Unhappy early morning wakings

katfaz

In desperate need of some help.  My 14 month old has recently starting waking up crying early in the AM.  She used to sleep until 6:30 and wake up happy and would chatter and talk to herself until I went in to get her.  The past few weeks she's waking up at 5 (or some days earlier) and is very unhappy and will cry until I go into get her.  Everything else has remained constant, naps and bedtime have been the same.  The first couple of days I assumed it was teething but she hasn't cut any new teeth since.  Then I figured it could be developmental since she's working on all sorts of new skills.  In the beginning I was optimistic that it was a temporary phase.  Now it's been happening for about 3 weeks and I am scared this is the new norm.  It's hard to start our day off on the wrong foot like that.  Has anyone else experienced this or have any advice/feedback to offer?   TIA!

Flamingemu

How long are you waiting before you get her? What kind of crying is it?

DD wakes crying every morning and puts herself back to sleep pretty quickly. She will usually wake a little later happy as a clam.

katfaz

This morning I left her until 6:30, so she was unhappy for over an hour.  She wasn't full-blown "crying" the whole time, more of a complaining-fussing type of cry.  I am not opposed to CIO or letting her fuss for a bit, and there have been times where she's woken up, fussed, then put herself back to sleep.  This is different because she is not putting herself back to sleep.  I just want my happy baby back in the morning.

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ashiscute

My DS has gone through phases of this as well.  Not quite 3 weeks but long enough.  Have you considered bringing LO to bed with you?  Or going in for some cuddles and loves and laying her back down? 

 

cedenton

We had a few months of that, but I was able to get him back to sleep with a soft sippy of warm milk. No lights, no talking, nothing. Some cuddling after he drank his milk and then he went back down.

But...my kid is kind've a sleep freak, so take that with a grain of salt.

valeriegp

My son always wakes up crying, unless he is in bed with us. And I mean, always, ever since he was big enough to realize, wait a minute, I'm in my crib all alone. We just go get him, and he calms down and seems unfazed by it. I tell him every time I'm the one to go get him, "Sweetie, when  you wake up just say 'Mama, I'm up!' and I'll come get you." I just keep hoping it will sink in one day, but until then, crying is how he says, "Mama, I'm up!"

jonesie2010

I don't have a solution for you, but you are not alone. DD is 15 months now and she always wakes up cranky in the mornings. This has been going on for probably 3 or 4 months now. Sorry, not what you wanted to hear, I'm sure. Hopefully it's a short-lived phase for you. I'm starting to resign myself to the fact that maybe DD is just not a morning person...

littlebean510

Thanks for all the support, good to know we're not alone.

@lubire135, that was my first suspicion as well.  I verified though, we are not supposed to be in a stormy period according to Wonder Weeks.  Next leap isn't supposed to start for 3 weeks.    It just means early bed time for mommy & daddy!

NDarya

valeriegp said:

My son always wakes up crying, unless he is in bed with us. And I mean, always, ever since he was big enough to realize, wait a minute, I'm in my crib all alone. We just go get him, and he calms down and seems unfazed by it. I tell him every time I'm the one to go get him, "Sweetie, when  you wake up just say 'Mama, I'm up!' and I'll come get you." I just keep hoping it will sink in one day, but until then, crying is how he says, "Mama, I'm up!"

Same here. Never woke up happy but overall fine throughout the day. And 5am is his regular wakeup time. Sigh!

Starfish+77

DD has done this too at times and I let her "fuss it out" and she eventually went back to sleep. I can see on the video monitor that she's still lying down, wasn't standing in her crib. She would wake at normal time happy and just fine.

UMichGirl

valeriegp said:

My son always wakes up crying, unless he is in bed with us. And I mean, always, ever since he was big enough to realize, wait a minute, I'm in my crib all alone. We just go get him, and he calms down and seems unfazed by it. I tell him every time I'm the one to go get him, "Sweetie, when  you wake up just say 'Mama, I'm up!' and I'll come get you." I just keep hoping it will sink in one day, but until then, crying is how he says, "Mama, I'm up!"

I could have written this post myself. DS turned 2 today and he has ALWAYS woken up crying--whether it be morning or nap. If I leave him be to cry for a bit he just gets more and more amped up. If I go in sometimes he will fall back asleep on me in the rocking chair for a bit. Other times he's just up. I hate that he wakes up crying and I also tell him, "Just say "momma I'm up!" but he can't seem to remember that yet! ;-) So crying it is.