Waking Too Early

A couple of months ago, my girls would go to bed around 7 and sleep until 7. Lately, they've been going to bed around 7 and waking up at 5 or 5:30. I let them "talk" until about 6:30 and then get them up to start the day. I've experimented with later bedtimes. Well, not on purpose. My in-laws took care of them last week, and they didn't go to bed until 8 and 8:30...and still woke up at 5:30.

They also used to be very consistent with their naps, but in the last couple of weeks, they've begun transitioning from three naps to two and have been taking one really good nap (1 to 1.5 hours) and then one short nap (30 minutes). I'm not sure how ready they are for two naps since they're still extremely tired in the evening and fall asleep almost immediately after their last bottle of the day.

Any suggestions on how I get them to sleep later? Keeping them up late doesn't really seem like an option. Should I try to get them to take longer naps? Or should I still be pushing for three naps? I'm so tired half way through the day because of their early wake-up time. I know it sounds selfish, but if they would at least sleep until 6:30, it would be so much nicer.

 

I think that its just a phase that they are going through. My guys did that too. For the longes time they were from 7pm-7am (with one wake in the night) and then it went to a 5:45-6am wake up call. That lasted for about a month and it sucked! Now, they are doing 7pm until 7:30-8am!

The twins have been doing 2 naps a day since they were 4 months. The first one is an hour to 1.5hours long and the afternoon nap is 2 or more hours.

 

Are they doing anything new? Crawling? Cruising? Sometimes that could interfere with sleep as well.
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Oh-and the theory of them going to bed later, so they will sleep later-it's not going to happen! Put them to bed at 10pm, and they will still be up at 5:30am! Everyone thinks they will sleep later-but nope!

And we went through periods of them waking at the crack of dawn. For us it always seemed to coincide with daylight savings time. It would last about two weeks or so, and then they would start waking again around 7am. I hope they start sleeping later for you-soon!

 

We have been going through the exact same thing with our boys. Most days, they are up around 5 or 5:15, no matter if they go to bed at 7, 7:30, 8, whatever. Their naps are sporadic, too. Sometimes they nap 30-45 minutes, other times it is 1.5 hours. They are into everything right now - crawling, cruising, etc. Also, teething can make a difference. I wish I could give you some solutions - I posted a thread about the exact same thing not too long ago! They actually slept until 6:10 this morning, which I think is a miracle these days. I really envy the people whose kids sleep until 7:30 or 8!

We have been back and forth between the two naps and three. But now, even if one of their naps is only 45 minutes, they are only taking two naps. Some days, they are awake from 2pm until they go to bed at 7pm.

I think they just don't need as much sleep as some other kids. I see people who talk about their kids taking 3-4 hours of naps and sleeping 12 hours at night, too - not our guys! We are lucky to get 12 hours total sleep out of them a day. It seems like it wouldn't be enough, but I guess we can't force them to sleep. I just try to keep their schedule consistent - naps at 8:45 and 1:30 - and that seems to help.

 

My guys are starting to join the early wake up club as well. They were sleeping until 7/7:30, but lately its been 5:30. We try to get them to go back to sleep, but it only gets us another half an hour. I have no advice because we're still working through it, but I feel you! I'm so tired right now, especially since they're still waking twice at night to feed (midnight and 3). I can't wait until they either sleep straight until 5:30 or go back to sleeping until 7/7:30.

 

Yup - us too! It must be the stage! We actually put their mobiles on and sometimes it will put them back to sleep. We try to leave them in their cribs as long as possible. Even if the mobiles don't put them to sleep - it seems to keep them in the cribs longer. We're able to keep them in usually until about 6:30. looking forward to this stage ending and them sleeping until at least 7am!

 

Some kids just wake up early. We struggled with it for years (literally), and then just threw in the towel.
I would actually try an early nap time to make sure that they are good and tired and bedtime. I wouldn't push back bedtime as sleep begets sleep at this age.

