Am I being realistic here?

[CaedensMama]

Okay - I know that every baby is different, just wanted to get some advice and see if this sounds normal or if I am expecting too much!

Our sleep generally looks something like this -

Bedtime around 8
Wake by 6 am - too often it is 5:40-5:50 
AM nap 8:30-9ish for about an hour - will go an hour and a half to two hours maybe 2 times a week (unless we actually shocked mom and slept past 6:30 then we can push this nap to maybe 9-9:30, same length)
PM nap 2-3 depending on what time we got up in the AM, if we were up at 9:30, nap is at 2, if we slept till 11, maybe closer to 3 - aim for 2:30 or so - This nap is usually right at an hour

My "concern" is the waking by 6 am - I would love to get to 6:30 or so consistently, even 7 would be awesome!
We had bedtime 7-7:30 and moved it to 8 for the last week or so to see if that would help, but so far its not making a difference. One morning he was up at 5 and I think kinda catnapped a little but DH finally got him up at 5:45, which in my book is just too early! He seems to be waking happy, it is just at 5:40, I'm not ready for morning yet - at least get me past 6!

Some factors that may be playing in this -
- we just dropped 2 nights feeds at one time 2 weeks ago. Did great dropping and has slept thru with no wakings a few times and the other nights when he woke, settled quickly without nursing.
- given the stage of life we are in, I am sure there are teeth working on coming in just about constantly it seems!
- because we live a ways out of town, days when we go in to town, he usually ends up with either 3-45 min naps in the car or a good am nap at home and 2 shorter naps in the car in the pm - I haven't noticed this "linking" to a good night or bad night though so I think he is okay "rolling with the punches" on this one

Any thoughts or advice?
Am I being realistic or is around 10 hours of night sleep normal?
TIA!

[Kimberly®]

Have you tried feeding him and them putting him back to bed? Thats what we end up having to do most mornings.

Also it may be time to transition to one nap.

[CaedensMama]

I have tried feeding, though I find with it being pretty light here by 5:30, he usually doesn't go back well - and I guess too I was kinda hoping to get a "full night" without nursing at night anymore. Though we are nursing at 6 most mornings when he gets up early anyway.

As for the naps - I was thinking about that, but as he is napping by 9 in the morning - I don't think he would go much longer then that and that would be too early to go all day.

When do they transition to one nap?

Do you think if I went back to 7:30 for bedtime it would make a difference - I have to work pretty hard to get him to 8 most nights and I hate to struggle there and then be up early to boot!

[Kimberly®]

Maybe try the AM nap at 1hour and then have a 1.5 hour one in  the afternoon??

I'm not sure of the actual age. Depends on the baby. My DD has switched to one nap for herself. She goes down at 9 and is out till 11:30-12. She then will the odd time take a 45 min nap in the pm, but thats rare.

If you have to stuggle to keep him up till 8 then yes put him down earlier. You can even try 7 if he's that tired.

[teezee]

hey jenn! i have to agree with karita in that if he is getting too much daytime sleep he will most definately not be tired when that early morning wake up comes as he will be well rested and ready for the day at that time. seeing as alecks and caeden are the exact same age - i know that she is good with around two hrs naps total.  go down to 2.5 hrs or so and see if it improves at all...then if needed cut out a bit more...do it slowly as you don't want him to get overtired in the meantime!

also, karita may be right about being ready to go down to one nap also. first i would try the other suggestion and if that doesn't work i would try going to one nap.

[CaedensMama]

Well, we have had 3 good nights -
I've been putting him to bed at 7:30 instead of 8 and this is helping my sanity as well 
he slept till 6, 6:15 and 6:45 the last 3 mornings!

I found that if I let him settle himself when he wakes at night he does just fine and does go back to sleep in 15-20 minutes and seems to be sleeping better, so I will quit going in there unless its a hurt or something cry.

His day sleep has also been a little broken up - 3 naps yesterday - 40 minutes, an hour and 45 minutes - I was a little concerned about that last nap, but he was so tired I couldn't wake him up! he did okay at night though.

We have also been gone all day the last 2 days and been outside alot, so that may have helped too.
I'll see how he naps today at home all day! Seeing that he slept late this morning I am hoping to get him to about 9-9:30 for his nap and then we should make it okay on 2 hours of sleep or so.

Hopefully, this sleeping past 6 in the morning will continue -
My mom always said it didn't matter what time she put us kids down we were all up at 6 (till about 15 years anyway  ) - so we always had early bedtimes - 7-7:30. So I am guessing Caeden may be the same - I can handle 6 or a little past - it's that before 6 that really gets me. 

Thanks for the advice - I will keep you posted!

[teezee]

glad things have improved