EWU at 21 months

[lilamom]

Hi there!

We've been on a great schedule for a while at:

7:30am: wake
12:30pm: nap (2ish hours)
8:30pm: bed

Recently, though, we've been getting a ton of happy early wake ups.  Usually around 6:45am, but one morning as early as 5:30am!  She has been teething and had a bit of a virus, I think, but she is waking happy.

Would pushing the nap to 1pm help eliminate the early wakings?

Thanks!

[*Becky*]

the day looks pretty good to me but 5 hours A in the am is on the short side so yes try pushing the nap to 1pm with same BT and see what happens. If she has been teething it is likely to be part of it. Some people try meds around 3am to help with the EWing and if it is teeth related that will help hopefully.

[lilamom]

Thanks, Becky!  The two days we did nap at 1pm she slept til 7:45/8am!  BUT one night we had the latest bedtime she's probably ever had by accident (9pm) and the second night I think she was fighting a cold so she may have needed more sleep. I'm going to stick with 1pm for a while though, I think.

Thanks for the tip on the 3am meds... we'd tried 11pm, but that wasn't quite cutting it.

[*Becky*]

good luck x

[lilamom]

Thanks!

We're back to 6:45am wake ups.   But now she is doing really long naps, too...

Yesterday
6:45am: up
1-4:30pm: nap (she NEVER does this and has been sick)
8:45pm: bed

Today
6:45am: up
1:30-4pm: nap (put down late b/c of church and she cried out at 2 and 3pm)

She is really cranky for the first 20-30 minutes when she takes a long nap but I really hate waking her up.   Maybe I should do a 1pm nap and limit to 2 hours?  She acts tired before 1pm, but then sometime still babbles a bit before drifting off.

[*Becky*]

I would limit to 2 hours at this age tbh otherwise the day gets v long. Some lo's prefer the longer nap and shorter night though but it sort of depends on how cranky she is when you wake her and also how she copes with a 10 hour night..

[lilamom]

Thanks!  I limited to 2 hours 20 mins today. It's so rough to wake!

I'd love for her to do a 8pm-7:30am night...but currently she is only doing about 10 hours at night.  Is limiting naps usually successful in extending the night sleep??

[*Becky*]

yes it can be, it depends on the lo tbh. DS did really well with nap capping and tacked onto his nights but DD is not quite the same!