Baby wakes up very whiny -- please tell me this is just a phase

[P.J.]

DS is almost 6 months old. For the last few weeks he's been waking up very whiny every morning (we cosleep), regardless of how he slept the night before. Some nights he sleeps through, others (like last night) he'll be up 1-6 times. Either way in the morning he is incredibly whiny. This is right in that transition when he's still lying in bed and sort of half asleep. Nursing does not help, and occasionally it erupts into full-on crying. As soon as he wakes up fully he is all smiley and fine, and he used to wake up happy every day before this started. I try to turn on the light as soon as I realize we're not going back to sleep, and I try to gently rouse him enough that he stops whining, but it usually takes awhile. I could just pick him up and bring him in the other room to change the mood, but I really enjoy laying around in bed with him for awhile after we wake up.

Has anyone else been through this with your baby? Why do you think they whine like that? In our case, DS is not in pain or anything, because as soon as he's fully awake he's happy again. FWIW he just got his first teeth (although this started after the first tooth came in) and is on the verge of crawling. I am hoping to hear this, like everything, is just a phase that will pass soon enough. I really hope it's not a personality thing that he'll have for life -- some people are just grumps when they first wake up, kwim?

[2lilsweetfoxes]

Does he wake on his own or is he awoken by something (sunlight, people moving about and making noise, etc.)?  I find when my DC are woken up, they are grumpier than if they wake on their own.  Especially if the people moving about and making noise coincides with a period of lighter sleep on the sleep cycle.  (I get up at 5 am for work, so...  I ended up solving it by putting them in their own rooms--well DD1 (9) has her own room and DS (7) and DD2 (19 months) share, which DD2 often wakes when I go get DS up for school just before I walk out the door for work.  Sometimes she's bouncy and happy, others she's grumpy and needs her bottle and cuddle.)

[CherryBombMama]

are you sure he isnt cold? my 19m old ds complains/whines (he doesnt speak in sentences yet) all through the night if he is cold, then he wakes up mad as can be, then soon after he is awake and happy. its almost like he is saying, "ugh! dont you think i would like some blankets?! oh, its morning? lets play!" lol. sometimes, since im half asleep too, i dont realize that he is whinning until he wakes up, sometimes i cover him and everything is better!

[P.J.]

He always wakes up on his own. In fact, I often wish he (and I) could sleep a little later lol.

Huh, maybe he is cold. I leave the heat on, but lowered at night, but it does get a bit chilly. I share my blankets with him but in being cautious not to cover his head, plus him moving around (especially as he awakens), he often has little to no blankie coverage by morning. I'll try to remedy that.

Thanks for the replies!