Why does my 9 month old wake up bwtween 230 am and 430 am and thinks it is time to play?

My son did the same thing. We didn't realize it until one time we stayed overnight with him in the same room, and I noticed he was awake in his crib in the middle of the night. He sat up, played with his toys for a while, making baby talk to himself, then lay back down and slept until it was time to get up.

Maybe put him to bed at 8, only 7-7:30 doesn't sound too early to me. Maybe delay going in so that he gradually learns that he can go back to sleep without Mom right there?

I have been dealing with this with my 8 mo old daughter. She doesn't do it every night but she still does it. The only thing I have found that works is cutting her naps shorter during the day. She usually takes about an hour in the morning and then about 45 min to an hour in the afternoon and she doesn't get to sleep any after 5pm. This way she is tired enough by 9pm or so (sometimes she still stays up until 10) that she needs the sleep and she is out. Now throughout the night she wakes up and I have to stick the passy in her mouth and she goes back to sleep. I think its her arms that wake her up, they flale(sp?) around so much but I don't want to swaddle her because she is such a hot sleeper. And sometimes when she wakes up I pick her up and rock her back to sleep immedietely and then she is out for the rest of the night. But when she is AWAKE I know it and we go down stairs and I hold her while watching tv...contd

I try to make it as boring for her as I can..I read that somewhere I think. After about an hour or so she gets tired again and goes back to sleep.

GOOD LUCK!

My daughter did the same thing she would wake up in the middle of the nite and play by her self then go back to sleep she never cryed. I would try and put him to bed a little bit later and when he wakes up dont go in rite away if he cries longer then 5 or 10 min then I would go in and change his diaper if hes hungry feed him but no playing then lay him rite back down and let him know it is time for bed. My daughter every now and then only when she is teething she would wake up and cry but I learned not to go in there rite away she normally falls back to sleep within 5 min. Shes 12 mths know and she still wakes up in the middle of the nite every know and then.

And I do think 7 is too early...every baby is different but my dd only sleeps good if she goes to sleep at or after 9pm. She isn't tired until then at least. If I put her to bed at 7 she would wake up for GOOD at 2am certainly.

Thanks ladies. I will try the later bedtime and see if we have any success. A big problem is the crib is in our bedroom :( so i cant even ignore him. His naps are short except for the 130pm nap- that is the longest at an hour. I am so tired :( During the day i am alone and have really no help. He is driving me nuts! :(

Does your son sleep alot during the day? A 9 month old should be getting approx 11 hours at NIGHT...and NO more than 3 during the day.

If you have him napping more than 3 hours during the day-even just ONE or TWO extra hours, he will most certainly not sleep the reccommended 11 at night, and he will wake up between 230-430...as you have said.

Ha ha ha...my 8 month DD woke up at 5 this morning standing on her knees - all ready to wake up and play...she cooed for a while but wouldn't go back to bed - so I took her to bed with me and snuggled and she went back to sleep....little stink. : )

I WISH my son slept a lot during the day!!! He naps for 30 mins to 45 mins when he does nap. On some days i get him to nap 3-4 times. Other days he wants no part of it. fooooey :(