Going backward - 1 year early waking

[Vally]

I thought I was making progress with 2:1 nap and she was getting close to midday before having a nap. The last few weeks she has been waking at 5/530am and really grumpy. She has then been crashing out at 9am for an hour and then sleeps again in the afternoon for about an hour and then in bed for 7pm. What to do? She seems to be struggling with her teeth and has only just got her top teeth so not sure if this is the cause. Also this last week she has had a bad tummy and has had constipation. Please help

[*Becky*]

Really sounds like teeth to me - DS had chronic EW's with teeth. Have you tried giving her a dream feed meds? You can do it by syringe about 3am and see if it helps at all.

If she is teething it may not be possible to get her onto one nap but I would be careful offering the nap too early and for too long as it may reinforce the EW's. With DS we used to let him have half an hour max and then a longer pm nap.

[Vally]

Thanks. May try the dream feed with meds as she woke at 230am this morning really upset so I gave her meds and she woke at 630am. That's a good idea about just giving a short morning nap until she can manage with just 1 nap.

[*Becky*]

good luck - keep us posted xx

[Vally]

Poor DD has been really poorly today with a temperature of 40 and really constipated so think I just need to forget any routine plans for now until she is better. When she is better I will tackle EW again with your good ideas, will let you know how it goes x

[*Becky*]

poor thing
Hope she feels better soon xx

[Vally]

Ok so I think we have got into a vicious circle as she woke at 545 this morning. She then fell asleep at 8am and I woke her at 9am. She has just fallen asleep again at 11am so she is clearly tired. Would it be worth trying to put her to bed later tonight say at 8pm just to try and break the cycle?

[kiansmam]

i've fought with ew for 2yrs, since my lo was born. Fingers crossed i've finally cracked it. What i do is if he wakes early i give him a bottle of milk in his own bed and tell him it's sleep time, then leave the room. Most of the time he will go back to sleep on his own. On other occasions he will get up and come into my room. I automatically pick him up and put him back in his bed. I make NO eye contact and do not speak. I will then sit on his bedroom floor with my back towards him for 10mins then get up and leave. If he returns to my room i keep repeating this process. It only took me 3 mornings of doing this for him to get the idea. Most mornings he will now sleep till 6:45am. On the occasions he does wake early i repeat the same process. Hope this helps.

[Vally]

Thanks. I think if I gave her a bottle if milk in her cot it would end up everywhere although I guess worth a try. Do you think I should try and put get to bed later tonight? She is now on her third nap of the day which is very odd for her as she was getting close to 1 nap!! She was sick during the night so I expect that is why she is more sleepy today?

[kiansmam]

sorry i'm late replying, i'd would always keep bedtime the same no matter what. i too experimented with earlier/later bedtimes and tbh this made things worse. If she does crash early for a nap only let her have 15-20minutes then try to get her to take her midday nap.

[*Becky*]

is she still ill? if she is then let her sleep as and when she needs to.

[Vally]

Thanks both for your thoughts. I am not quite sure what's up but I don't feel she is 100% well due to the sickness last night. She has been unhappy for a few weeks, partly due to illness and she is really suffering with her teeth as they seem to be coming through very painfully and slowly. When she's tired she will just sleep wherever she is so really I just have to listen to her. However maybe I shouldn't her nap
For as long.

[*Becky*]

how are things?

[Vally]

Things are a bit better which I think is down to the fact that she is feeling better rather than anything I have changed. She is still on two naps and I find I have little control over these as when she is tired she will literally just fall asleep whether in my arms, car, sitting on the floor!!! She has been waking at 630am last two
Mornings which is better and as she goes to bed at 630/7 I guess I can't expect any more!

[*Becky*]

sounds good