Does Wake to Sleep work?

[duongo]

i'm thinking of doing wake to sleep on my LO (6 months) who has been getting up too early...anytime from 5 to 5.45, more so the early part of 5. It's never the same time though. So i'm not sure if wake to sleep will work....does it have to be the same time every night for it to be habitual?

[mmom]

What is your routine like? Maybe we can tweak it a little?  Can you post in in EAS format?

I have done W2S and it worked for me.  But it worked when I had exhausted all other options.

[duongo]

Hi kara

before his early wakings, he was doing 7-7 (give or take half hour).

currently with his early wakings, i have been putting him to bed early if he doesn't take a late afternoon cat nap, and his easy is like this:

5.15/5.30- wake, but i don't go into him til at least 6, as he just babbles til then.
6.30 /6.45    - milk feed
8/8.15 -     nap (he's very very tired by this time). naps for 1.5 hrs (sometimes just over one hour).
10.30/11 - solid feed
12/12.30 - nap. he naps 1 hr to 1.5 hr.
2.30/3pm- milk feed

here's where things can go 2 ways:

a) often he goes down for a catnap 4.30- 5.
5- dinner
6.15- bedtime routine
7- asleep

but he still wakes early.

b) sometimes he fights his catnap. the last 2 days he has fought it. if this happens it looks like this:
4.30 - dinner
5.30 - bedtime routine
6 - asleep

i really don't want to make his new bedtime as 6.
if you can suggest anything to help, i'd be so grateful
 

[mmom]

Well, I know you aren't going to want to hear this, but it isn't an EW if his bedtime is 6.  He is actually getting a nice long night.

What you could to to try and push the day back, is push back that first nap.  You may get an OT nap that you have to extend, but it would give you a shot of a later nap.

[duongo]

hi Kara

i only started doing the 6 bedtime because of his early wakings and when he's not getting a catnap in the late afternoon. his usual bedtime is 7pm, and he used to wake 6.30/7......but he's been waking 5am even with this bedtime.
perhaps i should have posted what his routine WAS before his EW?

[mmom]

No, because unfortunately, that won't help you now.   I would still say now that you have established an early BT (which I get because of dropping the cat nap), I would try pushing the whole day back.  So start that first nap later in the day.

[duongo]

so if he wakes at 5 ish, i should still try for a 8.30/9 nap, so his A is way over 3 hrs?

[mmom]

Yes, not very BW, but it might help start the day at a decent time.  You might get an OT nap that you have to extend though.