*Sigh*
Cruz is doing weird things. I’m tired of him doing weird things because it’s difficult to keep track, keep count and keep UP.
Cruz has decided that he only needs 10 hours of sleep at night, instead of the usually 11.5-12 that he has been doing up until now. Not a big deal, right?
Well, when you put your baby to bed at 7:30 pm expecting him to sleep until at least 6:30 am, it’s a rude awakening to hear him babbling in his crib, ready for the day… at 5:00 am.
Now, I realize that I am blessed. Cruz is and always has been a champion sleeper. With the exception of a few naps, he’s mostly always slept well and has been sleeping through the night since he was 6 weeks old. I am spoiled. Along with being spoiled, I am NOT a morning person. I’m learning to be more so, but it’s really hard for me to get up any earlier than 7:30- and that’s a big stretch.
I put him to bed last night at 8:00 pm. And at 5:30 this morning, he was talking and playing in his crib. He never cried, so I left him there to see if he would go back to sleep. He must have. Or I did.
Either way, I woke up at 7:00 am to the same little babbles coming from his room. (aw… he’s so cute) So I’m grateful he let me sleep in, but is it really necessary for him to be up at 5:30 am?? I just don’t think there’s ever a very good reason.
Needless to say, I am not sure how to “trouble shoot” this one. Should I cut out a nap? Maybe. Should he have a later bedtime? Possibly. Is he not eating enough during the day? I don’t see how that’s possible. Should I just get up earlier? Nope.
It’s frustrating when they change their schedules or just suddenly do new things and you have no idea why. It’s even more frustrating to try to figure out how to fix it or not fix it. By the time it fixes itself, he’ll just be doing something else new and confusing.
I think he does it on purpose.
Jess,
You may want to try the four hour schedule. According to the Baby Whisperer, when we try to keep our babies on a three, three and a half hour schedule at this stage, it usually causes sleep disruptions. Now, I am not saying that this is the case, as it may very well be a small phase he is going through. Also, if he is waking at 5am, and talking to himself, then let him be. Usually, they do talk for a while, even up to an hour, and then fall back asleep. This may happen for a few days or up to a week, but will usually pass.
I would suggest waiting to see if this is just a fleeting phase, and if not, then try the four hour schedule.
I just transitioned Maximilian to the four hour schedule. He is eating better, whereas before, he was snacking just a bit because he wasn’t as hungry as he should have been when I was feeding him too often. Since you’re on a three and a half hour schedule, he should handle the change very seamlessly.
His naps follow a set pattern now, I’ve noticed. I read in Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child that at this stage, their naps are biologically driven, and less so by wake time.
Maximilian sleeps the same amount of time per nap, at the same time each day, and if there is a half hour to forty minute period before he is scheduled to eat, he does some activities and then he knows it’s time to eat. I haven’t found him to be irritable waiting to eat, which is surprising as he was used to eating as soon as he woke up.
Keep in mind, also that Cruz may be distracted in the morning because he has made some major developmental leaps, and is excited about his newly acquired skills.
Susan
Jess,
Also, I forgot to ask: does he seem really hungry at 7am?
I would not put him to bed later, as that wouldn’t change anything other than keep him up later than he should be. I would keep his bedtime the same.
If it is a hunger issue, I may have some really good suggestions.
Susan
Thanks so much for all your advice Susan! No, he’s not overly hungry at 7:00. He’s hungry, but not ravenous. He’ll just talk in there until about 7:00… Never crying or fussing. Yes, I think I am going to transition him to a 4 hour soon… He’s on a 3.5 right now- I kept him up for 2 hours today and he only slept for 1.5. So that was 3.5 hours for his first cycle of the day. He usually does 4 in the afternoon, so I guess we are still doing a combo schedule… Hmm… It’s hard to tell, isn’t it? They just like to keep us on our toes!
Thanks for all your suggestions! I will look at each one for sure!
My son usually sleeps 1.5 hours in the morning, and then 2.5 in the afternoon, and sometimes a third catnap, depending how the other two naps went. He didn’t start sleeping through to his next feeding until a few days later, once his body adjusted to the four hour schedule. If he wakes early from his nap, I will wait until it is time to feed him, even if it’s a little while. He won’t always sleep until the next cycle, but that’s okay, really. Just give him some tummy time or preoccupy him with activities.
If you try the four hour schedule, give it a few days. I noticed that it took a few days for everything to fall into place.
And, of course, let me know how it goes. If he isn’t ravenous in the morning, this only further proves that he is not waking from hunger, but from being anxious to explore, etc.
Good point! I should definitely let him hang out for a little bit before it’s time to eat. I actually haven’t tried that, but I am going to! Too funny that they wake up early to explore! I was fearful that he was getting enough sleep and just ready for the day at 5:30 am! That is not a time that I should ever see haha! Thanks for all your input!
I think you did right by just letting him snooze or play by himself in his crib. If he is content, there is no reason to get up. I really think it teaches them a little independence.
I agree Carrie! He seemed fine, so I just left him there… Hopefully he’ll catch on that 5:30 is NOT time to get up!