Author Topic: 6 mo EWs - so many possible causes... help!  (Read 1389 times)

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Offline Izzy04

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6 mo EWs - so many possible causes... help!
« on: July 01, 2010, 11:22:49 am »
My son is has just turned 6 months (and he was born at 37 wks) and over the past few days, he has started waking earlier and earlier.  There seem to be a few reasons why this could be happening and I'm having trouble making sense of it.  Could someone help please!?  Here's the situation.  (Sorry, going to be very detailed so you get the full picture.)

Since he was about 3 months old, ds was in a decent night routine where he'd be asleep by 8, df at 11:00, feed once more around 5, and then wake around 7:30/8.  About a month ago, he started cutting out that 5am feed but was waking at closer to 6:30, which was fine with me b/c his bedtime had also moved to about 7:15.  Then about 2 weeks ago, I noticed he was hardly nursing at all at the df so I dropped it, too.  For the first few days, he still woke at about 6:30, but it's slowly been getting earlier so that, this morning, he was up at 5:30 and yesterday at 5:15.  When he wakes at this time, I never go in right away but let him talk in his crib for as long as 45 mins, hoping he'll fall back asleep, which he never does.  He doesn't cry at this time at all, just talks and talks, and even once I get him up, he doesn't seem hungry, although he does eat a full feed.  I assumed that because he isn't crying when he wakes, it isn't a hunger waking, but looking at it now, I'm wondering if it's hunger related due to dropping the dreamfeed.  Argh, and now he just woke @ 5:30, lay in bed until 6:15, changed, ate @ 6:30 and fell asleep nursing and went back to bed.  This never happened before!

But I've also been reading around here that, at this age, EWs can be a sign that they're ready to extend A times and drop the CN.  Currently, DSs A times hover @ around 2.25 hrs on average.  Maybe this is too short for his age and the EWs are UT?

But it could also be OT because he's only been getting about 10.5 hrs at night for a few days, plus his last A time is often quite long (3 hrs or so) b/c he's started rolling over and getting stuck while trying to fall asleep.  Also, I've been scared to put him to bed much earlier than his usual 7, even though he's been up so early, because I'm worried he'll just wake up even earlier the next day.  2 nights ago, he went down at 6:50, but then woke crying at 8:15 and dh couldn't get him back down until 9:45 (I was out) and then he woke for the day at 5:15 so I feel like this has only made a little, possible OT problem into a big, definite OT problem.

So as far as I can see, possible causes are: 1. hunger - should I restart the df or just feed him when he wakes @ 5, even if he isn't crying, and pray he'll go back down?  My concern is that, if he doesn't go back down, I've started the day REALLY early and reinforced a bad habit.
2. UT - time to extend A times and drop CN? 
or 3. OT - how do I tackle this monster?
And it just occurred to me that it may bee habitual and I could try W2S (SCARY!!!).

Here's a general idea of our EASY.

wake: 5:30 / 5:45
E: BF @ 6:30 (I don't feed him earlier than this), solids @ 7:00
A: 2hrs
S: 7:30 - 9:00
E: BF @ 10:30, solids @ 11
A: 2hrs 15 mins (on average)
S: 11:30 - 1:00
E: BF @ 2:30
A: 2.5 - 3.5 hrs
S: CN times are all over the map, going by tired signs, anywhere between 3:30 - 4:30
E: solids when wakes from CN, bottle @ 6:30
A: 2.75 - 3.75 hrs (ak! long!)
S: 7:15

Sorry this is so long, but I really hope there's enough info here that someone can help me sort this all out!

Thanks!

Sarah
 

Offline Izzy04

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Re: 6 mo EWs - so many possible causes... help!
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2010, 10:15:33 am »
Ok me again.  Just wondering, if I do feed him and put him back to bed when he wakes at 5:30, how do I deal with the routine mess that ensues when he wakes up for the day in an hour or so but isn't hungry (then he can't make it through his 1st nap b/c he's hungry by then).

Any help at all would be really appreciated!  Thanks :)

Offline Tweakster

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Re: 6 mo EWs - so many possible causes... help!
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2010, 13:31:51 pm »
Hi there, 6 mths is a really tricky age so we'll see what we can do to help.  First, do you know if he's hitting his 6 mths growth spurt?  How is he going on his solids?  If he's in his growth spurt it's fine to feed him and then put him back to sleep at the EW.  Treat it as a NW.

Secondly, to combat the OT and stop any EW from OT, you need an earlier bedtime if he's waking earlier and not going back to sleep in the AM.  I know about the fear of another EW but really it's better to have a well-rested LO who has gotten more sleep i.e. 11 or so hours than an OT LO with only 10 hours under the belt, especially when you think about tweaking A times.  So aim for a 12-13 hour day and not more I'm afraid.

