Waking Early

Ernie52408

Normally DS wakes up between 6 and 7. For the past week though he's waking up between 4 and 5:30. I know he's not really ready to wake up. He's obviously crabby and exhausted, but he just won't go back to sleep. He's teething (as always) and he's at the end of a cold. It doesn't seem to make difference how early/ late he goes to bed or if he has Motrin before bed. I'm sure it's just a phase but does anyone have any advice how to get him back on schedule? I wouldn't mind the early wake up as much but he is just so cranky and ends up crying nonstop for hours before I can get him down for a nap.

bluejetta

We're in same boat although DD usually is a 6am bird (7 would be glorious) and goes to bed between 6:45-7:00.  She's been waking between 5 and 5:30 and not going back to sleep -- I don't think it's hunger or teething.  She is learning to walk and I do think it could be a phase.  I hope it passes soon as I'm tired.

IlliniQT

We're going through the same thing, and DS is also learning to walk right now.  He wakes up SO crabby, and then is crabby until he wakes up from his morning nap.  It's really awful -- I wish I had more suggestions, but when we tried moving his bedtime later, he just woke at the same time even crabbier!

Nechie122

Did you sleep train? When DD went through that phase, I'd go in and check her diaper, sing our bedtime song and then put her back down. I let her CIO if she needed to, but otherwise she had to stay in her crib till at least 5:30am.

I've also had success with giving her a sippy cup of water. At the very least, it keeps her occupied for another half an hour. If she asks/signs for milk, I sometimes cave and give her that, although I know the tooth decay argument against letting babies fall asleep drinking milk.