I can't do anything. But I can just see what's coming next and I consider 4am to be the middle of the night! I'll be exhausted if this carries on.

[ladywotlunches]

Oh dear - poor you!

They do go through phases - which is no help I know other than you can hope there is light at the tunnel.

Mine is older now (3 years) but I find that rather than letting him go to be later, if I try and get him in bed and asleep as close to 7pm as possible, we normally get a good 12 hours, through to 7 am (I'm so gonna regret saying this - we'll get an early one tomorrow now!). Might be worth bringing bedtime back a bit earlier again?

[KateMontero]

Shall I try that? I think it might be a good idea for some reason. Anyway, I'll get more free time in the evening and if it doesn't change his wake up time then why not? Thanks.

[Pickle]

I agree with Ladywotlunches... it seems with my two (2.5 and 1) no matter what time they go to bed they still wake at 7am, so I put them to bed at 7pm. For us, if they go later, they just end up grumpy the next day!

They do go through phases though - can you convince your LO it's still night time if you give him a short feed and put him back to bed without too much talking etc? Or try leaving him a little while before you pick him up if he's not upset? Sometimes my little girl wakes and chats to herself for 10 mins then goes back to sleep! Hopefully he'll settle down again eventually for you, anything before 6.30am just isn't considered morning!

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi Kate,

I went through the same thing...now C is nearly 9 months and mobile she is starting to sleep later again - it is generally back to 7 or 7.30pm....I'm starting to think I may even have to set an alarm again as we've nearly been late for school twice now due to her sleeping so late!

So, don't loose hope, I think once they get mobile it really helps as they tire themselves out more. I always aim for a 7pm bedtime, but it usually ends up about 7.30pm.

Molly

[lorraineliyanage]

hi kate. iris goes to bed anywhere between 8.30pm - 9.30pm and sleeps till about 9am, waking for a feed somewhere between 4am - 6am (i never look at the clock, it's too depressing!) and then she goes back to nod. i avoid making any chit-chat with her when she wakes for her nighttime feed, i just boob her in bed and usually keep my eyes closed to give her a hint that it's sleepy time!

it does, of course, mean that we don't have any time in the evening without her but i'd rather have a good night's sleep right now!

[Belle]

Hi Kate,

just to say I empathise - mine is just a bit younger and has been doing the same, I can't figure it out. As others have said, hopefully it's a phase...there's something so depressing about looking at the clock at 8am and realising you've been up for 2 or 3 hours already! I've found that the time we put him down (which varies from 6.30-7.30) makes do difference, nor does the amount he takes at that feed or the 11pm feed, not the amount of time he's awake at the latter feed. I've taken to napping in the afternoons when he sleeps, it's like the early days again!

B