baby waking at 4am!

alwaybhappy

Mon, Oct 24 2011, 11:31 pm

My baby started getting up at 4am every morning!! I am going crazy already. She gets up until about 5:30am, then naps till about 7am. Then is up till about 9 and naps again for another hour. I can't function with waking up at 4 anymore...! She goes to sleep at about 6/6:30pm. I tried pushing it off till 6:45/7pm but she goes crazy from tiredness and wants to go to sleep earlier. What should I do? I tried to let her cry but it went on for over 40 min. till I finally took her (and nursed her).now what?

cinnamon

Tue, Oct 25 2011, 3:16 am

Whats her full schedule? when does she nap in the afternoon? maybe try to push off her afternoon nap so she is not so tird at 6:30 and you can put her to bed at around 8:00 for the night?

would she stay in her crib with toys and maybe a cookie?

If all else fails is there a baby proof room you can put her in to play on the floor while you dose there? It wont be like sleeping but you wont have to fully wake up at 4:00 am.

Peek-a-boo

Tue, Oct 25 2011, 3:17 am

My nine month old usually goes in for a short nap at about 6:30, goes to bed for the night at 9 and wakes up at about 8:30. Maybe you should try putting her in for a short nap at about 5 and then put her to bed at 8...

sunny90

Tue, Oct 25 2011, 3:50 am

The key I think is to NOT let her nap at 5:30--as hard as it is--keep her up as close to what a normal morning naptime would be for a 10 mo, about 9-9:30. Seems impossible I know but keep her up as long as possible. She keeps waking up at 4 because she then "catches up" on her sleep an hour and a half later. Her first nap is an extension of her nighttime sleep, so she can just keep waking up early. (This is a night waking, not a morning one.)
I had a similar thing, my son was waking up at 5 every morning for weeks and weeks! This was what eventually worked.
And maybe add a catnap a bit later in the day so she can last til a later bedtime.

alwaybhappy

Tue, Oct 25 2011, 6:58 am

'cinnamon'- I don't have an exact schedule of her naps, whenever she starts getting kvetchy/tired I put her to sleep. Usually her last nap before 6 is some time between 3:30 and 4:30pm. I try to let her stay in her crib with toys but it doesn't last long enough (I wish she would just fall back asleep on her own)and I am up most of the time also, eventually I have to take her out and feed her anyways...And I also do put her on the floor near my bed with toys, but with that also I am not getting to sleep more.

'peek a boo'- are you talking about 5pm? I generally do put her for a nap at around 4ish and sometimes she doesn't go to sleep for a while and then if she sleeps longer then 45 min I gently wake her up so that it is not her sleep for the night. but she is still so tired at 6.

'sunny90'- That's a good idea. I guess it makes sense. I will try that next time. How many times does it take till she will start waking up later? I know I can't expect her to get up past 6 if she goes to sleep at 6pm but I am gonna try to push off her bedtime also...

I am thinking of pushing her bedtime to 7:30 and doing it "cold," for the next week (I tried pushing it off 15 min. each night and that wasn't working). What do you think?

alwaybhappy

Tue, Oct 25 2011, 6:58 am

'cinnamon'- I don't have an exact schedule of her naps, whenever she starts getting kvetchy/tired I put her to sleep. Usually her last nap before 6 is some time between 3:30 and 4:30pm. I try to let her stay in her crib with toys but it doesn't last long enough (I wish she would just fall back asleep on her own)and I am up most of the time also, eventually I have to take her out and feed her anyways...And I also do put her on the floor near my bed with toys, but with that also I am not getting to sleep more.

'peek a boo'- are you talking about 5pm? I generally do put her for a nap at around 4ish and sometimes she doesn't go to sleep for a while and then if she sleeps longer then 45 min I gently wake her up so that it is not her sleep for the night. but she is still so tired at 6.

'sunny90'- That's a good idea. I guess it makes sense. I will try that next time. How many times does it take till she will start waking up later? I know I can't expect her to get up past 6 if she goes to sleep at 6pm but I am gonna try to push off her bedtime also...

Thank you all for the advice
I am thinking of pushing her bedtime to 7:30 and doing it "cold," for the next week (I tried pushing it off 15 min. each night and that wasn't working). What do you think?