sleep issues

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2003
sleep issues
3
Mon, 09-19-2005 - 8:35am

Jacob will be 1 next month and has been waking up between 5:20 and 5:45 everyday for a month. I have tried putting him to bed earlier and later.(normal bedtime is about 7:30) Still gets up at the same time. I have a white noise machine in his room and I have let him cry it out (but he will just cry until we get him even if it is an hour). He goes to bed pretty easily. Just needs to be rocked. He takes a good afternoon nap (2 hours), but is very inconsistent with morning naps. How can I get him to sleep longer? Any suggestions would be appreciated. My DD was and still is a champion sleeper, so this is new to me.

Thanks
Sonya

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
In reply to: saggzz
Mon, 09-19-2005 - 10:18am

If this has only been going on for a month, and he consistently slept longer before that, then the obvious question is: What changed a month ago?

Has the light changed? Did you remove a tree from in front of his window, change the windows or dressings?

How about noise level? Has that changed? Do a million school buses drive by your house at 5:30am?

Has there been a change in routine or stess level? That will often impact sleep.

If you can identify the cause, you can hopefully remove or address it.

Also, will rocking him at 5:30 send him back to sleep for a couple of hours?

Have a think and let us know,

Thanks,

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2003
In reply to: saggzz
Mon, 09-19-2005 - 11:27am
Paula, the only thing that has really changed is I went back to work (I'm a teacher).
I don't get up for work til about 6:00 and our rooms are far enough apart that I don't think he can hear me. Jacob has never really slept in. He used to get up around 6:45 or 7:00 which was fine. But there are no buses on our street (we live on a private drive), the light hasn't changed, and today I rocked him back to sleep and he slept til 6:20. Over the weekend, he slept til 7:20 one morning, but other than that he gets up early like clockwork. And since I have to go to work, I don't know how to reduce that as a stressor. Please help.
Thanks
Sonya
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
In reply to: saggzz
Mon, 09-19-2005 - 3:45pm

Sonya,

Try blackout shades in his room. if he is sleeping less easily the morning light may be waking him more readily. Blackout shades helped my DD sleep longer in the morning.

If your return to work is indeed the stressor, then of course you can't remove it, but you may be able to reduce his stress.

Maybe (and I'm usually a working mom, so I know this isn't easy) you can increase your 1-on-1 time with him in the evenings before bed by about 10 minutes. Are there any special activities you gave up recently, that he misses? Adding one of them back in may make him feel more secure.

Good luck and I HTH

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com