Hey Michelle,
So glad you replied! Sorry it took me a while to respond. I am trying to take a deep breath...have been trying to do that for a few months now! Ha! Ha!
Well, to answer a few of your questions, back in December you were helping me and you did already send me the PM regarding early waking. I really do think he is doing that b/c his naps aren't great because I've read that and I think it's even in the PM you sent re: early waking. It (early waking) is usually caused by too late a bedtime or insufficient naps, I believe. I am trying to move his bedtime earlier, although he's always gone to bed very early so not sure how much earlier I can make it! Aarismom (Sonya) suggested trying 6:00pm/6:30pm since he already gets up early so I'm going to try that. Is it OK if they get 12 hours of night sleep or do you want to keep it at 11 hours so the day sleep is OK?
I have always read that when a LO wakes up crying, the nap was not enough. He's ALWAYS done this for naps. He does sometimes wake from his AM nap talking. But if you're saying your DD did it and seemed well rested, then maybe it's OK. Sometimes, though, I KNOW it's not enough because he had a hard time going down for the nap and I just know he's still tired. I guess the reason I feel he is overtired during the day is that most days it seems he is constantly rubbing his eyes during his awake times, like sometimes only an hour after getting up from a nap. Could be I'm just paranoid, too!
I guess I'm basing the fact that I feel he's overtired during the day on him waking up crying, showing tired signs not too long after getting up from a nap and his early waking. Also, most days, especially in the afternoon, he may sleep for up to an hour, then cry and go back to sleep for a bit and still wake up crying. Do LO's do this? Is that typical as they move in and out of sleep cycles? I guess I thought at this age he should sleep solidly and not cry in the middle of a nap.
As for him acting tired around 7:30am, this was never a set naptime although I'm sure when he was much younger he would have been asleep at this time. Today I put him down at 8:30am and he slept an hour and a half so that was good! He was getting fussier and fussier. I swear I don't know when this dude gets up, it may be something like 4:30am and he's just quiet!!!
Thanks for the bit about him yawning during awake time due to maybe needing a snack or something. He's eating 3 meals a day and breastfeeding but still may need a little something. I forget they have tiny tummies!
I would like to ask you, do you think I should put him down if he'll sleep at 6:30 or 7:30am when he's acting tired just to get him better rested to see if it'll help the early waking? Then move to a more decent schedule? Or would putting him down for a nap this early perpetuate the early waking?
Thanks for ALL your help!!!! This message board is a lifesaver! I think for me I have a lot of expectations of my LO and his naps and read other people saying their LO's have theser regular naptimes, etc. and I get so discouraged! But you and all the other gals on this site have been such a blessing- thank you!
Will wait to hear back from you!
Suzanne
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William born 3/23/05