Baby wakes up at 4 (help)!

[Amber3]

Hi there.

My baby is a fussy 7-month old who is unpredictable when it comes to sleep and hunger. He is fussy most of the day and to top it off he wakes up now at 4 am. I am sooo tired. I tried a few times to just leave him in his bed to cry, I am right next to him, I was hoping he'd stop crying after 10-20 minutes but he just continued to cry for more than an hour. I don't know what to do? Also have other kids to care for. What makes it more challenging is that he is a foster care child. We've had him half his life. But not knowing if he is somehow traumatized by the separations he experienced makes it difficult to consider leaving him to cry. I hope someone here has a good advise for me:/

 

[noon_child]

I think you are not alone in having a child who wakes early and can't seem to settle. Is this his only night wake up and will he go back to sleep after milk/cuddle or is this when he seems to want to get up for the day?

There are still growth spurts and lots of brain development happening through this second part of the first year (and for a few years after too) that can disrupt sleep - sometimes baby needs their body feeding and sometimes they need reassurance, and sometimes they cry no matter what you do. I think it os easier to adjust your behaviour than theirs - is there any way you can get to bed earlier so that at least if you can't get him to settle and you are up from 4am, you will be more rested and feel more ready for it?