What does it mean when lo is waking earlier ever morning

[Chloevalentine]

Not sure why my 14 month lo has been waking earlier every morning. A few weeks ago he was waking around 730-8 and now he's waking at 645, 640, 630. It's getting earlier every day but bedtime is the same 730 pm.  He doesn't do well with set naps so this is causing earlier naps and longer A time before bed.

[Ima shel Alon]

What does his day look like? When is his nap? Is he already on one nap? How long is he napping for?

If the nap is too early and he is not getting enough A time before it, it could be one reason why he would wake up earlier and earlier.

[Chloevalentine]

He takes one nap. Maybe he's ready for longer A time before first nap? He usually does 5 hrs A time before first nap. He wakes around 7/730 normally naps from 12/1230-130-2 ish so usually a 1 hr 15 min nap. Sometimes it's a 1 hr nap sometimes it's a 1 hr 45 min nap. Last week he also took one 30 min nap and another day one 45 min nap!! He has a few teeth cutting through though and he had a cold.  And he's usually in bed around 7:15/730 depending on when he woke in morning and from his nap. His naps have never been good but he usually always sleeps a 12 hr night without waking. Today he was up in crib at 630 after going to bed at 730 last night. I let him play and thought he he might fall back which he does on occasion but not today. And he didn't go down for nap today until 1230. So we will see how long he sleeps. 

[Ima shel Alon]

An 11h night is still a great night! Maybe he doesn't need more than that?
It would be interesting to see how he would sleep with a 6h A time this morning.

[Chloevalentine]

It's been almost 2 hrs since he went down for nap. Going to wake him. So I wonder if he needs longer A time beforehand. Now what time do I do bed? He was up at 630 napped from 1230-230? Should I stick with 730? Hope he's tired enough by then after a 2 hr nap. But I hate to do longer than a 13 hr day.

[Ima shel Alon]

I would keep BT to what you want it to be, so the normal BT he has. Then yesterday I would stretch his A time longer than 5h, it seems like he needs longer A time before his nap.

[Chloevalentine]

He went to bed at 730 but he's up today at 640 which is still early for him. He usually always sleeps 12 hrs. Maybe it's because he did a 2 hr nap which is long for him. Still going to do the 1230 nap which will be 6 hrs A time And see how it is.

[Chloevalentine]

I put him down for nap at 1230 after waking around 645 this morning and He woke at 45 mins crying but resettled himself. Curious to see how long he will sleep. Going to wake him at 2 hrs as he seems to only be sleeping 11 hours at night as opposed to his usual 12 hrs. Must be the 2 hr nap.

[Ima shel Alon]

I wouldn't conclude anything after just one day/one night, yk? I would do like you, keep the nap at like 6h after WU, let him sleep max 2h and keep BT as usual. But I would give it a few days before we can assume things. Like I said before, an 11h night is still a great night and not short at all. I know it's not his usual, and sure, you can try and help get things back on track with shifting the nap, but it might just be that he grew older and needs less sleep at night.

[Chloevalentine]

Thank you so much! You are right. I'll give it some time . But I stil wonder why he wakes from every nap crying and upset and it takes a while for me to calm him. Although after that 2 hr nap he woke or I woke him happy. He also every night after his bath when we are getting pjs on he cries and fusses and whines until I sit with him to give him his milk and put him to bed.

[Ima shel Alon]

Maybe it's teething? Maybe the bottle help him with the pain a bit? Does he chew on it? Maybe the milk distracts him from the pain and a full tummy is always a good reason to calm down (for me anyway, lol).