Waking every 45min to 1hr between 3-5:30am then won't go back to sleep....

[tel33015]

Morning Other Super Mummies

My LO is almost 6 months old and from reading lots of the posts, so much can be going on with them right now! Hubby and I have been battleing EW for what seems like forever but I just don't feel like I am getting anywhere and along with the 5:30ish get ups he has been waking at 3ish and then every 45-1hr after that. This morning he woke at 5:45 which can you believe is an improvement 

He does have a dummy, which I am happy for him to have. He is also swaddled which I want to wean but we are heading on holiday next week and going to wait until after that. Not fighting that too much anyway.

I have been working on extending his A times as I think he may be on the road to the 3-2 transition, one of the wonderful moderators suggested this too in my last post...so our day pretty much looks like this at the moment.


Awake: 5:30am ( try never to get him up before 6:30/6:45, mostly happy to just lie and talk etc)
Eat: 7:00 - never feed earlier as trying not to promote early get ups. He handles this ok, never been a super hungry boy in am.
Sleep: 8:30am - again never earlier

Usually sleeps 2 hrs

Eat: 11:00
Solids: 12:30 - just started this one a 2 days ago
Sleep: 12:50 (upto 2hr20min A time)

Usually sleeps 1.5/2hrs

Eat: 3:00
Sleep: 5:00-5:05 (upto 2hr15min A time) ...30 min catnap

Solids: 6ish
Bath, Bottle and Bed around 7:30 (2hr A time)

Just writing this it sounds like a long day doesn't it?  Maybe too much sleep during the day? I feel that his A time is not enough for me to drop catnap yet? Are 2 hrs too long for him to sleep during he day? I always, always have to wake him during the day, rarely wakes on his own.

His first sleep is at 8:30...which is generally an 3hr A time, should I be slowly increasing this as well to try and stop EW? Where do I stop...guess it would be my ideal first sleep time?

Sorry so many questions  Not really sure what to do...the only thing I can think of is to shorten his naps to 1.45 and then again to 1.5 hrs while increasing A time?

Any thoughts would be wonderful Thanks

[Erin M]

At his age, I think I would focus more on increasing A times than shortening naps, especially since you want to get rid of that cat nap.  For the first nap, I'd try some more A time -- since he's in his crib and possible dozing a bit for the first good bit of it, I wouldn't count that as a full A time, just most of one (if that makes sense).  Have you ever tried pushing that first A time to see how he does?  That would be what I would try first, at least.

[tel33015]

Thanks for your reply Erin 

Happy to try pushing his first A time. If I increase his first A time and next A time and still have the 2 hr naps, its going to be too late to do a catnap do you think? Do I just put him to bed super early? He has never given me a 12 hour night....putting him to bed early, would that just keep the EW until I get his A time on track?

If he wakes at 5:30 and I keep pushing his A time to 9-9:30...I feel kinda guilty keeping him up that long Hope the EW get better before it gets that far!

Do you think that he is waking up so much because he needs to drop the catnap? I really have no idea  I suppose the only way to go is increase his A time and with that comes losing that catnap?

Thanks

[becj86]

Losing the catnap happens around 6 months (some a little earlier and some later) but the EW is a classic sign its time to increase the A time to around 3hr  and drop the CN. Once you get 3x3hr A and 2x1.5-2hr naps, you'll be looking at an 11-12hr night. Extending the night often happens as LO drops day sleep and equilibrates back to 'normal' soon after.

[tel33015]

Thanks so much becj86....appreciate it. Will work on getting to 3hrs and dropping CN and see how it goes.

 Not sure what I would do without you all and this forum!