STTN but waking at 4 am

ilanat · May 2014

My LO is sleeping about six and a half hours straight through the night, but waking up at 4 am. I'd like to shift his timing, but I don't see how to really do that. He nurses (exclusively breastfed) when he's hungry and is not interested otherwise. I've gotten some advice from people that I should let him cry at 4 am, but what if he's legitimately hungry, as I believe he must be? I've been getting up at 4 am and nursing him and then starting my day. Will he shift on his own over time? Does anyone have any perspective to share on how to handle this?

cagoldi · May 2014

Well, no. You can't just let him cry, especially if it's because he's hungry.

Why are you nursing him and then starting your day? Why isn't this treated like a night waking? Is he wide awake after this nursing session? If so, I would just finish feeding him and rock him until he falls back asleep.

My DS had a phase like this and I would just feed him and put him back to bed. If he woke up at 5 and ate and was back to sleep within 20 minutes I would put him back down until our normal weekday wake up time at 6:15.

TeacherVicky · May 2014

No, don't let him cry.

Why are you starting your day at 4? Why can't you just put him back down for another 2 hours or so?

ilanat · May 2014

Thanks everyone, for confirming that I should not let him cry. The baby does go back to sleep after I nurse him, but by that time, around 4:30 am, it doesn't pay for me to go back to sleep at that point. I have stuff to do to get myself and the two kids out the door for my job and the kids' daycare. The 2-year-old wakes up around 6 am and he is pretty all-consuming once he's up, with breakfast for him, getting dressed, etc... I prepare as much as possible the night before, but certain things must be done in the morning (so I do them starting around 4:30 am), such as packing the breast pump parts since they need overnight to dry and I don't get to clean them until 10 pm, once I'm done bathing both kids and putting the toddler to bed, and having some dinner and showering. At best, I could give myself a catnap for 30 minutes, until 5 am, but that has the tendency to make me feel worse. If the baby nursed at 5 am, however, I would squeeze in all this stuff from 5:30 - 6, which would be more bearable. My husband works crazy hours and is asleep in the mornings while I'm getting ready for the day with everything described above.

r0zz · May 2014

i'm more or less in the same boat as you. bb girl used to sleep 11 hours straight or at least wake up at a more reasonable time for me to go back to bed and get a couple more hours of sleep.

i'd feed her 6oz before she goes down for the night (7pm) and 6 more when she wakes up to make sure that she has a full belly. i tried weaning her off night feedings since she started waking up at 4 am again but it just doesn't work out.

so when she wakes up at 4 or 3 that's when i usually start my day. it also doesn't help that that's when my husband starts to get ready for work too so when he wakes up before bb girl, i just stay awake. my body had already started getting used to being up that early.

i wish i could give you some advice but unfortunately i can't =_____=

maybe mottn feedings so she wouldn't wake up at 4?

ilanat · May 2014

That's a good suggestion. I pump three times a day and I have three kits so that I can clean everything at once, but I guess I could get even more to cover future days. Everything just gets so expensive! But it may well be worth it, since I'm really starting to burn out.

ilanat · May 2014

But I thought the parts have to be completely bone dry for them to work the best. That's why I use a dry/clean set each time. Is that not right?

cagoldi · May 2014

ilanat said:
But I thought the parts have to be completely bone dry for them to work the best. That's why I use a dry/clean set each time. Is that not right?

I did what @Sing2phins suggested and never had a problem losing suction or anything when they were wet.

haven0610 · May 2014

Ds also wakes up at about 4-430 to eat, I nurse him and he goes right back to sleep (so do I). I then sleep till about 6-615 and get up and pump, get ready, pack bottles etc, then wake ds up about 6:45 and nurse him and give him his medicine and then we leave the house at 7:15. I also do what pp said and after I use my pump I rinse the parts and put them in baggies and store in fridge. This has saved me soooooo much time. I just make sure to wipe them out a little before I use them and make sure where the tube goes in the back is dry so it doesn't suck water up in it. I have no problem and pump plenty!

alake · May 2014

DD3 (now 22 months) slept from 7:30- 4:00 AM from three months on until six months. She would get up at four, nurse and fall back to sleep until 7 AM.
At six months, she dropped the 4 AM feeding on her own. She seemed to be ready to do it.

ilanat · May 2014

Thanks all. These were all very helpful comments that I will use.

ktpaladino · June 2014

Have you tried doing a dream feed around 2-3:00ish? Fill up her tank before she normally wakes to eat and then go back to bed and see if she sleeps through 4:00.

F47 · June 2014

I would try the dream feed as well. My LO sleeps through the night, but gets up at 5 (when I could normally "sleep in" until 5:45). However, I've found that if I get up and feed him at 3 (just pull him out of his crib straight to the boob), he nurses for 20 or so minutes and is out cold. Put him in his crib and he'll usually sleep until at least 6:20. Sometimes 7.

We started this so he didn't associate waking up and (more specifically) crying with being fed (he's older...6 months this week).

May be worth giving it a try in your situation as well.

STTN but waking at 4 am

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