My babe Ellie - 5 mos + 1 wk old, 20 lbs - fed on formula 8 oz x 4 + dream feed (no solids yet on health visitor's advice) - started 4 hr EASY 2.5 wks ago (7, 11, 3, 7 feeds, bedtime at 7:30). I have been following Tracy's advice to stick to a set schedule during the 'retraining' period. Before we were mostly on a 4 hour daytime routine but I was breastfeeding to sleep and letting her sleep in the mornings (when she would) so schedule varied every day. Before, I was also putting her to bed a bit late -- 8:30-9. She was then usually waking around 2 or 3am and having a full bottle (no dream feed then). Also s/times waking at 5 or 5:30 to play, but usually sleeping till 6 or 7. She is a pretty easy baby for the most part and has taken to a set 'schedule' pretty well and is going to sleep s/times on her own, s/times w/sshhpat and occasionally with PU/PD. Her daytime naps are generally good -- 1.25 - 2 hours x 2 + catnap in late afternoon. She sleeps in her own cot in our room.
My questions: 1) Since starting EASY she has slept thru night (w/dream feed) from 7:30pm - 6:30 or 7am) three times, but not consecutively. I can't identify any real reasons why those nights worked and others haven't. On other nights she wakes and coos and goos to herself for a bit (15-30 mins) then starts to cry -- I leave her until she cries then I go to her to help her back to sleep -- s/times w/ sshhhh, sometimes a bit of PU/PD. This takes b/t 30-60 mins. The timings of night wakings are erratic but I don't think due to hunger as she wakes up happy and goes back to sleep w/o a bottle. Any ideas why she wakes and how to encourage to sleep through night consistently?
2) She sometimes would sleep longer than 45 minute for late afternoon catnap -- should I let her sleep as long as she wants, or will this mess up night time sleep?
