Early Risers Anonymous: Ideas?

jld49

Have any of you with LO's who wake around 5 to 5:30am had any genuine success shifting the sleep schedule so that they sleep a little bit later. For a moment I thought we had succeeded after increasing his bedtime by 15 min every other night, but ultimately he's back to his old self, smiling with a poop around 5:10 am.

 Is my only hope daylight savings? Will that even work? 

rockychryslerb2010

By increasing bedtime, do you mean shifting later?  I know it sound crazy, but have you tried making bedtime earlier?  We used to have a 5-530am riser, but we were able to get him to sleep until 645-715am by moving bedtime earlier.  As little as 15 min can make a difference.  Even now, if E gets to bed later than 730pm, we know to expect him up before 630am.  If he is in bed (and asleep) by 7:15pm, he will usually sleep until 7am.

JammieJk

Maybe you're already doing this, but you could try pushing his first wake time to 3 hours (i.e., up at 5:30am, 1st nap at 8:30am) and limit it to 1 hour.  If need be you can limit that first nap even shorter... like 45 minutes.  Basically, look at it as a refresher to get them to the important nap of the day: The Afternoon Nap.

We are doing that with DS and, like magic, he sleeps until 6:30 AM.  If we (by we, I mean DH) lets it go longer than that, then we see DS the next morning at 5 AM. Yippee!

MrsT2008

daylight savings may only worsen it.  5:10am will become 4:10!

brewcitybride

DS goes through phases - for weeks at a time he will wake up at 5:30. But I don't go to him right away, he is fine to babble and play in his crib until I get him. Other days (like today!) he slept until 7:30 a.m.

To me, I would not mess with a baby's beditme if you are already factoring in that the baby should be getting roughly 12 hours of nighttime sleep. Sure, sometimes it's less, but I always want to shoot for 12 hours, which is why DS is always in bed by 7:00 p.m., sometimes earlier. You could try to play around with 15 minutes, but I dougt it will do anything. It's a phase. It sucks, but it will play itself out.

DD, who is almost 4, also still does this, so don't hold your breath that there is a "solution"! Many kids just have early internal clocks. She got up at 5:30 a few times last week, but on Sunday slept until 8:00 p.m. Who the heck knows why!!!

brewcitybride

That's 8:00 a.m., not p.m. ha ha

mben1119

DS grew out of it. He goes to bed early though (around 6-7 pm usually, sometimes earlier). And sleeps until 5:30-6:30 am usually, which is when we need to get up anyway.

lana22

my son went through a phase lasting about a month where he woke up at 5:30 every morning. i gradually shifted his bedtime from 6:30/7 to 5:30 so at least he was getting 12 hours, and after a few weeks he just started sleeping later on his own. this was when he was 8 months and he's 10.5 months now and sleeping till 7:30 most mornings (bed between 6 and 6:45). give it some time and try moving his bedtime earlier.

janicemarieh

DD has started doing this too (she's getting up at 4:30!  UGH!).  She had her 9 month dr. appt. last Thursday, so I asked the pedi if she had any suggestions on how to get her to sleep later.  Much to my surprise, the pedi asked me what time DD goes to bed and when I told her 6:30/7, she told me that 6:30/7 to 4:30 was a good amount of time (not that it was a good stretch without waking, which I would get, but that it was a good full nights sleep for a 9 month old) and basically that I am expecting too much by thinking she should sleep for 12 hours.  She suggested that I try putting DD to bed 1/2 hour later to see if this gets her to sleep until 5 (still too early if you ask me!).  I think this was terrible advice!  Everyone has always told me that the earlier babies go to bed, the later they sleep in the am AND that they should be getting 12 hours.  Anyway, because I'm not the dr. I tried putting DD to bed 1/2 hour later the last two nights.  Still up at 4:30 like clockwork.  So much for the pedi's recommendation.  At this point I'm thinking it's just a phase (she also started waking up every night (at least once) again, so I'm going to keep putting her to bed at her normal bedtime and hope eventually she starts sleeping in again.  Anyway, I guess I don't have advice, but I'm with you!  Fingers crossed we get to wake up after the sun rises again some day!   

jld49

Yes, I mean shifting bedtime to later. I agree, the earlier to bed the better but he's asleep at 6:30 every night! Should I dare go to 6pm?!?!! He "choose" this bedtime, not us! Maybe it's worth it. He sleeps 10 1/2 to 11 hrs straight not 12 like some babies.

jld49

Ha ha.. I know.. I've always been an early riser.. But it was years ago when I hit the gym at 5 am!! I just want 6!

jld49

Shorting morning nap to only one hour is an idea.. Worth a try! His pm nap is usually shorter than his am. Thks!

Ca$hbride-to-be

I know this will sound weird and irrelevant, but my name is also Janice Marie and I also have a daughter born in January (the 3rd).  I was reading your posts because I have been going through the same thing with her sleep being a little whacky right now!  Just had to comment because of the strange coincidence!  My daughter's 9 month check up is tomorrow so I WILL be asking her pediatrician the same questions!   Good luck getting to sleep in a bit

janicemarieh

Ca$hbride-to-be:

I know this will sound weird and irrelevant, but my name is also Janice Marie and I also have a daughter born in January (the 3rd).  I was reading your posts because I have been going through the same thing with her sleep being a little whacky right now!  Just had to comment because of the strange coincidence!  My daughter's 9 month check up is tomorrow so I WILL be asking her pediatrician the same questions!   Good luck getting to sleep in a bit

That is a strange coincidence! My daughter was born on the 8th.  I'd love to know what you're pediatrician says!  I hope these sleep issues get better for the both of us soon!