Please help! Almost 5mth old waking 30min after bedtime every night!

[KatyUK]

Hello I am new to this forum, I wonder if you could help?
My little one is 5months old on 11th of this month. She had been sleeping well from 8.30pm to 8.30am.  She self settles in minutes for naps and bedtime but these past few days she has woken at bedtime exactly 30mins after falling asleep and she cries and screams and won't resettle even though she is exhausted. I don't know how I can help her?

She has a rough routine of up at 8.30, nap at 10ish from 1-2hrs, nap at 2ish for 1-1 1/2hrs then final nap at 5.30 for 1-1 1/2hrs. Then by 8-8.30 she is ready for bed.

Any advice would be appreciated, it's so unlike her to scream for so long each night. 2hrs after this she goes to sleep and doesn't wake until the morning.  Why does she wake just this once? I don't get it!!!

Thank you!

[squeakersmum]

Hi there! And welcome to the boards!

Do you think that maybe she's moving towards increasing her A(wake) times and shortening that third nap? The wake up after 30 minutes sounds like she could be a bit undertired for bed - especially as she's then awake for a couple of hours.

Maybe try cutting her last nap by 15 minutes to see if that makes a difference?

[mimi1017]

I experienced the same around that time, and after trying so many things I found that she was ready for more A like 2 hrs. in between sleeps and 1.5 before CN and 2.5 hrs. after before BT...proceed slowly though like increasing by 15 mins. every 3 days and see if there is any improvement. HTH

[KatyUK]

Thank you both very much for your help!

I tried the 'wake to sleep' method last night, I gently woke LO a little 20 mins after she fell asleep and she didn't wake at all after that!  But it may have just been chance of course!!  I'm going to do it for another 2 nights and see how we go.

I think you are right that I should try to shorten her last nap and hopefully keep her going a little longer before settling her for the night.

Thank you!
Katy

[squeakersmum]

I'm glad tge wake to sleep worked for you! Fingered crossed for you for tonight! Let us know how it goes!

[KatyUK]

Hmmm... Well... It worked the first night - It didn't last night!!!  She woke about an hour after going to sleep and stayed awake crying/moaning for 1 1/2hrs before settling for the night!

She has woken an hour earlier than normal today so i wonder if that's going to confuse things even more?!

I'll try the wake to sleep method again tonight as I think it can take a few days to really work?

All advice appreciated - thank you!
Katy

[mimi1017]

You can continue to try it, but maybe try increasing the first A by 15 mins. for 3 days and see how it goes? How does your EASY look like now?

[squeakersmum]

If that were my DD I would say under tired for sure - we've always had early mornings with UT.  I agree with pp that increasing that A time over a few days might help.

I'm afraid I'm not good on W2S - I was never brave enough to try it!!!!

Good luck for tonight!

[KatyUK]

Thank you ladies - I'm glad I found this forum - you are great!!

Todays routine went differently as LO woke earlier...

7.30 - woke
fell asleep on me at 9am, slept to 10.35
12.35 slept until 2.30pm
4.10pm fell asleep again (tried to make her wait but she dropped off herself!) until 5.30

8pm exhausted and went to bed - asleep in seconds.  Tried the wake to sleep again 25mins later.
Woke crying at 9pm and has just this minute finally gone back to sleep at 11pm!

I think she struggled to stay awake for 2hrs between naps as she didn't have a long enough nighttime sleep?
It's strange, she can most days wait the 2hrs between naps apart from the first nap, she's nearly always falling asleep just 1 1/4-1 1/2hrs after waking for the morning.

I'm a little unsure how to modify the routine?
She was sleeping through fine until a week or so ago... I guess she doesn't need as much sleep suddenly?
It's a shame, it's all gone to pot and she seems to be getting more tired each day!

Thank you for your help, i'd love to hear your thoughts on how I can help this to not spiral out of control!

[mimi1017]

It's a ut/OT cycle you are in and they are the worst! If she dozes off after 1.5 A tomorrow because of a short night then just wake her a bit to stretch her 10 mins. and then maybe try stretching the second A to 2.25 and although it may not be a long nap, hopefully she'll make up for it at BT.

[KatyUK]

Ok I shall try hard to extend her awake time of the first two awake periods of the day. What should her sleep lengths be?

Thank you!

[mimi1017]

After extending the first one you might get 1hr. 15mins., maybe 45 mins....if so, then do the second one to 2.25A...you want to go slow to avoid OT by BT.

[KatyUK]

Tonight went well, lo hasn't woken since being settled for the night hooray!!
She has been exhausted today though. We were out first thing this morning and that helped keep her awake longer before the first sleep - probably too long though.

She woke at 7.40am
Slept 10.10-11.15 and woke herself
Slept 1.20-2.25 woke herself again and was very tired.
Slept 4.25-5.40 I struggled to wake her up as she was exhausted.
Bedtime 8pm (managed to keep her going a bit longer than usual) and not a sound since then!

Now I'm not sure of the routine I should keep to? I think she needs more day sleep or perhaps she's just tired after the past few days? What should her nap lengths be capped to to ensure she sleeps through the night from bedtime?

Thank you!

[mimi1017]

That's great, just fx she doesn't have an OT NW?  hopefully not.  Probably stick to 2 hrs. A for the morning for 3-4 days, and the nap should slowly start lengthening, so if it is a good nap then do 2.25 next A (since you were at 2 hrs. already), 1.5-2 hrs. before third nap depending on previous nap (which most likely will become a CN now that her As are increasing).  Hopefully you'll get your sttn back, keep us updated