4:00 AM.....Really?!?!

[RiverandJulie]

So, my 7mo has been an early riser since he started having a nitetime schedule a few months ago. Usually 5 AM. I am not an early riser and have been trying to get him to sleep a little later. (not working great, but have been getting him to sleep until 6 some days)

But the last 2 mornings he has been up at 4:00 AM. Yesterday, we fed him, walked him for over an hour before he went back to sleep. THis morning, we walked him, fed him, at 5, he fell asleep in my arms and woke up 5 minutes after I put him down. DH gave up and got up with him. Its 9am and he is still awake. He would normally have had one nap and be going down for a 2nd by now (if he was up at 5)

I cant do 4am. Dad and I are going crazy, grumpy, tired. LO is tired at 4, but wont let us sit, rock, hold him anyway exept on our shoulder, walking around.
ANy suggestions.
He sleeps with us, and we have to work to keep him up until 7pm at nite.
And FYI: naps have always been short and all over the place (but that is a different question)

[Tellera]

DS was a notoriously early riser as an infant, 5ish usually, 6 if we were lucky (at 4 he still will wake at 5:30 some mornings, usually weekends WHY?!?!!).

He went through a phase around 8 or 9 months where 4am was the new 5am. I about lost my mind. It lasted maybe 3 weeks before he went back to 5am. I can't help you with advice, because unfortunately I can't remember if we did anything to help it back to 5 or if he just got over the 4am waking on his own. But, I can commiserate, because it SUCKED. I hope it is simply a milestone issue with your LO, and that he goes back to later for you soon.

Hmmm... Have you tried putting him to bed at 6:30 instead of 7? Some little ones need to go to sleep a bit earlier, 6:30 might beget more sleep for you in the morning. As they start going from 3 to 2 naps (which is around 6 - 8 month generally I think), sometimes they need to go down to sleep a bit earlier to make up for the "lost" third nap. I know you are also having nap issues, too, though. oy.