10mo needs routine tweak waking V Early, what to do with naps??

[Mashi]

I think that as the day pushes forward he will stop having dirty nappies at that time -- bowel movements are just as much due to body clock as everything else.  If you do change him, then do it in the dark in silence, and put him right back into his bed.  The point of the shh/pat at this time of the day when he has already had a full night sleep is not to get him back to sleep as he probably won't go, but to keep him calm and use the non-stimulating time to get him to stretch his morning A time out.

[mooglimoo]

Hi there,
So this morning DS woke at about 4:45 (we think, very sleepy mummy & daddy!) he babbled til about 5:15 then became "insistent" so DH went in and shh/patted but pretty quickly the crying went up a few gears and he ended up crying (with DH in the room with him) til about 5:30 when he came into our bedroom and had his first bottle.
Routine looks like this:
4:45 Wake (in cot til 5:30)
8:50 Sleep
9:50 wake
1:15 Sleep (DH said he took a while to get down to sleep here, don't know if UT or OT?)
3:00 Wake
6:40 Asleep
So that's A time of...4hr5min- though some of this was in the cot and some of this was spent wailing so I don't know how that works out!! Then 3hrs25min and then 3hr40 last thing. He didn't seem OT at the end of the day and went to sleep like a dream tonight so fingers crossed for a later waking although I'm not getting my hopes up!! Better to have low expectations and then be pleasantly surprized!!
Lorna x

[Mashi]

I think today looks like it was a good day routine wise.  I would continue to do that in the mornings and gradually push out the time that you give him his first bottle.

[*Liz*]

I agree it looks good on paper  .

ell done for being a bit firmer this morning - I think that is what it is going to take really to reset his body clock and reset his expectation of what happens in the morning.

[mooglimoo]

Awake at 3:50am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Didn't go in his room til 4:20, stayed with him comforting in dark while he cried for just over an hour, gave his bottle at 5:45. Not sure when to give him his first nap really, just watching for sleepy clues and vaguely aiming for 8:30?!?
x

[Mashi]

Waking at 350 is different than when he was going to bed at 530 and waking at 430.  In the latter case it is a matter of 11 hours of sleep, I am done.  In the case of waking at 350, no.  350 is a nightwaking.  Especially when he went to bed at 640, I would not even consider it an "early wake up" (which probably would be more like 440) but a nightwaking.  I would not leave him on his own in these cases, but do whatever it is you normally do for an NW - shh pat, rocking or cuddling him back to sleep, whatever the deal is that you normally do if he is unabel to put himself back to sleep from an NW, which is sounds like is the case.

[mooglimoo]

So today...
3:50 Heard him wake up, babbled for a bit- thought he was going back to sleep but then escalated into crying by 4:20 I went in to room, changed him as he was soaked (again), gave calpol as was unsure if teething was an issue and shh/patted, rocked until about 5:30
5:45 Gave him a bottle
8:20 nap
9:20 Woke him up
12:20 Nap
1:14 He woke up
6:45 asleep

Bit of a cr@p day really... he seemed a bit OT or grumpy, gums may also have been sore too...
If he has a NW tonight I will try to get him back off... we'll see what happens
Thanks for checking in on me
Lorna x

[*Liz*]

Lorna - what is the deal with these nappies? - seems to be a not infrequent occurance  .

I have a teeny lo for 15 mths but he wears size 3 during the day and size 4 at night. I find the only thing that soaks my lo is when his vests/ baby grows are getting a bit small as they pull the nappy up too tight to the bum and leave gaps for leaks.

I agree it was a NW after only 9 hrs sleep but it was due to a leaked nappy I guess? If he wakes that early again I would go straight in and see what the issue is as perhaps if it was fixed quicker he would have gone back to sleep.

((hugs)) that is a stupid time to start the day 

[Mashi]

I agree strongly with Liz -- for NWs when I knew (or even suspected) DS was not going to settle on his own, then I made sure that the second I heard him I was in there like a flash to sit with him and resettle him back to sleep.   

[mooglimoo]

Thanks for hugs and advice, maybe a bigger nappy might help for night time, I could try that tomorrow. Will go straight in if he's wakes stupid early tonight... I'll let you know I get on... off to bed now as the day has been rubbish so the sooner it's over the better...
Ta Lorna x

[mooglimoo]

Hello there,
So a quick update... Friday night we had a few NWs, but only short ones- a quick shh/pat and he was back off in no time, yesterday was like this:
5:15 Wake up (improvement!) babbled in cot until
5:45 Up, bottle
9:20 Nap
10:20 woke him up
1:20 Nap
2:40 He awoke after 1hr20mins of sleep, I would have preferred a bit longer I think...
6:00 Asleep he seemed a bit OT
He woke at 2:30 and was really crying after a while of trying to get him back down to sleep, gave him calpol, changed his nappy, finally at 4:00 gave him a bottle- he downed 9oz in a flash so I think he was hungry!! Ended up rocking him to sleep in my arms by 4:30 and then he didn't wake til 7:00!!!
Almost felt like we'd had a lie in but needed it after 2hr NW! He's gone down for his nap after 3hr30mins as he seemed to be getting really tired- wanted to stretch this out but didn't want to risk him getting more OT... So the day is all much later than usual but we'll just play it by ear and try and do our normal routine but all abit later...
Thanks
Lorna x

[*Liz*]

I jsut stick to my usual A times after a later wake-up and hope it works again. It is often lates a little longer than we would like for changes to stick though.

Hope today went well.

[mooglimoo]

Hi there, well we are sticking with trying to push the first nap to nearer 4hr A time and trying v hard to avoid OT with all the xmas prep going on too and not doing to badly, i feel... I heard him wake at 4 ish this morning but he only babbled for a while and then all was quiet til 5:30 and I didn't go in to him til 5:45! PROGRESS!! : )
Mustn't get hopes up too much but here's hoping this could start a trend! Big teething happening too poor chap...
thanks for all help thus far
Lorna x

[Mashi]

That IS great progress!  Keep doing what you are doing, pushing ahead slowly and you will get to where you want to be in terms of starting the day! 

[*Liz*]

5.45am is a lot better than 4.30am