EW at 5:15 not hungry but won't go back to sleep

[~Jen~]

Hi again... Well just when you think you have them figured out... not sure what to do with this one.  DS (18 wks old) is waking around 5:15am.  I don't think he is necessarily hungry so I haven't been feeding him. He cries a bit when he first wakes up but if I don't go in his room, he'll quiet down and start playing in his cot.  This morning he stayed awake from 5:15 to 6:45. Nearly a full A time period for him. I let him take a short nap and he work up on own at 7:30. If LOs are awake on own in Cot for an EW and don't fall asleep on own..do you just leave them? Is this normal?

[elmarie]

If he is not crying I will leave him-it is part of the self-soothing process 

[*Liz*]

I would leave him too. If he is not upset and isn't calling for you then there is no need to go in.

Perhaps your routine needs a little tweak though if these EWs are a common occurence?

[~Jen~]

Hi LizJ and Elmarie, I will continue to leave him on his own if he has these EWs.  I've posted yesterday and today's routine. Do you see anything that might have triggered the early wakings yesterday? The past week DS had been STTN (from dreamfeed) so I am hoping to be able to figure out what might have gone wrong...  thanks for your help!  Jen

7:10 Wake Up
7:20 Eat BF
7:10-8:45am Activity
8:45-10:50 Sleep

11:20 E BF
10:50-12:40 A
12:40 - 2:45 S

3:30 E BF
2:45 - 4:45 A
4:45 - 5:30 CN

7 E BF
5:30 - 7:30 A (bath and bedtime routine)
7:40 Asleep in Cot

11pm DreamFeed  bottle - 6oz

3:15am Wake up and settle on own back to sleep in 10 mins

5:15am Wake up and fuss/cry for 10 mins. Didn't go back to sleep immediately but didn't cry either.
6:45am Falls back asleep after staying awake happy in cot

7:30am Wake up
7:45 E BF
7:30-9am A
9-10:20 S

11:30 E BF
10:20-12:15 A
12:15-2:20 S

3:30 E BF
2:20-4:25 A
4:25 -  5:10  CN

6:45 E BF
5:10 - 7:30 A
7:30 Asleep in Cot
 

[*Liz*]

Well the routine looks great - as long as that chatty EW was a one off.

If it wasn't then I would say it is time to start extending the A times a little bit. When you get a good napper as there A increases they still nap well during the day, but they wake to sing and dance at night to make up the A that they need (unofficial A time  ).

If it becomes a habit then stretch those A's a little. Start with 10 mins on the first one.

[~Jen~]

AHH..I remember reading something about the "unofficial" A time... thanks for the suggestion! I'll see how the next few days go and if we still get the EW, I'll stretch A time.  When you suggested trying 10 mins, you meant in the AM nap first right? 

[*Liz*]

Right  .