Early wakings

[kitcat]

Well we have somewhat of an EASY works but in dropping the catnap I think we have an OT baby and this is causing EW. Our typical day used to begin between 6h30 and 7h and bedtime was between 7h30 and 8h depending on when she got up. Our first A time was 3h20 and the second A time is 3h25. Those give me two 1h20 naps. My problem is that for the last 5 days she has been waking at 5h30ish. Yesterday I gave her a catnap from 5h45-6h30 and bedtime at 8h but she was up at 5h15 so obviously we are doing something wrong... I'm not sure how to get back on track any suggestions.

Thanks.
Catherine

[*Liz*]

Can you post your EASY and the age of your LO for us?

 

[kitcat]

Sure. My lo is 7 months on Friday. Our day was like this today

5:15 wake-up (left in crib until 6h when was no longer happy)
6-6:30 play with dad - no hunger cues or anything until she saw me at 6h30
6:30 - bf
8 - solids
8:50 - sleep until 10:15
10:30 - bf
11:30 - solids
1:40 - sleep until 2:45 (this nap is usually longer but she refused to go back down, I don't think she sure she was UT since that same A time on Saturday gave us an OT nap)
3:00 - bf
now not sure what to do....

Before the early wakings we were on a later routine so we would end the last nap sometime between 3h45 and 4h30. In this case we would do a 8 pm bedtime but I'm thinking 7h30 tonight though I'm not sure she can handle 4:45 A time.... She has been able to successfully do 3.5 to 4h but now things are all over the place with the last A time. Yesterday she ended her last nap at 3h and so we had a catnap from 5:45 until 6:20 and bedtime at 8h but that was no good....

Any suggestions would be appreciated these 5 am wakings are brutal!!!

[*Liz*]

No - CNs will tend to backfire once your LO is on 2 solid naps. And early bedtime is usually the better option. It is a PITA though as bedtime too late gives you an OT EW and the CN gives you a UT 'robbed day for night' EW  .

Best thing to do is push that first nap as far out as you can. If your LO is staying in the cot until 6am anyway then you can often not count that to the A time. So I would try and extend that morning nap slowly to the time that you want it to be really, that will bring your pm nap back to a sensible time and fix bedtime. So it slowly to avoid OT though. If your LO starts 30 min OT napping first thing we will have to think again though.

1h 20 naps are so hard to interpret though  could be either a tad UT or OT - hopefully a little experimenting will work that one out for you.

I would avoid a CN and do a bedtime at 3ish hrs A if at all possible.

[kitcat]

Good to know about the catnap. So yesterday we ended keeping her up until 7:15.. So a last A of 4:30 and we got a much better wake-up time - 6:30.

So today so far our routine is

Awake at 5:40 talked a couple minutes but went back down until 6:30 (I think probably linked to a little OT before bed last night since on a good day I don't hear her at 5ish)
E 7
S at 9:50 - nap for 1:20... not sure what strategy I should try to get longer nap here since I thought 1:20 was ok.... I have also been starting the day the second I hear her should I try to extend to when I go get her...

My strategy was still to do a second A of 3:25 unless I get a better suggestion...

So if our last nap ends around 3:30 you would recommend a 6:30 bedtime. It is very early I'm worried


 Well yesterday we kept her

[*Liz*]

1h 20 naps are OK and often the best a LO will do for you. But I always wonder if it leaves them fully rested or not - I guess it depends on the LO  . It didn't *quite* for Jacob.

What bedtime do you aim for? What is your target wake-up time?

[kitcat]

I have wondered that as well but they are better than a 40 or 30 min nap so I let them go. Yesterday we got a 1h20 and a 1h30 so that was a good day. We did a 7h45 bedtime (last A of 3h30) and she got up at 6h40. I'm happy with that but wonder if should try and stretch the last A a bit more... Ideally we are aiming for a 7am wake-up but not sure what that shoudl mean for bedtime.

[*Liz*]

I wouldn't push that last A too much really else you will get OT EWs - 4hrs is quite a lot of your LOs A is 3-3.5hrs.

[kitcat]

Alright will stick with 3-3.5. Does that mean a really early bedtime (6ish) if the afternoon nap goes off one day?

[*Liz*]

Yes - if your LO responds to them.

Have you ever tried? Some LOs will just sleep 12-13 hrs at night to make up the lost sleep as long as you put them to bed at a sensible A so they are not OT already.

Others are less keen and then you have to balance it out a bit. My DS will not do longer than 11.5hrs at night so if he needs an early bedtime 6pm is my limit regardless - as if he EWs that will be 5am. And I can't handle earlier. Although TBH if he does EW before then I can often get him back to sleep. 5.30am plus and I can't.

[kitcat]

Never tried since have only been off the catnap for 1 month or so.  On bad days I would use those or a stroller ride to get her to last until 7h30ish. From past experience she rarely sleeps more than 11h at night so probably I should aim for 7 given that to date my early wakings have at worst been 5h15...

Thanks for all your help.