4 hr EASY when on solids? This may be a silly question!

[Lisa J]

When I started my then 5 month old on 4hr EASY after discovering BW, it worked like a dream in that she slept straight through the night.  She was taking some solids then straight after a milk feed.  In Tracy's book she said that if a baby was ready for a 4 hr routine and was still on a 3 1/2 hour routine that would lead to night wakings.  So, here's my question, my lo is now nearly 8 months and eats 3 or 4 solid meals a day as well as breast feeding, so really she is eating something every 3 or less hours.  Doesn't this affect night time sleep?  My lo has hardly slept through the night since turning 6 months old, although I have been advised by moderators that this could be due to short day time naps.

[* Paula *]

Can you post your routine on what your day currently looks like including E - milk feeds and solid feeds / A - how long / S - including your windown routine so that we can have a look at it for you?

Thanks
Paula

[Lisa J]

I have been getting out of routine lately and sometimes resorting to breastfeeding before naps, although I am now stopping that.  In general routine is:
 7-7.30am wake and bf
8.15 - solids
9.30 nap
10.15 wake
11.00 bf
12.00 solids
1.15 - 1.30 nap
2.00 wake
3.00 bf
4.00-4.30 solids
5.00-5.30 nap
6.00pm wake
6.30 pjs on,the bf to sleep

Then wakes 3 or 4 times a night.

[* Paula *]

Your feeding rountine looks good.

From what I can see is that your lo only takes 45 minute naps - this definitely sounds like it is the reason you are getting so many night wakings.  She seems extremely over tired and when they are overtired it can affect their night time sleep and cause night wakings.

When you put your lo down for her naps, is she showing signs of being tired?  It could be that she needs to start extending her Activity before her nap and see if you can keep her up about 10 - 15 minutes longer and see if this may help her take longer naps.

Do you try to get her back to sleep when she wakes early?

Has she always been a short napper?

[Lisa J]

Thanks for your reply.  Yes she has always been a short napper.  But last week she had 3 days where one nap a day was for 1 hr and 45 mins.  I didn't do anything different.  When she wakes early, I was feeding her to get her back to sleep but I have now stopped feeding her until wake time of 7am.