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How to get babies on a consistent wake-up time?

My babies are sleeping through the night now (thank you jeebus and knock on wood). But I'm actually having a little trouble now with their wake up times. They're not consistent, and sometimes they sleep in really late. Can't believe I'm writing that I have a problem with that.

The problem is that I'd like to get on a consistent schedule, and to start organizing nap time, and it's hard to do that when their wake-up times are a) not at the same times each day and b) sometimes not at the same time as each other.

As an example, on Sunday they both slept until 9:30. !!! We had to make a lot of noise outside of their room to coax them awake. It was nice to have a quiet morning, sure, but it sort of screwed up the rest of the morning. Though, weirdly, bedtime was not a problem.

This morning Luke woke up at 6. I fed him, but he feel back to sleep immediately after eating--while he was eating, really--so I put him back in his crib since Cal was still sleeping. Cal didn't wake up until 8, and then we had to wake up Luke at 8:45 because the nanny had arrived and because I was worried about them being on opposite wake-sleep schedules all day.

They go to bed at 8 every night. I don't mind them sleeping in on the weekends (nice!), but I think my ideal would be if they always woke up at 8 during the week. Should I just wake them up at 8? And if so, should I do that on weekends, too, for the sake of the routine? Luke is NOT HAPPY when he's awoken before he's ready. Just like momma. :-)

Ideas?

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Re: How to get babies on a consistent wake-up time?

  • IMO starting off the day with a consistent wake up time will help to set the stage for consistent schedules throughout the day.  I don't see anything wrong with gently waking them.

    Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins recommends that babies between the ages of 4-9 months need about 14 hours of sleep.  Since my girls go to bed around 6:30 consistently every night, I decided I didn't want them to sleep longer than twelve and a half hours every night, so that they are able to still take decent naps during the day.  By 7am, I open their door, turn on the hall light, and turn off their sound machine.  Usually they wake up on their own, without me actually having to wake them up.

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  • I hear ya... altough there are probably a few MoMs that would want to slap you right now Stick out tongue

    During the week, we always wake the boys up at 5:45 for their bottles.  They eat, get dressed, and then get in their carseats and take a nap on the way to DC.  On weekends, I let them "sleep in" which usually means anywhere between 6 and 7.  If they are not awake by 7, I wake them.

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  • I will be going back to work next week so I have been waking mine up at 6 am.  Sometimes they are up before that but I give them their pacifier and they will go back to sleep til I wake them up.  On the weekends, I let them sleep, although they don't sleep past 7, but when one gets up, I wake the other one up so they are on the same schedule.  Hope that helps.
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  • Dude, trust me, I know. Every morning I feel like saying to my husband, "Pinch me. Am I still dreaming?" 

    imageOrangeSmoke:

    I hear ya... altough there are probably a few MoMs that would want to slap you right now Stick out tongue

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  • I don't have any great words of wisdom, but I could have written this post. Ryan wants to get up with the roosters and Mason likes to sleep in until 8. By that time Ryan thinks it's a great time for a morning snooze. I want them to get good sleep but I hate having to remember who did what. Up until recently they were pretty much on the same schedule so I hope they both gravitate towards the same one. If they don't soon I am going to say 7 is wake up time and let Ryan play in his bed until then and get poor mason up an hour early so they both have their 1st feeding at the same time.
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  • I am little jealous of your late sleepers :) But I know what you mean about having a consistent wake up time, esp now that I'm back to work.  One of mine is up btwn 5-5:30 and the other usually sleeps till 6am. Sine I have to get them ready before I leave I would wake Mia after I got Keira changed, but I've learned that Mia needs that extra 30-45 mins, so now I just let her sleep or she gets way too cranky!

    I keep hoping Keira will start sleeping until 6am though...she did yesterday and I felt like I was sleeping in!

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