https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:34:38 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/early-morning-feeds-sleeping#post-2708206 Thu, 09 Mar 2017 22:29:13 +0000 Goldengirl 2708206@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: Thanks! Yah I was doing some math looking at the times, and I think if I didn't count that as a nap, it would mean he's on more of a 6 month+ typical schedule... i.e. more nighttime sleep, less napping. So I'm thinking it is a nap. But you're totally right, it makes no difference really. I think I'm just trying to figure out if it's lights on/silly time, or lights out/quiet/please go back to bed asap time. Lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/early-morning-feeds-sleeping#post-2708016 Thu, 09 Mar 2017 16:17:17 +0000 daniellemybelle 2708016@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think you could honestly handle it either way based on your preference - if he is getting the same amount of sleep total in 24 hours, it's all good :) </p> <p>But to echo what others have said, I would treat everything in a 12 hour period as "nighttime" because #1 it will probably mean more/better sleep for you, and also the hope is that eventually he will drop feedings and sleep 12 hours straight, though I'm not saying you should bank on that soon!</p> <p>So if he's going down at 8:30pm, I would treat anything before 8:30am as a MOTN wake-up personally. </p> <p>Having said that, like others have ALSO said, the first morning wake time is always going to be the shortest and morning naps are supposed to be the most "restorative." So making it a nap would be fine too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/early-morning-feeds-sleeping#post-2707988 Thu, 09 Mar 2017 15:19:23 +0000 gingerbebe 2707988@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Regardless of whatever the first waketime was always shortest for my kiddos until 6-7 months when they dropped the third nap. At 4.5 months my kids were awake like 2 hours before going down on average but the first nap could be as early as 90 minutes. 45 minutes is super fast so I feel like it's still MOTN for him and it looks like he's working on a 12 hour internal clock if he's waking up and alert at 815am. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/early-morning-feeds-sleeping#post-2707970 Thu, 09 Mar 2017 14:58:37 +0000 Goldengirl 2707970@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lioneyes: Ah, that's the opposite of the other comments... haha! But yah, that's exactly what I was wondering. When did the awake time before first nap extend for your LO? How old? I do feel like everything I read is so conflicting... half say "the first nap is a couple hours after waking", half say "the first nap happens super quickly." I think everyone is just making it up and babies are a mystery :) Yet I still keep looking for answers, lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/early-morning-feeds-sleeping#post-2707966 Thu, 09 Mar 2017 14:54:13 +0000 lioneyes 2707966@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think 630 is wake up, and then that's a nap right after. At that age, I was told 1.5 hrs is max awake time between wake up and nap #1, and often that awake time is as short as 30 mins.</p> <p>DS would sleep 6-6, wake up for a diaper change and a bottle and a few books, then go back down by 6:45am for his first nap. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/early-morning-feeds-sleeping#post-2707950 Thu, 09 Mar 2017 14:36:20 +0000 Goldengirl 2707950@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@thepicklemonster: He's been going to bed around 8:30/8:45 and has dropped to one MOTN feeding... or so I thought, but now I'm thinking the early feeding is actually MOTN! How old is your LO? That's an amazing stretch and I'd say 11 hours is a full night, depending on age!<br /> @gingerbebe: Everything I've read says at this age, 10 hours nighttime sleep is typical (since there's still about 4-5 hours naps during the day), 14-15 hours total a day. I def don't think he's ready for 12 hours a night. So technically 8:30-6:30 would be the right amount of sleep, but if I include the night wakings (and lately he'll actually be WIDE awake at night sometimes for awhile, ugh) then it's not enough... which is why I've started to think that he's not in fact waking up for the day, even though previously I always had!<br /> @mrsbubbletea: smart! ;)<br /> @Mrs. Pickle: So far I've never really felt like I have control over the start of the day, since he's still so young and we've been going with his cues/needs more than a schedule. When he's awake, there's no stopping him! