Sleep Help - early waking

jenbabe

DS is 9.5 months old and goes to bed at exactly 7:30 every night, he has a very consistent routine.  He takes two naps during the day.  He was sleeping until 7am and life was good!  Now he's up 5:30 and will not go back to sleep.  We don't let him up to play, either we rock him or he cries until 7am.  I'm thankful he waits until 5:30 and not the middle of the night but I can't start every morning with a screamfest.  Even if I rock him, once he gets wound up there is no way to comfort him.  Is it terrible that my baby doesn't even want mommy to comfort him?  We haven't been giving him a bottle until 7 because I don't want to start the habit of eating at 5:30.  I tried covering his windows thinking maybe since its light outside earlier it was waking him up earlier but it hasn't helped.  I thought it was his teeth bothering him but he's fine the rest of the day and most of the teeth he's suppose  to have now are in.  Everyone says to put him to bed later but I have not found keeping a kid awake longer to ever be a good idea.  He's tired and definitely ready for bed by 7:30 at night.  What should I do in the mornings?  Feed him? Let him cry? I can't pick him up and calm him then put him down again because even if I rock him he just keeps screaming.  Please share your advice!

zbeesma86

DD did this too. She was waking up at 5:30 and 6 every morning and she goes to bed at 8!

We have a routine at night that starts about 6:45/7 and she is usually asleep by 8/8:15. She would wake up and lay and play in her bed or babble then start to whine and eventually cry until DH or I come and get her. 

She's usually just hungry and we will feed and change her and she will lay back down and sleep for another hour. 

I don't think he will get in the habit of it. DD didn't. And she's back to her 8a-8p schedule.

adaniel1975

My 9 month old goes to bed between 7-8pm and he wakes up like clockwork at 5am and he is ready for a bottle.  We are so used to it that it doesnt bother us anymore.  Once we feed  him 6-8oz, he sometimes goes right back to sleep for another hour.  It sounds to me like your little guy is really hungry.  I would give a bottle.

 

Good luck!   

kstokes2002

My LO started this a while ago too. I read a sleep book and it said by no means allow them to wake before 6. I was hesitant but tried it. When LO was up at 5, I allowed him to fuss for a bit to see what would happen. He cried for about 3 minutes, found a paci and went right back to bed for almost 2 hours. We also added a loveley at about that time. Self soothing is what you want to happen at that hour!

noahchristopher

What is your schedule like during the day?  What time are naps and for how long?

Crazy thing at this age and for a while here on out, is that you have to keep up with their changing sleep needs.  As they grow, their awake times increase bit by bit.  Could be that the timing of the naps needs adjusting, and bed time is either too early or too late.  At nine months it might help to try the 2-3-4 schedule.  First nap two hours after waking, second nap three hours after waking, and bed time four hours after second nap.  We were never 2-3-4 exactly at that age, but pretty close I think.

Also, there's a huge sleep regression at nine months.  Google it and you will read a lot of info on it.