10 mo. DS started waking an hour earlier! Help!

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 30 2009 Posts: 4638

My 10 month old son started waking up at 6am for the past 3 days. He used to wake up at 7. and then all of a sudden....

Before this he would occasionally wake up earlier, but it was usually after a day where he took much longer naps or went to bed a little earlier.

Now for no apparent reason, he is up and ready to start the day at 6. I usually just put him on the floor of my room and he crawls around, and brings us things he finds. but I am still pretty sleep deprived and starting to feel it.

We were planning to start sleep training of sorts. Not CIO, but using other methods. Right now he wakes to feed 2x a night in addition to a 10:00 dream feed. (So 3 feeds when he is sleeping) I usually end up keeping him in my bed with me after the second feed (~4am) and occasionally after the first one (~1am). We both end up falling asleep as I feed him and I am to tired to put him back in bed. In the day he goes 4 hours between feedings... but at night its generally every 3 hours and has been this way since he was born basically. Very occasionally he will sleep through one of the night feeds.

I was thinking of first making an effort to get him back into his crib after night feeds. maybe just feed him on the couch so I dont totally fall back to sleep. Then once he does that I wanted to try and wean him off night feeds... but then I see other studies/beliefs that say night feeds are normal enough till a year. I was going to push off feeding him (by giving a paci) an additional 15-30 minutes every few nights.

Any ideas or experience to share?
Thank you.
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I really think that at this age they can sleep through the night without feeding! At a certain point the dreamfeed just messes up their sleep cycles and they don't sleep well the rest of the night. Maybe try skipping that, it could be he'll only wake up once?
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Mommy to
DS1--born Dec. 10, 2009 (Erev Chanukah)
DS2--born Sept. 5, 2011 (6 Elul)

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 30 2009 Posts: 4638

well if I dont do a dream feed by 10:30 he usually starts crying.

My plan was to start dream feeding him 15-30 minutes earlier every couple days till it gets to his pre-bedtime feed. and to push off his 4am feed 15-30 minutes every few days till we got to his 7am feed (old wake up time.) and to put him into his crib after all feedings.

but now I need help with this 6am wake up. I am so tired I wont be able to manage the rest of the feeding weaning....

thanks!!

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 30 2009 Posts: 4638

Also I am a bit concerned about making sure that he takes enough in the day to make up for his night feeds. After all he eats 4x in the day (7am, 11am, 3:30/4pm, 7/7:30pm) and 3x at night (10pm, 1am, 4am). that means almost half his milk intake is at night!!

How do I make sure he has enough? Esp since I'm mostly breastfeeding so I cant see exactly how much he gets. (His 11am and 3:30 pm are bottles of pumped milk since I am working then. I pump right before I go to work at 8:15 or so, again at 1pm and after his 10pm dream feed) He also eats solids at 8:30am, 1pm and 6pm. but sometimes its only a few bites and sometimes he can polish off a 4oz yogurt. depends on his mood mostly I find.

Gold Member Joined: Oct 09 2011 Posts: 1068

try giving him a bottle of water (with a bit of sugar if he won't take just water) before he goes to bed at night. (but make sure it's not instead of a meal) this can help him sleep through the night.

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 30 2009 Posts: 4638

He usually nurses within the half hour before going to bed. nurse, diaper, pj, book, songs, rock, bed. so he prob wouldnt take a water bottle then. I was thinking of giving him a water bottle by his night feeds... but then after some more research wasnt sure if that was a good idea cause it will still make him need/want a full tummy in the middle of the night.

Anyone have any experience with that?

Thanks so much!!

When my baby was that age I put him out of my room. I nursed hin in his room at night and put him right back to bed. It took 3 nights and he started sleeping through the night. I think he woke only cuz he felt me near him. But b"h he never woke so early in the morning...

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 30 2009 Posts: 4638

So he has been out of my room since he was 6 months- except for the end of the night when he is in my bed.

But you think that just making sure he is in his crib after feedings should be enough? (Or at least that was your experience?) I hope that it will be that simple for me!!!

Imy"h tonight and for the rest of the week I will feed him on the couch (its in his room) and he will go back to his crib... and Ill take it from there....

Platinum Member Joined: Feb 20 2009 Posts: 7635

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 30 2009 Posts: 4638

Thanks.

Well our room is pretty dark (which is where he is when he wakes up at 6:00) his room isnt as dark and the windows are on the street. We have dark curtains, but his room has 5 windows and light still gets in between cracks. we also have a black out curtain by his bed (his crib is in a lil alcove in our living room thats sectioned off with a good curtain) I used to close it but he would be more upset when he woke up - I think it was scaring him to see pitch black and he was happier seeing the room and knowing where he was. so I leave it tied open to the side these days.

I should talk to the dr first I guess. that does make sense Smile

One thing I dont need to talk to him about is putting the baby back to bed after feedings. that going to (im"h) become standard around here. I hope. In any case that is the first step.

I also put two books on hold, maybe they will have more/better ideas for me. No-cry and sleep easy. hope they help too.

and I sure hope this is a phase that he grows out of... and fast!!

Platinum Member Joined: Feb 20 2009 Posts: 7635

I put black heavy duty garbage bags over ds's windows. I have a sound machine that gives off some light, so its not pitch dark. But he started sleeping later, I really think the early summer sun was waking him.

It might also be related to sleeping in your bed. If he wakes up too early in the crib, he cam put himself back to sleep. But when he wakes up in your bed, he could be too stimulated to fall back asleep.

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 30 2009 Posts: 4638

Ok so yesterday he did not have a good second nap and was very tired. went to bed regular time and when he woke up (at 3:00 and 5:15 instead of his usual 1ish and 4ish) I fed him on the couch and put him back in his crib. and he slept till 7:15. and when he woke up he was playing nicely in the crib.im not sure if that was due to his lack of a nap yesterday, or what- but hoping we wont hear him till 7 tomorrow too. I went in after 15 minutes cause I didnt want him to start crying and think he needs to cry in order for us to come in the morning. this way even if he DOES wake up early he will play for a bit first.

Also now that I was up and aware the whole time he was nursing I see that he nurses 15 minutes a feeding at night (during the day its usually 5 MAYBE 10 when hes starving.) If it continues to be 15 minutes for the next few days then I may be able to do weaning by nursing for 13 minutes a couple nights, then 11, then 9 etc. this way he will start taking more calories in the day and my body will have some time to slowly build up the supply. INstead of him being hungry for a few days.

Thanks so much for the tips. I hope the 6am thing is over for now...

And if anyone has any other tips or ideas for weaning off the night feeds/sleep training please let me know Smile

Diamond Member Joined: May 20 2007 Posts: 2838

We taught our son to stop nursing at night one feed at a time. I say we but really DH because when DS saw me he associated me with nursing. DH gave him a bottle of water, then sat in the room until he fell asleep. He stopped waking up for that feed in a day or two when he learned to eat more at other feeds. Then we moved to the 2 am feed and did the same thing. Then I pushed off the 5 am feed to 6 am and he started waking up at 6 each morning Sad

he was hungry. At my MIL's suggestion we started giving him a bottle of milk at 6 and he fell back asleep. I was conflicted about that though. He's 4 now and still wakes up at 6, 6:30 ready for breakfast.