Thirdly, yes most 6 mth olds are doing about 2 hr 30 for A time, your first A I think is too short and then reinforces the EW.  I would start with that A time, tack on 5-10 mins every 3 days until he's closer to an age-appropriate A time and still giving you a decent 1.5 hr nap.  Then you move on to the second A.

Around this time LO starts to increase A time and drop the CN between 6-8 mths.  LO can only drop the CN when they are consistently handling 3 hrs A time.  So keep that in mind for the next month or so :-)

When he wakes early and you feed and put back down, you offer a top up when he wakes and count that as an E.  Eventually those feeds will merge. 

HTH!
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Offline Izzy04

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Re: 6 mo EWs - so many possible causes... help!
« Reply #3 on: July 02, 2010, 18:22:26 pm »
OMG that helps a lot!  Thank you!  I had him in bed by 6:30 last night and he still woke @ 5:30, so my fear of the even earlier wake up has abated somewhat.  I'll work on the A times and an earlier bed time and see how that helps.  I *think* his 6 month growth spurt has come and gone already (hoping so, anyway, as he's 29.5 inches and 19.5 lbs!) but I'll keep an eye out for signs.
Thanks again!

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Re: 6 mo EWs - so many possible causes... help!
« Reply #4 on: July 02, 2010, 19:11:25 pm »
Hi there, no worries.  So even with an early bedtime he gave you 11 hours which is grand.  I would then try to bump up A time when he has slept that well and had a good night.
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Offline Izzy04

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Anyone used W2S for EW? Advice please!
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2010, 11:06:17 am »
A few weeks ago I posted about my DS's early wakings and I got some great advice.  I've tried extending A times and putting him to bed earlier to avoid OT and nothing seems to be making a difference to I'm thinking I'm going to try W2S, since this seems to be a pretty habitual waking.  Only problem is W2S scares me silly!  Has anyone tried it for EW and had success?

Also, quick question.  How awake should I make him?  In Tracy's book, I read to just wake them until they stir a bit but in her sleep interview she said change their diaper and really wake them up.  Which is better?

Oh and if he's waking up at 5:30 am habitually, what time should I try W2S?  4:30?

Thanks!

Offline Tweakster

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Re: 6 mo EWs - so many possible causes... help!
« Reply #6 on: July 15, 2010, 14:50:07 pm »
Hi there, it's been a couple of weeks so could you post the most recent day(s) for us to look at.  W2S can work, we'll get more eyes on here when your routine is up.
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Offline Izzy04

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Re: 6 mo EWs - so many possible causes... help!
« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2010, 22:31:53 pm »
A typical day now looks something like this (although today I think he's teething and was not sleeping more than 40m at a time and was mad cranky so it looked nothing at all like this).

wake up - 5:30
E - 6:00 (BF) 7:30 solids
A - 2hr 35 min
S - 8:05 1.5 hrs (though this is sometimes 1h20m, sometimes 45m, having trouble figuring out right A time)
E - 11:00 BF 12:00 solids
A - 2hr40m
S - 12:10 (ish) Lately this nap has been more consistently 1h30m, even 2hr sometimes
E - 2:00 BF
A - between 2.5 - 3 hrs, or as long as 4 if skips CN
S - if both naps have been good, we can get away with skipping the CN and going for an early BT, otherwise 4:00/4:30 CN for 30m
E - solids in there somewhere depening on CN timing
   - bottle @ 6:00
S - 6:30 sleeps through until 5:30, this morning he actually slept til 6!! yay!

Gotta say, I'm looking at this and thinking W2S won't work b/c BT has moved so early now.  Argh.  Between EW, extending A times, and thus possible CN dropping, I'm SO confused.  Is it normal for this too be such a major issue?  I felt like we had finally gotten into a good routine and now every day is different and I just dont know what to expect.  Must learn to forget my type A side and go with the flow....

Thanks again SO MUCH for taking a look at this!  I think I'd have gone off the deep end months ago without all the support and ideas I get here!


Offline Tweakster

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Re: 6 mo EWs - so many possible causes... help!
« Reply #8 on: July 18, 2010, 16:09:44 pm »
Hi there, yes sadly it is an issue for a lot of LOs going through nap transitions.  So he's moving from 3-2 naps and it can be a struggle for a while until you get there.  When he wakes at 5:30 can you get him back down using APOP?  Or a feed?  It might help push out your day if you can get him sleeping in a bit later.  Pushing at the end of the day can be counterproductive as you can get OT EW.

If he's still not giving you a regular 1.5 hr nap at the morning A then I think you are right, you need to juggle it until you find the right A time.  He may be ready for slightly more there if his nights are really good.

Sometimes it's hard to go with the flow when things are wonky.  You are doing a great job!
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