1 Year Old Wakes up at 4Am, No Longer Breast Feeding

I had this same problem with my son when I stopped the last 4am breastfeeding. He grew like a weed. It was a struggle but I would get up and give him some actual food. Toast or something and then he would go back to sleep that only lasted for about 3 or 4 days and he started to sleep until his normal time. For him it was more of a habit and wanting to snuggle than it was about the food. I guess he decided it was not worth it to wake up for some food instead of breast milk. Good LUCK!!

I would definitely give him a bottle. He is used to eating at that time and as you said, he is growing fast. There is a possibility it may take a litle cereal in the milk bottle with the milk to satisfy him. Either way, I would definitely feed him. It's hard to sleep if you are hungry. Good luck.

Hi, K.. I know this is coming 2.5 years later:) but I am experiencing this same thing and am wondering how long this phase lasted. How long did you continue to feed your little one the sippy at this time? Thanks!

I'm a mom of three, ages 15, 12 and 9. I would consider feeding your little one more at dinner. I put all of my kids on formula bottles when I stopped breast feeding, and they were all very healthy, chubby, sleeping through the night toddlers. Another issue that could be waking your son is reflux (heartburn), which can be very uncomfortable and cause your little guy to cry and fuss especially when lying flat. My son had reflux (which we learned from tests through the doctor) and had to sleep for a few months on a wedge cushion, so that he was sleeping at an incline with upper body raised up. (We never knew that he had Reflux, as he was not having a problem with excessive "spit up," one of the symptoms). Good luck!

Just because you stopped breastfeeding doesn't mean that his appetite changed. He probably is still hungry at 4am. I was never good at setting my kids feeding schedule. They seemed to make their own. My youngest son took a bottle in the early mornings until he was at least 16 months. He is 21 months now. He usually wakes up about 5am and gets in bed with me. He usually lays down and falls right back to sleep until 8am. Every once in a while he will ask me for a bottle. I am guessing that he is having a growing spurt and needs that extra nutrition. I am not an expert but that is my opinion. Good luck!

I agree with not letting them cry it out, however there may be other ways to get them to sleep than food. Comfort in another way, I would let him fall asleep with a binkie but take it out when they reach the deep sleep phase. Do try to feed more frequently in the day. They should have three servings of four oz of fruits, vegetables, protein and four servings of five oz dairy/calcium source and 3-4 whole grains/day, a quart of water or fluid if you can believe that! Hard to do!I am concerned that the energy they spend on all the crying takes away from their energy to grow, learn and develop. A little is normal, but I am hearing from some Mom's that they let it go on for half an hour to an hour. That is just too long. You can see the kids are miserable and don't have much of a mother child bond, it is more of a dictatorship/slave relationship vs nurturing one.

Well, I just went through this with my 15 month old baby. I would go in there with a sippy cup of milk and let her drink as much as she wanted. To my surprise, she wasn't that hungry. She wouldn't really drink that much, but I did it anyway. I didn't want to start a bottle, since that's just something else that I'd have to take away, so we used a sippy cup at this time. I also picked a time, like at one point I said I was not answering anything earlier than 6am, and she slowly started to realize this and started to sleep later. You do have to adjust this time according to when your baby wakes, and slowly make it later. I also fed her dinner a little later so that she'd stay full longer. I hope I helped.

He was nursing more for comfort than milk. I would let him nurse if he wakes up crying. 12 months is not a magic number.

I hate to say it...but you might just have an early bird on your hand. My daughter woke up between 4:00-4:30 EVERY morning until she was about 18 months...and I stopped breast feeding at 11 months because of supply issues. She eventually outgrew it...and now 6:30ish is her usual wake up time. Still early...but not before the roosters. Good luck.

One thing you could try...that might help...is don't let him go back to sleep so early in the morning. Make him stay awake. We broke that routine...and I think that might have been what made her start sleeping later in the morning. Kiddos thrive on routines...and while we can't change their patterns completely (night owl vs. early bird)...we can BEND them some...

K.,
Having been there 4 times myself, I know that little people get out of habits about as quickly as they get into them. Give your little guy another week. He is getting what he needs to eat during he day. With a little time he will get into the new routine. I know how hard it is to let them cry it out. Don't feel guilty. You'll be suprised how fast he will adjust.

He may be hungry. I would suggest not using a bottle, rather use a sippy cup so you don't have to break him of the bottle later on.