 

We too go through stages where they wake up earlier but it usually passes quite quickly (hopefully it will be the same for you)! Also, if they are awake but content as you suggest, then there's nothing wrong with going in to get them later - I often do the same thing! So long as they're not screaming or crying then there's nothing wrong with letting them "chat" for an hour or so while you continue to snooze. We went to two naps at around this age so it may be that they're ready for that. When mine transitioned to the two naps scenario it took a little while for those naps to consolidate and lengthen. They also sometimes needed a little half hour catnap in the evening for the first few weeks. They may also need a slightly earlier bedtime. I definitely agree with Meaghan's advice not to put them down later because that won't make them sleep in later. Good luck!!

 

I have no advice either - my girls are not great night sleepers yet and I can't read enough posts (or books or websites) on getting infants to sleep...! So I feel your pain! (My girls are just over 7 months).

The little ladies get up anytime after 5am and we usually let them talk and roll around in the cribs until 6am. My husband, when it's his night "on duty" just lets them go if they wake up anytime after 4:45am. I will rush in at the first sounds (especially of my Gabby, who is a better sleeper in general but usually wakes up first) and pop that binky back in. This morning it bought us another hour of sleep.

They do take 2 naps at daycare - and usually get around 3 hours of sleep during the day - but we also let them take a "catnap" at 5pm when they get home. They just seem very tired, crabby and maxxed out. I hate the idea of forcing them to stay awake. But I am now being told by my sister-in-law that letting them take that extra 30 - 45 minute "catnap" at 5pm is the reason why they aren't great night sleepers. I guess it's possible? Is 3.5 or 4 hours of daytime sleep too much for 7 month olds?

 

Our guys are not great sleepers either. For awhile, we have been struggling with the two versus three naps. We have finally settled down to two in about the last two weeks. Some days they only nap a total of two hours - other days, it is 3 hours, but that is about it. They go to bed around 7 or 7:15, and are up no later than 6:15 (some morning is it more like 5am). I've heard other people talk about their kids napping 4 hours a day and sleeping 12 hours at night, but ours just don't. I think each kid is different and you have to do what is right for you.

I'm wondering, what time are they going to bed? Maybe you could skip the catnap and put them to bed earlier? Ours used to catnap from 4-4:30 a lot of days, and then not go to bed until 8pm. When they got a bit older and could stay awake longer, they were able to skip the catnap and go to bed around 7 or 7:15. That has really seemed to help, but they have to reach a point of being ready for it. For us, it was around 8.5 months.

 

At 7 months my boys started to move towards 2 naps. They also took that late day cat nap and it was the worst every time. I was so happy when they stopped that. Once they went to 2 naps (one around 9:45 and the second around 2:30) it was much better. So they wake up from their 2nd nap anywhere between 3 and 4pm. They nap in total around 2 or 2.5 hours a day and then about 11 hours at night (they go to bed around 7 and wake fully around 6). We have a nanny though, your LOs may need that extra cat nap if they are more tired from day care. Just a thought.

 

We don't put them to bed until 7:45 or 8:00 most nights. The catnap is usually around 5pm after they get home. The other naps are earlier - no later than 9am and then no later than 1pm for the other 2 naps. I am not opposed to putting them down sooner... We could give it a shot... I'm just worried they will be complete Crankypants if we don't give them that catnap.

We WERE doing better at night about a month ago - still not fantastic but progress - when we asked daycare to limit their naps to 90 minutes each. They seemed to be sleeping better at night. Then we went for their 6 month check-up and the doctor said to try and get them on 2 naps, not 3. (At this point the evening catnap was more like an hour). So we thought, OK, we'll let them sleep 2 hours for each nap and then they should drop that 3rd nap. Nope! They had their own ideas.

At this point I just figure they might grow out of that last nap. We are also giving them 4 bottles a day - 6am, 11am, 3pm and 6:15pm... Once they are on just 3 a day to coincide with breakfast/lunch/dinner I feel like we'll have some more flexibility. Maybe they will start staying up longer in between the naps too, like your little ones. We'll know when they are ready for it... I hope?

 

Just curious - how old were they when they went to the 2 naps? And dropped the catnap?

 

That sounds a lot like what we had going on....you will probably know when they are getting ready to drop that catnap. Ours went from being very cranky and obviously sleepy to playing and just getting through that time without acting sleepy. Some days they would need it, some days they wouldn't and now it is gone for good.

