9 month old waking extra early

Any advice? I'm hoping this is a phase but I'm at a loss.

DS goes to daycare in the building I work in. We have a long drive from Suffolk to Queens every day. We leave at 6am so I was waking him up at 5am every morning. Bedtime is between 7 and 8. He sleeps on the car ride to and from daycare, so about an hour each way. He takes one nap in the middle of the day for about 45 minutes.

Lately, he's decided that between 3:45am and 4:15am is time to wake up I tried to let him CIO but honestly it's not enough time because I HAVE to get him up by 5 anyway and it just results in him being very upset by 5. I've tried fewer naps, extra naps, later bedtime, earlier bedtime, an extra meal before bed...nothing has worked. It's been 2 weeks now.

Any ideas? I'm so exhausted and so is DS.

Re: 9 month old waking extra early

7-5 or 8-5 doesn't seem like enough time for a 9 month old!

When you say you've changed the bed time and nap times, how long did you give it to adjust?

I would try putting him to bed at 6:30 for at least 4 nights and seeing if that works any better.

What's his nap schedule like?

9 month old waking extra early

I would do CIO. WHile he maybe unhappy for a few days he will start to not wake up and go back to the 5am wake.

As for the amount of time that he is alseep 7-5 or 8-5.....I do not see an issue with it. Each babby is different and my DS has always gone to sleep between 830-9 (soemtimes later) and he gets up at 6am. He is now 13 months and only had one nap.

Just like adults need different amounts of sleep so do different babies.

Babies go through things....he could be teething or learnign soemthing new that is causing this new wake time in the middle of the night....I would try CIO because I am sure it is a temporary situation.

9 month old waking extra early

I know, I feel like he should be getting more sleep but he keeps waking early and is terrible with naps.

Because I work FT I can only adjust his naps on the weekend. Daycare has a very hard time getting him to nap just once so it's hard for me to tell them he has to nap at a specific time, KWIM? I only changed his bed time for 2-3 nights in a row. Maybe I'll try it for longer and see what happens.

He naps from 6am-6:45 (in the car), 11:30-12:15ish, and 5pm-6 (in the car). He used to nap twice at daycare but he stopped right around the time this waking up early stuff started. Ugh.

Re: 9 month old waking extra early

It definitely makes it extra hard since you have to leave the house so early. I would try the earlier bedtime paired with CIO for the morning for at least 4 nights and see if that works. He's getting little catnaps in the car, so that's good... hopefully the better night schedule will allow him to have at least ONE solid nap at daycare!

Did they say why they're having a hard time getting him to nap? How long has he been at that daycare? Is it a center or home-based?

My 1st started daycare at 8.5 months in a center and it definitely took some adjustment! At 12 months they moved his class and he started taking just 1 nap and it was fine... (all of the kids napped at the same time). We're on our 3rd daycare now (because we have moved.. not because of anything with the daycares) and he has done really well with one set nap time (when all kids nap). Although he's 3 now and doesn't nap anymore

ETA:

My twins are 11 months and are on totally different schedules than my 1st was. I can't see them dropping to 1 nap soon! They are home with an au pair though, but have a set schedule that they do really well with. What works for them is:

5 or 6 am (depending on day, some days I have to be at work at 7, others is 8) - BF and back to bed
10 - wake up for day (yup! can you believe it? my first wakes up at 630 or 7 latest!!! bottle of BM
11 - breakfast
12-2 - nap
2 - bottle of BM
3 - lunch
4-6 - nap
6 - BF
6:30 or 7 - dinner
7:45 - BF (usually just a short feed)
8 - bed

Message edited 1/29/2013 12:10:52 PM.

9 month old waking extra early

DS has been at the same daycare center since he was 12 weeks old lol. He's always fought naps unfortunately. That's why I'm ok with him sleeping in the car as much as he does. Just so he can nap a bit more. I'll try an earlier bed time and CIO. I will be able to leave work earlier starting next week so hopefully that will help too. Thanks so much, ladies!

Re: 9 month old waking extra early

i would try your hardest to let him cio if he is not sick or needs something i know so much easier said than done