My DD is about to turn one, and I had the exact same problem with her when she turned 11mths and I stopped breast feeding. I had left over formula though, someone had given it to me, and we had never used it, so I decided to give her a bottle every morning. It works well, and she goes right back to sleep after that. I will probably keep giving it to her until she doesn't wake up anymore. She does a little better ever week, so I'm confident it shouldn't last too much longer.

Ditto on using a sippy cup instead of a bottle. Trying will let you know if he is hungry. Also, if just rocking him puts him back to sleep, it may just be habit and something he will outgrow. Plus you may want to check his mouth, the 1st set of premolars usually comes in around this time and that always woke my boys up.

My son did the same thing after I stopped nursing him at 11 months. He went straight to a cup after nursing and never used a bottle. When he would wake up at 5:00 I would give him a banana and that would let him fall back asleep until 7 or 8. I never knew if he was really hungry or if it was just habit until he wolfed down that banana first thing in the morning. Might be worth a try!

He might be hungry. Are you supplementing food in the evenings since you stopped breastfeeding? Does he get whole milk? You might try a bottle/sippie cup before he goes to bed or even when he wakes up. You don't say if you're nursing him when he's been getting up and if that helps. I would also ask your doctor the next time he goes in for a check up. Good luck!

dear K.,
he might not be hungry, but he may. my daughter would still take maybe 2 bottles in the middle of the night after she turned 1. and if he wont take the bottle, give him a binki. he might also just want to be close to you if its feasible. persevere until he grows acustomed to the new ritual.
M.

I think it is worth trying to feed him to see if he is hungry. You don't want to ignore it if he is. His tummy could be what is speaking loudest - he doesn't care what time it is! I am not a fan of letting babies cry it out, but you have to do what is best for your family. I would try a sippy over a bottle, since he probably takes a sippy during the day, and he's never taken a bottle.

My daughter also wakes at 4:30 AM, and it drives me crazy! She's 13 months. I am still breastfeeding, though, so I nurse her and often she falls back asleep. My children ARE early birds, though. I have decided I need to just accept this. My 3 year old has always woken early. NOw his "sleeping late" is 6:30 or 7. My 13 month old rarely sleeps past 6. I go ahead and nurse at 4:30 and try to get her back to sleep!

12 months is still a baby, despite what some people think. Others may tell you that he is old enough to "not need to eat", but he doesn't know that! He doesn't listen to other people and he doesn't read the books. All he listens to is his tummy. My son ate in the night for many months past his first birthday, until he decided to stop. I couldn't allow him to cry as I could tell he was hungry. Some babies just need to eat more often than others. My daughter still nurses, but also eats 3 full (and I mean full!) meals a day, always needs a mid morning and mid afternoon snack, plus nurses a few times a day. She's also a very normal and well sized 20 lb 13 month old, not a huge nor a skinny baby. Very healthy. Breastfed babies especially do not gorge themselves - they eat until they are satisfied. Chances are your little man IS still hungry. Go with your instincts on this one, mama. If he doesn't take a sippy with some milk (whether breast or cow) at that time, maybe a little rocking will get him down. Isn't the most important thing be that he feels loved and safe? I think that whatever his reasons (hunger or loneliness) he needs you right now, and you are right on to think there is something you can do.

I've never heard that we stop being parents from 10 PM to 8 AM. Many babies still need to be parented in the middle of the night and it's perfectly ok. They will outgrow that need when they are ready. My son did. (I am not lecturing you by any means. I just know you will get many responses telling you to let that baby cry because he doesn't "need" to eat, and I think that is bad advice.)

I think you should listen to what he is trying to tell you by crying (his only means of communication) and feed/comfort him. It doesnt really matter if he is hungry or not, the point is he needs his mommy no matter how early it is in the morning. The thing that is so great about nursing is that it is both comfort and nutrition but if you dont want to continue with that I do think you should try to figure out what he needs and not let him simply cry. If you let him cry all he will learn from that is not to cry because no one is listening. He will feel less important and less valued. He may stop crying eventually but at what cost?
He will soon grow out of waking so early and if you help him when he needs you he will feel loved and valued and indeed he may be hungry,

Please do not let your baby cry and give him no response.

Good luck....I know it is difficult.

I would just let him cry it out. At a year old, he doesn't need to eat in the middle of the night (and I consider 4am the middle of the night). Try giving him a snack or some milk or something before bed. Beyond that, I would say it's a habit and you're going to have to teach him that he can't get up that early. You could also try giving him a sippy cup with some water when he wakes up (no bottle). I haven't had to do this myself, but I have heard that when they realize all they're going to get is water, they don't bother getting up anymore. You could try that first and if that doesn't work, then just let him learn to put himself back to sleep. Good luck to you!