Hi all,
My 71/2 month old daughter has recently started waking between 4:30 and 5:15 am crying. She used to wake between 6am and 6:30. My husband and I would like for her to eat no earlier than 6am. For the past few days when this happens we've been checking the TV monitor to be sure that there isn't anything that we need to attend to and then just ignoring her until 6am like many books have suggested. In your experience, will this eventually trigger her to not wake until closer to 6am?
Any ideas or suggestions out there?
She is mild tempered, has fine naps throughout the day and goes to bed easily between 6:45 and 7pm. She has not cut a tooth yet.
Thanks all,
T.
I would go in there when she wakes up and give her a bottle. Put her back to bed and she might even sleep late for you. My son wakes up anywhere from 5:30-6:45AM sometimes and if he does, i give him a bottle and he'll go back to bed until 8:00. Even if she's waking up at 4:30, if she's going to bed at 7 that is still technically sleeping through the night.
My baby is the type that after about 9-10 hours of sleep she needs to get up and eat. She has always been that way, so if my baby went to bed at 7pm, she would definately be up at 4am. It's one of the reasons we gave her a later bedtime (10pm), and now that she's older and down to one nap, she will nap exactly 4 hours after she wakes. When she had two naps it varied throughout the day, but when she was 7 months she ony had 2 naps. For us, it wasn't a phase, it's she how she sleeps. If she wakes, fusses/cries but soothes herself and just lays in her crib awake, I would say you're fine. If she cries the whole time before you go in there, I would try pushing her bedtime to 7:30 and see if it helps. Good Luck!
You sound so clinical about your attachment and description to your baby. She's a baby and needs you. Go pick her up and let her cuddle with you. Don't leave her alone for so long. How terribly sad and lonely to be left alone in a crib, being watched through a TV monitor? Please for a normal safe emotional development, please provide some human comfort.
I know I'll get 'this is not the spirit of this website' type of responses for my suggestion above, but I'm telling you exactly how I feel about her being alone for so long in a crib. It's not healthy. She misses you. You get to cuddle with hubby all night.
T., Sounds like you have a delightful baby! You are so blessed to have such a great sleeper. My 8 month old is teething and for 6 weeks I have been up with him every 2-3 hours at night. Many babies and toddlers wake frequently at night, especially while teething or acheiving a new milestone like crawling or walking, so your baby is the exception rather than the rule. I encourage you to meet the needs of your child and go to her when she cries in these early morning hours. She's likely hungry, but she also may have discomfort from teething. Going to her and meeting her needs is very important to help her learn to trust you and form strong bonds with you that will help her in building healthy relationships later. Despite what the books say (and remember they weren't written with your child in mind), parenting is a 24/7 job and is very difficult at times. If you enjoy reading books about parenting and child development, I highly encourage you to read books by Dr. Robert Sears and Martha Sears, RN. He's raised 8 or 9 kids and he gets it! Plus, he's a pediatrician so he has a wealth of medical knowledge too. Please keep in mind that your baby will go through many phases in her sleeping habits. About the time you think you have it figured out, it will change. Please don't be afraid to listen to your instincts and comfort your child when needed. Best wishes! R., Happily married midwife mom of 3 very different little ones.
She's a growing girl and just needs more to eat. Most parents would love if their 7.5 month old slept from 7 pm until 5 am without waking. Give her a bottle then put her back down, she'll fall back to sleep.
Is she on solids? Make sure she eats something solid soon before bedtime.
If she goes to bed by 7, isn't it alot to expect her to stay asleep until 6 am? That is eleven hours! I think you should try and keep her up abit later at night, then she might sleep in for you. Good Luck!!!
Babies often go through growth spurts and need to eat more frequently during these times. Please see Dr. Brazelton's books on this or I would also suggest Dr. Sears. For a 7 1/2 month old, it seems she is going to bed really early and is now getting up earlier because she is hungry. This is natural. If you want to sleep in, you might need to start getting her used to a later bedtime.
Maybe push her bedtime back a little?
My kids do this on and off all the time (I hate it!). However, I set my coffee pot to start early in the morning, drag myself out of bed, get my child, plop my self in front of TV and start sipping on my coffee. Then I'm awake and ready to go! These stages come and go. My son will do it for a few weeks and then will go back to normal time for a few months.
Good luck! You will get sleep at one time or another (maybe when your kids are grown?) :-)
I think you are doing the right thing. As long as she doesn't need anything and can soothe herself. My son did this, and it was just a phase. If nothing else, he learned to entertain himself until it was really time to get up.
Babies at this age(and I think it goes on until 2yrs or so) have a built in appestat-they won't cry for food for reasons other than hunger. So, I would worry too much about the frequency of feedings, babies pretty much run on sheer instinct at this age and do what their bodies tell them. That being said, I agree that as long as she's not melting down for more than a couple of minutes, it is fine to let her be in her crib. Not crying at all, even better. Some books say different things, but most of them suggest teaching babies to 'self soothe' in exactly the manner you are describing. I did the same with my son, and my 7 mo. daughter, and I am beyond pleased to say, they are both good sleepers, my 3.5 yr old son wakes to use the potty and goes right back to bed!
From my experience as a mother of 3 I think you can be consistent to let her stay in the bed until you're ready for her to get up. It may be a phase because of teething or just new growth spurts.
My 6 month old has been doing the same thing, waking herself up lately because she's rolling around in the middle of the night, when she used to only laying on her stomach to sleep. Last night I found her fussing and lying on her back, turned her back over and she was just fine.
It could also be that you could keep her up a little later, maybe to 7:30 or 8 and see if that would keep her asleep longer.
I hate to say that it's kind of an experiment to see what works, but it is! :) Hope you're able to get it worked out smoothly and quickly!
