How do I get her to sleep past 6am?

I had problems with DD and her sleep, but it has all been fixed for the last few months or so. She goes down without a fuss and has her 2 sleeps for the day...no worries.

However latley she has decided that she wants to wake up at 5:30, or 5:50 every morning :doh:. And she wont go back to sleep. Previously she had been sleeping till about 6:15-6:30 which I could handle.

I have tried evrything to get her to sleep just that little bit longer, putting her to bed later (she wakes up earlier!!!!), going into her room and patting her bum to try and get her to settle, holding her hand (she likes this), taking her out of the cot and laying her on me, on the lounge (she used to dose on me, but this no longer works :wall:). She just wants to get up and party.

Some suggestiong please as I have terrible thoughts of her getting up at 4:30 and refusing to go back to sleep (daylight saving is going to start soon), and I'm heading back to work in a couple of weeks.

Rather than muck about with her night sleep, what about cutting one of the day sleeps back a bit? Not sure if it will make her sleep longer at night or just want to go to bed earlier at night - you can only try. Sounds like she is needing less sleep, which is all part of their normal development.

I've got no advice for you, but wanted to let you know I am going through the exact same thing. DD used to wake up between 7-30 and 8-00, so its anywhere between 5-30 and 6-00! I'm also very nervous about changing back to non-daylight savings time!

I had the same thing with DD - up (for the day) at between 4-5am for about two months.

TBH, I didn't really try anything to stop her - I think I was just too tired to think straight and kind of just went with the flow.

She gradually slept in longer and longer. Now she sleeps until about 8.15.

So sorry I can't offer you more suggestions, in DD's case it just seemed to be a phase that she grew out of.

But cutting back on her day sleep sounds worth a shot though I know how difficult that is to do because if you've been up very early, you really want them to sleep as long as possible durinng the day.

Cameron went through a similar phase at about 7 months too - its probably a very common phase they go through- he would wake usually at 4.55am on the dot :doh:.

Most of the time he would just talk in his cot (in his own room) or 'dance' with his teddy bear and seahorse. Sometimes if he cried I would go in and turn his musical mobile (where the animals turn around) and this seemed to amuse him for 30-45mins.

When he learnt to stand (approx 8 months)- i would then go in - lie him back down, turn on his mobile and walk out (no eye contact or talking) The mobile usually amused him. Basically I tried not to give in and interact with him too much - (but sometimes I just had too if he got upset). Eventually I think he got the message and started to sleep through til 6.15am(ish) and has done so for the last 6 or 7 weeks with the exception of the odd morning like today where he was up and playing from 4.30am - argh!!! :wall: - nothing would settle him - those stupid teeth .

I am hoping this was a one off - as I too am due to go back to work in a few weeks and cannot imagine how I'll cope on a few hours sleep (especially when I work in a bank - can you imagine the customer complaints when things aren't done on time or right :rolleyes:).

Hope its just a phase for you too :pray: and it all settles soon

Thanks ladies for your advise. I'm going to try and see how longs she lasts tomorrow morning before she gets tired before putting her down. I have (lately) been watching the clock and putting her down when I knew she was due for a sleep (even before she showed tired signs). I figured if she didn't need to sleep, she would fight it, but no. Goes down like a dream (takes less then 5 mintues...I'm not kidding!!).

Wish me luck.

Keep her room as dark as possible. Let her wake up and don't rush to assist her (if she is not distressed) she may just learn to go back to sleep for you.

If she is up and ready to party go back into her room and place her back down and walk out. Try not to entertain her iykwim.

I usually find that these early wakings are just a phase if bub has normally slept to a later time, they'll go back to that routine after a short period of time. Your bub might be going through some sort of developmental stage too. Once the stage is over she'll revert back to normal times etc.

Well yesterday she got up at 6:15, and this morning 6:30. Woo Hoo! Not sure if it will be a good ie late) morning tomorrow as she went down fairly late tonight (Had a firends birthday dinner and then she got the hiccups as we were putting them down and she couldn't sleep till they finished).

Have kept her up just that little bit later in the monring, and slowly getting her to set her internal clock later to account for daylight saving ending (starting early I know, but if I can get halfway there before it hits, starting work will be easier).

Hope this trend continues. Thanks again ladies for your help