ew's...why? morning nap too long?

[mariawargo]

Hello!

My sweet LO is 6.5 months. We are working on the 3-2 nap transition and extending A time but its been a bit of a mess and each day looks different but our most consistent problem is early wakings. He used to wake at 5/ 530 and we would let him play quietly in his crib until 6 or 615 and would then feed him and start his day. That was hard enough but now the EWs are getting even early. 430/ 445ish. He sometimes wakes in the night and resettles himself or, if we have to help him, its usually pretty easy- 5 min of shush patting and he is back to sleep. These EW's are different. When he wakes at that time he is wide awake and ready to play and will not go back to sleep. So we are still trying to keep him in his crib till 6 but he then inevitably gets tired by 730 or 8 and goes down for his first morning nap, which is usually 1.5 to 2 hours.

I read something on a post about capping the morning nap... could that help in my situation?

Thank you so much for your help!

[~inbalance~]

My DD is the same age and we've been getting EWs as well (though a little different, they used to be 6/6:15 and now it's more like 5:15/5:30).  Like your LO she will play in her crib for a bit before we start our day.  She used to sleep until 7 every morning, now she just won't go back to sleep.  I have a few theories for us.  One is she is waking up and then pooping when I feed her, which she has been doing since we started solids, so I think maybe the solids are waking her to poop and then after I change her she's wide awake.  Still, occasionally she doesn't have to poop but we still have the same EW problem.  My other theory is teething, which I remember with my other LOs they would often EW when teething.  My DD just cut one tooth and has another coming, so that might be the problem.  I am not sure if she is waking because she has to poop, or waking because of teeth and then is pooping, but either way I'm getting tired of it!

I do try to hold her off in the morning until her normal naptime, instead of letting it creep earlier.  I know that makes for a really long A time, but it's the only way to keep her routine.  She has been on 2 naps since 5 months though. 

If you are trying to drop the catnap then I wouldn't be capping the morning nap.  You could try stretching her A times to drop the third nap and see if that helps?

[mariawargo]

Thanks so much for your quick response. It's nice to know someone else is going through the same thing at the same time!

LO is definitely teething but has been for months so I don't know if that's it. He WAS pooping early in the morning and I didn't know it was because of starting solids! However, that was happening last week but not so much in the last week... so I don't think that is it either.

I can try extending the A times...

We have been going back and forth in the last week between dropping the cat nap with an earlier bedtime and shortening the cat nap to 15-20 min instead of 30-40. We definitely havent established anything consistent yet. Is there any reason to believe I should change my focus from dropping the cat nap to capping the morning nap? I ask because I read elsewhere that early long morning naps can keep the EW's going? Because baby gets used to making up for the EW in his first nap... But then again, I don't want to regress with the little bit of progress we've made towards dropping the CN... I just want to know what's to blame for the EW's. If its not teething or pooping, is it the long early morning nap? I guess there is no way to know for sure.

I will first try extending the A times like you said and see how it goes.

Thanks a lot!

PS- He was a preemie so he is 6.5 months but only supposed to be 5 mo. He seems like he's mostly caught up. I don't think this has anything to do with it.  Wanted to mention it JIC though...

Oh, and the other thought that went through my mind is am I doing the dream feed too early.? I usually do it at 9 even though i know its supposed to be between 10 and 11. I do it at that time because he started waking up befroe the dream feed and also because I was forcing myself to stay awake later than I wanted to do it. He doesnt act starving in the morning though, so I dont THINK thats it. Again, just wanted to mention it in case it raises any red flags.

THANKS!

[~inbalance~]

I'm not much help with dreamfeeds as I have never done them with my LOs.  Hopefully someone else can pop by and comment on that!

On days when you are doing 2 naps I wouldn't cap any of them because you'll need long naps and long A times to get through the day.  On days where he still has a catnap I suppose you could consider capping it, but TBH I don't think you are at that point yet.  I would say usually nap capping happens once naps are established.  What does happen when it comes to EWs though is you get into a cycle of putting LO down earlier and earlier, and then letting them have a long catch up and that I think can encourage the EW.  I would try to stick to a 'normal' time for the am nap instead of moving it forward because of the EW.  That way he is not associating the am nap as an extension of night sleep.  Am I making any sense at all?  lol

Sometimes though you may never figure out the reason.  Sometimes it is a developmental blip.  Usually it is a phase.  Both my older LOs went through phases of EWs.  Some LOs unfortunately are chronic early risers.  My only advice here is try not to stress figuring out *why* it is happening, you may never know!

I'm hoping this phase passes for us soon as well.  I'm not digging getting up so early, especially since my DD still wakes a lot at night! 

[mariawargo]

Gotcha! I extended his a times yesterday and this morning. ill keep doing it little by little and see how it goes. Thanks so much! And good luck with your EW'S too!

[~inbalance~]

Thanks!  We got a 6:15 wakeup this morning and how sad was I thinking that was a good time!  LOL  Keep us posted on how things are going!

[*Ali*]

Does he go back to sleep if you feed him at the EW? That is quite a long time for a 6.5mo to go without feeding so it could be that. But if he isn't hungry in the morning then probably not the DF timing.

Fingers crossed the increased A times help

[mariawargo]

Ok, so I havent tried feeding him when he wakes early but last night I moved the dream feed back to 10 and he woke at 4 but my husband got him back to sleep and then he slept till 630!!! I hope this isnt just coincedence! I feel terrible that all this time he may have been waking from hunger (although if he was I think he was just a little hungry and not starving because he would fuss but not cry...) Anyway, I also increased his A times yesterday, so Im going to continue doing both! I hope it wasnt jsut a one day thing! Thank you both for your advice! Ill keep you updated!

[~inbalance~]

Great wakeup, I hope they continue!  I know hunger isn't a factor here as DD still have several NFs.    And this morning we had a shocking EW of 4:45!  I tried everything to get her back to sleep and she just wouldn't have it.  She's not even upset, just wide awake and happy.  I don't know how a baby who is getting so little sleep at the moment cannot be tired.  I'm just going to blame teeth and keep hoping that it ends soon because I am not a happy person when I don't get enough sleep! (and I need relatively little sleep, but she is pushing me to my limits!)

[*Ali*]

Sounds good for you mariawargo.

Not so good for you Em, sorry.

[~inbalance~]

It's okay, I'm used to crappy baby sleep by now! Lol

[mariawargo]

Hoping the EW's end for you soon!!! Ours are still a little better although we had NWs last night! Im thinking its a growth spurt and gassiness from solids. Thank goodness for coffee!!!

[Nhudson]

I am having the same issue with my 5 month old too. He has been waking at 3am or so to eat and then might go back down for an hour although it is disturbed sleep then he is up and bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for the day around 445. He has been starting to give me longer stretches of sleep from around 730 pm until 2 or 3 am when he used to wake around 1030 pm for a feed so I am wondering if he is just trying to get back in a groove since he seems like he has dropped that 1030 feed?  He also has very recently figured out how to army crawl so I wonder if that developmental milestone has anything to do with it. After reading some posts I am going to try to keep his morning nap at the same time instead of letting it creep earlier.
Oh, and I agree about being thankful for coffee