i want to start by saying that my DS is a very good, independent sleeper. he sleeps 13.5-14 hours a day and loves to sleep. he is also a big boy...very tall and 24 lbs. so, he eats a lot, too.
for the past few months, DS always wakes 10 hours after going to bed and acts like it is time to wake up. i know from experience that if he sleeps less than 10.5 hours a night the day is very hard for him and he can't stay up for his usual 3-3.5 hours of A time between naps. so i go in, change him, give him a small bottle (4-5oz) and put him back down. 9 times out of 10 he goes back to sleep...after 45 minutes of being awake! argh! but he will sleep anywhere from 45-90 minutes, so i KNOW he needs that additional sleep. the days he doesn't go back to sleep are very difficult and i prefer not to get him up after only 10 hours.
over the past 2 weeks we have had 3 night where DS slept 10h45m w/o waking. yay! i am pretty sure those night he had an 3h15m A time before bed so i try to stick to that but with his naps being wonky lately (8mo sleep regression? teething?) nothing i do before BT seems to help. is he just hungry? is he OT? is he just learning on his own time how to make it closer to 11 hours straight? any help will be appreciated!
here is a typical schedule for us:
4:30/5am wake...4oz bottle, back to bed
6-7am wake
7/7:30am E - solids
3/3:15 A time
8:30/9am E 7/8oz bottle
9/10am S for 1-1.5 hours
11:30/12pm...E...solids
3:15/3:30 A time
1pm E 7oz bottle 1:15/2pm nap 1.5 hours
4pm E small bottle (trying to get rid of this usually only 4oz)
5pm E dinner...solids
3.15-3:30A time
6/6:30 8oz bottle
bedtime ranges from 6-7:30pm...but usually is around 6:30/7
