EW are back YET AGAIN!!! I can't believe it!

[Lulu m]

I have an DD who is 12.5 mos old and she is AGAIN waking with the roosters at 5:30am. The last 2 mornings I have brought her into bed with me and my hubby and she goes right back to sleep for another 40-60 min. I don't want this to become a habit, but I simply do not have the energy to work on the EW anymore. She has cycled back to EW on and off since she was 6 months old. 6+ months of waking at the crack of dawn has really taken its toll on me.

In the past taking her into bed with us did NOT work because she was just done sleeping 5:30p-4:30a (11 hrs). We had given her a very early bedtime on the days where only one nap was happening. Some of those days she would sleep 13 hrs, but then it changed to 11 hrs at night. So now I know when I take her into our bed and she falls asleep she was not done with her night's sleep yet.

At first with the 3-2 nap switch we got EW of 4:30AM! Once down to 2 naps she slept in again. However, around 8 months - very early - she started to show signs of the 2-1 nap switch. It took 3 months to get her down to one nap - at 11 mos. So from 8-11 mos we had early wakings on and off (anywhere from 4:15am - 5:30am), early bedtimes with one nap, later bedtime with 2 naps, and so on. Things we allllllllllll over the place. 

Finally, the last month has been great:

6:30am-ish wake up
12:30-2:30pm - nap
7:30pm - bedtime

Then about a week ago, we had an EW. I thought it was a fluke because for the next 4 or 5 days she went back to waking around 6:30am. Then the last 2 mornings it has happened again. I have no idea why. She has room darkening shades and white noise in her room. She is not waking due to hunger.

This morning she was not really even fussing, but I took her into bed with me anyways, because if she does not go back to sleep, the days are ugly, then an ugly night, and around and around we go. If she does it again tomorrow am, I will try to stay in her room instead and pursue this route. If she gets worked up she'll never go back to sleep, and I am in no mood for an ugly day after and EW - iykwim! 

BUT WHY again? Everytime we get on a good routine, it lasts a couple of weeks, and BAM, back to the EW. 

Any advice?

[meltown]

since she transitioned early, she may not need so much sleep.  have you tried shortening her nap by 15 min and see if it helps?

[Lulu m]

OK! I will try it. Thanks! 

[Lulu m]

Hi again. Well, the last 2 days have been very different. Yesterday DD slept in late enough that I had to wake her!
This morning she was at it again - awake crying at 5:25am. BUT when I went into her room she was sitting straight up!!
I laid her back down and stayed with her til she fell alseep, but the second I started to leave the room she woke up.
I just took her into bed with me again - and something I don't want to keep doing, but I am so tired, there is no crying and we all get some more sleep.
Perhaps this 5:30am ish waking will pass once the sitting up phase passes? I wonder if this is what brought back the EW?
I don't want the AP to create a bad habit either!

I do remember about 4-5 mos ago when she was rolling we had about 2 weeks of hell! She kept getting stuck and we'd have to roll her back over, and sometimes it would take over an hour to get her to go back to sleep. At that time bringing her into bed with us did NOT work.

UGH!

Any other thoughts or advice?

Thanks so much!

[meltown]

sounds like that may be it.  I would keep trying to get her back to sleep and I wouldn't do 2 days in a row of takng her to bed with you.  this will prevent the bad habit from forming.

[Lulu m]

OK, thanks again. My hubby and I have Fri and Mon off, so for the week we'll do what we need to do to make it through work, but then Fri no more taking into our bed. We then have 4 days of no sleep, but no work either. Hopefully the phase will pass before then, but at least we have a plan.

[Lulu m]

Well DD was up at the crack of dawn AGAIN this morning. DH went in there instead of me, and there she was sitting straight up. He laid her back down, and she happily babbled for another 20 min, then we went and got her and brought her into our bed. BUT this time she did not fall back asleep. If I bring her in our bed right away she DOES go back to sleep and it makes the day much easier as she is more rested.
So bad news - she was awake early and did not go back to sleep
Good news - at least she was not upset being left alone in her crib this morning.

So I will try and shorten her nap today to see if it helps. I am beyond frustrated at these EW. HOW can I make them stop for good? She keeps reverting back to them time and time again!

[meltown]

try the shorter nap and see what happens tonight

[Lulu m]

Well, DD woke up SEVEN times last night. She was either sitting straight up or got stuck on all 4's. After the 7th time I took her into bed with us. I guess I will let her nap as long as she wants today!
I guess I also have to wait this stage out, and then work on not bringing her into our bed?

[meltown]

I think you should try your hardest to be consistant through this stage.  I know it is hard, ut it is much less work in the end.  be sre that during the day you are giving her tons of practice time.  DD has taken to kneeling t the side of her crib and then getting stuck too.  I have to remind myself that this will go away as well.  are you sure this isn't teeth too?  that seems like alot of waking up.

[Lulu m]

I am not sure if she is teething, but maybe? She woke with a cold today, AND woke during her nap. I was planning on letting her nap as long as she needed. Now she is just an OT mess. She is also on a food strike. Hates everything I give her - even her favorites. So she is definitely not feeling well, and is going through milestones. I have a call into her doctor.

[meltown]

It sounds like she is sick and possibly teething.  Hugs!  I know that is so hard.  hope the DR can help you to get to the bottom of it quickly.

[Lulu m]

Thanks. The Dr. said to take her temp and it is gets over 101 to bring her in - especially if she continues not to eat.
She was in a good mood tonight, and ate all of her dinner, and drank her whole bottle before bed. Phew!

She definitely is practicing her milestones at night - this is not the first time - so the doc said unless she is cryinig out in need, let her figure it out on her own. And last night she woke 7 times, and 5 out of the 7 times she was able to resettle herself. We'll see what happens tonight!

I appreciate the support!