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/early-morning-feeds-sleeping#post-2707842 Thu, 09 Mar 2017 12:16:43 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 2707842@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When do you want to start your day? From an early age I decided that morning didn't start until 7:30 so anything before then I treated as a MOTN wake up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/early-morning-feeds-sleeping#post-2707840 Thu, 09 Mar 2017 12:13:36 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2707840@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I always tried to count anything as MOTN feed as possible to try to sneak out some more sleep for me and baby! Still do that with my 2yo : ) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/early-morning-feeds-sleeping#post-2707833 Thu, 09 Mar 2017 11:58:29 +0000 DesertDreams88 2707833@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd treat it as a MOTN feed, if you're able to (work-wise etc). </p> <p>Here's why:<br /> - You posted recently that his bedtime is 8:30, so I think his official wake-up time wouldn't be until 7:30 at the earliest.<br /> - 45 minutes of wake time is just too short at that age to be considered truly awake. I think my LO was awake for about 1.5h at a time then? A LITTLE less in the mornings, but not by that much.</p> <p>However you also recently posted about DST and not wanting such a late bedtime, so that might give you an excuse to skip a nap, push a nap, or wake early from a nap for a couple days to achieve more desirable bedtimes/awake times. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/early-morning-feeds-sleeping#post-2707828 Thu, 09 Mar 2017 11:35:46 +0000 gingerbebe 2707828@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think in some other posts you had said that he goes to sleep around 830pm, so in that case, yes I would treat it as a MOTN feed and put him right back down to sleep after feeding (no awake time) until 8:30am (with the goal of 12 hours overnight sleep). But that's assuming you are cool with that bedtime/wake up time. </p> <p>We've always done 730-730 (give or take 30 minutes) with our boys and when they were waking early in the morning for feedings, I'd work to try and extend the sleep depending on when they woke up. </p> <p>If they woke up 2 hours before the desired wake up time (so like 530am), I would give them a smaller feeding (like one breast or half a bottle or whatever) and possibly hold a binkie in their mouth afterwards while snuggling them to get them to doze off until 730am and then they would get another feeding. If they are still hungry after half a feeding and not having it, then obviously we feed them some more.</p> <p>If it was within an hour of the desired waketime (630am), I would see if I could do the snuggle and binkie thing and have them doze off for another 30-60 minutes and then give them the feeding. If they are super hungry and not having it, then I give them a full feeding at 630am and then start the day (since it will be around 7am at that point). Generally they will take a longer morning nap on those days and I can get more or less back on schedule over the course of the day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/early-morning-feeds-sleeping#post-2707814 Thu, 09 Mar 2017 11:18:08 +0000 thepicklemonster 2707814@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Commenting to follow! I have a similar issue. What time does your LO go to bed and does he still have any MOTN feedings? Does he seem ready to start his day at 6:30? </p> <p>My DS goes down by 7:30 pm and sleeps through the night until 6:30. I treat it as the beginning of the day because that's a great night's sleep and he seems super alert and ready to start the day. But he only lasts about an hour before he gets sleepy again. I try to stretch it and put him down at 8. I consider that his first nap. </p> <p>Curious to see what the more experienced mama bees have to say. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/early-morning-feeds-sleeping#post-2707778 Thu, 09 Mar 2017 10:27:44 +0000 Goldengirl 2707778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO often wakes around 6:30AM to feed, and then gets tired pretty quickly after. For example, today he woke at 6:30 and was back sleeping by 7:15AM until 8:15AM. He is 4 months. Since he's not awake that long in the morning, I'm thinking his body sees this as more of a MOTN feeding than wake up for the day. Is that typical of LO's this age? And if so is he likely to eventually extend that feed until actual wake time? I just always feel confused if I count his sleep after that feed as a nap, or is it continuing the night... also not sure if we should be turning on the lights/saying "good morning!" etc. or just acting like it's middle of the night. </p>