Just started 3-4 transition...

[hchasey]

Hi there,

My LO is 15 weeks old and we just began transitioning from a 3 to 4-hour EASY. We've been using the 5-minute increment routine posted on the EASY FAQ board. (Thank you to whoever figured that out!)

Overall, LO sleeps great. For the past month and a half, she's been putting herself to sleep for all of her naps, usually sleeps a full 1.5 hours for each nap, and usually sleeps for 11 hours at night (E and bed: 7 p.m., DF: 10-11 p.m...these times vary now due to the transitioning process). She had a few NWings a few weeks ago, but I think it was due to a growth spurt since it only lasted two nights.

Our day usually starts at 6:45 a.m., but we've been following the 3-hour EASY that begins at 7 a.m. So, her first A time has always been a little longer than the others and she does ok with that. (We started doing this so that my husband has a chance to see her before he leaves for work.)

So my question is, what should I do when she wakes up from her night sleep an hour to an hour and a half early? Do I start the day earlier to keep her on the appropriate A time routine? Do I let her be in her crib and get her up at 7 even if she's been awake for a while? (She typically will just coo and move around while swaddled...she doesn't really cry when she wakes early.) I don't feel like I could get her to go back to sleep since she's gone all night without a feeding...

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. She woke at 5:30 this morning and I decided to just start our day then. It seemed to go ok...just want to make sure it's not going to get us off track if it happens again.

Thanks!

[Jiinx]

what should I do when she wakes up from her night sleep an hour to an hour and a half early?

that's okay! Not all babies wake up at 7 am. Mine wakes up anywhere between 6:15-7:15 I just adjust her As and Ss accordingly! It's lovely bc no matter where you are or what time it is..you'll be following her and her routine that's best for her.

Do I start the day earlier to keep her on the appropriate A time routine? Do I let her be in her crib and get her up at 7 even if she's been awake for a while?

I let my lo stay in her crib for a half hour before I get her. She just sucks on her lovey and talks to herself. I just use that time to wash my face, brush my teeth, check BW

I don't feel like I could get her to go back to sleep since she's gone all night without a feeding...

You don't have to feed her right away They're usually good for some time after they wake up and aren't ravenous. whatever our lo prefers!

HTH?

[hchasey]

Thanks for your response. So, I guess what you're saying is that once we're on a 4-hour routine, it won't always necessarily be 7, 11, 3, 7 eating times...it'll depend on when she wakes in the morning and we go from there each day? Her last feed and bed time will depend on what time she starts the day. Correct?

[Jiinx]

you got it.

[hchasey]

Alright then, that's what we'll do! This morning, though, I heard a short sound from her room around 6 a.m. So, I checked the monitor and sure enough, she was kicking her legs up and moving her head from side to side. I decided to let her be for a bit, but she ended up falling back to sleep for ten minutes, then waking up, then falling back to sleep...she did this a few times until I went down at 7 a.m. She was asleep when I went in to wake her. So, I decided to "start" the day at 7 (versus 6). Was that the right call?

[NicolleD]

My DD does that a lot - wake sleep for the last hour, I start from when she is properly awake, but have to watch her cues carefully as often she can't quite manage the full 2 hours that she normally can because of the broken sleep.

[Jiinx]

I would say in between 6 and 7am..as the rest between is not completely restorative and she'll get tired quicker than if she actually slept straight from 6 to 7.

make sense?

[hchasey]

Yes, makes sense. Thanks for your advice!