Okay, my breastfed, solid food eating 9 month old is constantly changing her sleep schedule. She usually goes to bed by 9:00 at night (sometimes earlier, sometimes later). Lately she has been waking up at 6:30 a.m. ready to start the day, but is super tired again by 8:00 a.m. Has anyone else had this problem? What should I do? It seems like 8:00 is too early for a morning nap. Any suggestions?
2007-03-08 00:38:41 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Honestly, it sounds like she may be going to sleep too late. I cannot tell you how many parents I've spoken with who have found that moving the baby's bedtime up went a long way in solving various sleep issues. Often those issues have to do with going to sleep in the first place and/or sleeping through the night, but I've also seen it "work" with morning fatigue and naps. It sounds like she's not rested enough in the mornings -- which makes sense because 9 1/2 hours of sleep overnight is really on the low side for a baby of that age. What is bedtime like? How easy/difficult is it for you to get her to go to sleep? What's the routine like?
One of the better known "sleep" people when it comes to babies, Marc Weisbluth, recommends that young babies have awake periods of no longer than 2 hours before naps. While that changes, of course, as the baby gets older, it's not uncommon to see sleep signals from your baby pretty soon after they wake up, and/or for a baby to go just two hours before a morning nap.
My twins are 14 months (one year corrected, so either way you look at it, a few months older than your daughter) and still are at their best if they go down for their morning nap between 2 and 3 hours of waking. (They're probably best off going down 2 hours after waking, but admittedly I'm not always on the ball and ready until a bit after that.)
Anyway, it sounds like your daughter's 6:30am wakeup is premature on her part, as if she's not really ready to get up, if she's ready to nap again within one and a half hours. Honestly, I would examine the bedtime routine and schedule and consider moving that up. Whatever you do, give it a week to work before moving on to something else.
If you haven't looked at it, lots of moms I know are particularly happy with Weisbluth's book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." I've only read parts of it, and what I do know of it I know largely through word of mouth, but I've found that the ideas of "sleep begets sleep," earlier bedtimes to improve overall sleeping, the "window" of awake time that babies do best with, and the interconnectedness of napping and overnight sleeping to be extremely helpful and, usually, right on the money. You might want to check out the book.
(Incidentally, my twins usually go down for their morning nap between 9 and 10 -- and 9 is better. By 10 they may be overtired, and since babies are not even remotely naturally gifted at the arts of falling asleep and staying that way, a later naptime is usually disastrous.)
Sleep issues are so awful -- I hope you find a solution soon. Good luck to you!
2007-03-08 01:40:41 · answer #1 · answered by ljb 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My son did the same thing. I made sure his room was especially dark and when he woke up at 5:30, I would go in and sing to him so that he fell right back to sleep. I did this for about a week and he began to sleep right through the time and waking up at 8:00 instead. It was fantastic. Sometimes its just the routine they crave. Good luck
2007-03-08 08:48:07 · answer #2 · answered by mylittlebubs1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My twins wake up at 6 am and are tired by 8. I keep them up until at least until 10 so that when I pick my daughter up from preschool they can take a small nap during the ride, come home and get lunch and take their afternoon nap around noon.
2007-03-08 08:46:09 · answer #3 · answered by zinntwinnies 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it is perfectly okay- you have to remember that during the first year of life- things will change SOOOOO much that there really is not a "normal" schedule per say-plus they are growing at such a rapid rate that their needs for sleep and food change at different times- go with the flow- it will change again soon! Good luck, and Happy parenting!
2007-03-08 08:50:23 · answer #4 · answered by Mommy of Two 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My baby used to wake up at 2a and 4a and go back for a nap at 8a. I would always have to get up and get her a bottle, which made it very difficult since our kitchen is all the way downstares. I agree, 8am is too early for a nap, so I changed her routine around. I put her to bed around 9:30p instead of 8p. As for her waking up at 2 and 4a, I would play music and give her pacifier to her. And if that doesn't work, I grab her and have her sleep next to me, which always works. Now, she sleeps right through the night. To help her wake up at 8a, I would put my alarm on and that would trigger her to wake up, now I don't need my alarm, she wakes up right on the dot. and is having her nap around 9:30a. Hope that helps.
2007-03-11 16:37:33 · answer #5 · answered by k 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
honestly unless shes up during the night i would just let her sleep, my son is 1 and is up at around 6am and usually goes back down between 9-10am for a nap.
2007-03-08 08:45:28 · answer #6 · answered by mel_leno 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
how about putting her to bed earlier, this way when she wakes at 6:30am she'll have a little more sleep time behind her, and won't tire as quickly.
2007-03-08 08:49:04 · answer #7 · answered by it's just me 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don tthink that kids really develop a schedule unti lter. I would just let her sleep for now. If want to have a routine then you have to be really consistant all the time.
2007-03-08 10:15:49 · answer #8 · answered by love777 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
your nine month old baby knows what she needs better than you do. Let her make her schedule. Don't worry, in time, it will change.
2007-03-08 08:46:44 · answer #9 · answered by youngnat2004 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