Any chance you could get daycare to make their afternoon nap a bit later? It helped us a bit when I pushed the afternoon nap to 1:30pm. They usually sleep until about 2:30, and now they are able to make it to 7 without a catnap. You could also TRY skipping the catnap and putting them to bed earlier and see what happens. It's all trial and error, really, and figuring out what they are ready for and when.

 

I think they were about 7 months old. We really didn't push them to drop it - it just kind of happened. I think as our schedule got more routine, their naps got more routine, and they were able to stay awake closer to 4 hours.

 

This is why I love thus forum. Even if no one can help me get the girls to sleep longer, you've all made me feel better about not being the only one out there!

The girls are still sporadic with the naps but are starting to take two more often than three. I hope eventually the two will become longer so they don't get as cranky. They're still going to bed around seven. If the late afternoon nap is skipped, they sometimes fall asleep by 6:15 or 6:30.

And they woke up at 6:15 this morning!!

 

Yes... before my boys went to 2 consistent naps - they would sometimes go to bed around 6:15 or 6:30. I forgot about that!

Great to hear that they woke up at 6:15! Luke was up at 5:30am ... grrr... but i was able to keep him in his crib until 6:15. Sam slept till 7am... woo hoo!

 

Well, we tried yesterday to not let them sleep between 4:30 and 6:00. I even put them in front of the tv for 45 minutes (I'm SUCH a great Mom). G was passed out in her daddy's arms by 5:45 for 20 minutes, and S fell asleep at 5:55 for 5 minutes. We started the bottle when they were both still sleeping at 6pm! Put them to bed by 7:30pm (they were tiiiiired), and.... Gabby was up from midnight until 1:30am.

We can't win!!!

 

Sounds like they may not be ready to drop that third nap yet. You don't know until you try, though. I would keep trying off and on and eventually they will be ready. If it makes you feel any better, we were up at 5am this morning again - ugh!

 

With my boys - we didn't really push them. We kind of took their cues. Like what happened to you - whenever we tried to force an outcome, it usually backfired.

The thing is - I don't think your LOs are waking early because of that catnap. I don't know why - it just sounds like they are in the early waking phase... nothing to do with the catnap. When my boys had that late catnap - it just meant that they went to bed later - not that they woke earlier.

How old are your LOs?

 

The girls are 7 months + 1 week old.

Yesterday they took a 20 mintue catnap on the way home from daycare with Daddy, so slept from about 5 to 5:20 or so. We put them to bed at 7pm because they were so tired. They managed to sleep pretty good (G did her talking-to-myself la-la-la-ing at 3am, but went right back to sleep when I popped her binky back in). S stirred at about 4:30am, G at 4:45, and they never really fell back to sleep. Maybe for 20 mintues before 6am.

This is progress, in my book.

They also only took 90 minute AM and 90 minute PM naps at daycare yesterday... so less than 3.5 hours total in daytime sleep.

And as far as the late-catnap-later-bedtime, I feel like that's exactly what is happening. Not sure is has anything to do with the night wakings or the early wake up. I do miss having them at the dinner table with us - when they were taking a 60 minute nap at 5pm, we'd have them up until 8pm and they weren't crabby at all. But I know it's not forever -- they'll be dining with us again soon enough! It's worth it to have them sleep soundly for most of the night.

And for now - I don't really mind the early wake-up... I don't love it, but it's WORLDS better than having them wake-up/cry/stir 3 - 6 times EACH over the course of the whole night. I was/am way more concerned about the middle of the night wake ups. Maybe G's 90 minute playtime at midnight on Tuesday night was a fluke? Here's hoping?

 

4:45 or so for us this morning! We kept them in their cribs tho & they maybe slept another 20 minutes or so before we got them up at 6am.

We will keep experimenting. I just responded to another post on this -- they took shorter daytime naps yesterday too, and slept better (although not later).

One of these days....!!!! (I hope).

 

This is TOTALLY progress in my book too!! I'm seeing that these little people are people and they are learning and changing all the time. They need that time to progress, then maybe take steps back, then take steps forward. My boys get better by little increments - which sounds like your LOs. I would keep doing what you are doing - don't think too hard about what you think they "should" be doing. There is no definite should in my book - just a rough guide. They'll get there. I think that little catnap is good for them - and even going to bed at 8pm is not that late. They sound like they are doing great!! Congrats.