EW help

[D2323]

HI, my LO just started sleeping through the night after going to a integrative medicine doctor and starting her on supplements to help with reflux and digestive inflammation. She is eating great and sleep has gone from 8+ wakings to none! She was sleeping from about 7ish to 6 but has just starting waking up at 5 the past couple mornings and I am unable to get her back down unless I bring her in bed with me. Unfortunately on work days I can't do that because I have to get ready for work.
She has also started waking within an hour or so of going down. I can usually just go in a pat her for a bit and she will go back down.  Last night was different as she was up rolling around for about 15 minutes after being asleep for about 1 hr. I went in when she started crying after rolling around and got her back to sleep by patting. Here is our typical schedule although the past couple days she has had a third nap because she woke so early. Any advice would be great!

wake: 7:00
Nap: 9sh for 1 hr 15 to 1 hr 20 mins
Nap: 1:30 for again 1 hr 15ish -1 hr 30
start night time routine at 6ish and down around 6:45

like I mentioned the past couple days she has taken a third nap because the EW started the day off too early. Thanks!!!

[D2323]

should have mentioned she 7 months old

[jessmum46]

What is her mood like when she wakes at 5am?  Happy to play or crying?  Any teething at the moment?

Are you doing set nap times?  I ask because her first A time is pretty low for a 7 month old and she is doing a classic UT length nap.  Having the am nap too early can be a cause of EWs.  However, I don't want to suggest any tweaks to the routine until I know a little more

[D2323]

When she wakes she is usually content and happy but starts acting tired very quickly (within the hour of being up). Sorry I missed typed before..her activity times are around 3 hours each and she usually has two naps from 1 hr 15 to 1 hr25 mins....except when she has been waking up early, then she has three naps. Also if one of her naps is short then she may have three. She still has a hard time transitioning to the second sleep cycle and often need some patting at the 45 minute mark. My other issue is that my mother-in-law watches her so I don't have complete control over the schedule, I can only try to give guidelines.  so here is what her schedule looks like (when not waking early or having short naps):
wake: 7:00
Nap: 9:30 to 10ish for 1 hr 15 to 1 hr 20 mins
Nap: 2ish for again 1 hr 15ish -1 hr 30
start night time routine at 6ish and down around 6:45

[jessmum46]

Can you APOP (rock, feed etc) to get her back to sleep at 5am?

I think probably looking at your routine this is most likely an UT issue.  If her naps are 1h15 to 1h25 those are UT naps and she is trying to tell you she needs more A time.  At the moment she is getting nearly 3h day sleep and a less than 12h day, and not always getting a full 3h A time.  I know it will not entirely be in your control, but I think at a minimum she needs 3h A time consistently and a 12h day.  If you are getting naps less than 1h30, increase her A time by 10 mins and hold for 3-4 days to see the effect.  If you get a short nap, I would actually just go for a slightly early bedtime rather than a 3rd nap (unless they are all short) as often a late nap can cause UT at BT at this age, and encourage the EWs.

[D2323]

I still can't figure it out. She has had two identical days and one day she woke at 5 and the other 6:30! Both days she had two 1hr 30 min naps. She had 3 hour a times except the one before bed that was 3 to 3 and a half. I don't know what to change?

[jessmum46]

What time was bedtime the nights before those wakings?  Any teething? Did she wake happy?

[D2323]

I have tried playing with the bedtime. I tried 6:30,7, 7:30 and 8....she wakes up regardless of the bedtime and then on the other hand sometimes she sleeps until 6 with that same bedtime. I can't figure out a pattern. She is happy and playing when she wakes. Like I mentioned above, if I lay down with her I can usually get her back to sleep but I just can't always do that. I don't see any visible signs of teething. I''m so puzzled!

[jessmum46]

Can you post a couple of recent days in EAS format?  Just easier to see what's happening that way

[D2323]

5:00 wake
Eat bottle
8-8:30 nap
10:00 wake/eat
1-1:30 nap
2:30-3 wake/eat
6:30-6:45 bed

Sonetimes she sleeps until 6 with this same schedule or she wakes at 5. I can't figure out a pattern

[jessmum46]

Whether she wakes at 5 or 6, she's actually doing a good nights sleep for the most part (over 10h, and usually over 10.5) with good naps in the day.  I think to shift your wakeup later you may have to gradually work on pushing her naps later by 10 mins or so every 3-4 days.  So currently first nap is 8/8.30, day 1-3 make it 8.10/8.40, next 3 days make it 8.20/8.50 etc and do the same with the second nap and BT.  Hopefully you should see a corresponding shift in WU time - that's the theory anyway!

What do you think?