Almost 6 months and early morning wakings

[katkniep]

Hi

My LO has started some early morning wakings. I've been introducing food in the past couple of weeks and she's started being able to roll over and now insists on only sleeping on her tummy. She's started getting off to sleep with no problem. She uses a paci.
She gets a night feed at about 10.30 and until these early morning wakings, she was just waking up at about 3am for a bottle.
I'm feeding her about every 4 hours and she normally has an awake time of 2 hours.  She usually wakes up between 6-7.
Her naps range from 35mins-1.5 hours. I've never been able to get her into long napping by herself, even after days of trying to make the naps longer.

I have the feeling that these wakings have coincided with her sleeping on her tummy..

Sample EASY:
Awake 5am-6.17am
A 8.00
E 8.40
S 10.10
A 10.45
E 12.00
S 12.55
A 14.25
E 15.35
S 16.25
A 17.07
E 18.48
S 19.04

DF 22.35

[Skadiver13]

Hi hun, when she wakes is she happy or upset. Is she trying to roll back to her back and can't?

[katkniep]

Hi

She's kind of grumpy and rolling about, sometimes she's on her back and trying to get on her front, and sometimes on her front and seems to be uncomfortable. This morning she didn't do it though!
I end up moving her to my bed sometimes and then she sleeps. I know it's a terrible habit i need to stop before she starts waking just for that!

Kat x

[Skadiver13]

Hi hun, yes I agree no more moving her to your bed otherwise you'll just have one more problem to solve. I only bring my lo to bed when he's sick and only as a last resort.  If she's not crying leave her to it she'll eventually get comfortable or learn to roll. Does she go back to sleep if you flip her over? Make sure she gets lots of practice during the day.

[katkniep]

She's just started sleeping in her cot for her naps without problems. We usually have her in an extension bed on our bed, so she's always slept next to me, but in her own space.
Yeah she just keeps complaining, not really crying. She can roll about by herself but she's always in this kind of half awake state. She sleeps perfectly again when i flip her and is practising like a champ in the day time

I'm just a bit uncertain to why she's started with this early morning waking!

[Skadiver13]

have you thought about moving her to her own crib or room? I wouldnt flip her or she wont get used to resettlimg in a position she fonds herself in. just make sure she gets lots of practice as it seems you are. I think she's also in the midst of needing mor A time and going to two naps.

[katkniep]

Sorry i meant that she has had her own cot, which is attached to our bed (babybay), but now i've been putting her down for naps in her big crib, seeing as the cot is just about too small for her now. We won't be doing own room for a while, until at least she drops the night feeding and can sleep though.
It's hard not to help her as she wakes herself up the more she shifts around, but i will try tonight and see - thanks
Funnily enough i noticed the A time problem yesterday, we've now extended to about 2.5 hours. Because she's a short napper in general i have no idea how to move to 2 naps. I get happy when she takes only 3 a day
I'm going to see how the longer A time goes and if that has an effect on the waking

xx

[Skadiver13]

Hi hun, it may be better off to have her sleeping in the same place during both naps and at night. Especially if you are going to ST her. This way she is comfortable with one location and is sure that this is where she is supposed to sleep. I know it's hard but just leave her be. I had the same problem which is exactly why I moved my lo to his own room even though he was still waking. I actually found it hleped him sleep through much better as he wasn't distrubed anymore by me or my DH tossing about. I also found I slept better because I didn't hear him tossing around and since he wasn't crying I know he didn't need me.  She needs to learn to get comfortable in different positions so she's not always looking for you to help her.  Honestly I would try and just leave her be.

As for the naps I definetely wouldn't ever do more than 3 no matter how bad she sleeps. Have you tried doing EBT on a bad nap day instead of doing a CN?

[katkniep]

Hi

She slept in her big crib for the first time yesterday for 1 nap and today for 3, i thought gradually easing her into the other crib would be better than a sudden bang there you go kind of thing? I had planned to move her for nights in the next couple of days as the babybay is just too small now.

An EBT on some days would mean 17.15/17.30 - wouldn't that mean an earlier wake time?

Thanks for your help I will do the non assisting tonight and fingers crossed!

x

[Skadiver13]

Yeah I think that's a great idea. Go ahead and transition her to the crib for all sleeps and I think that may help her get comfortable.  Sometimes lo's will tack on lost day sleep and suprise you and do a 13hr night. It never worked with my lo but he was (still is) an EW it's just his way. but many parents have luck with an EBT. So basically on 2 naps keep your day to maybe 11.5hrs so that the day isn't too long but EBT may help catch up lost sleep from bad naps.  So the day would look something like (using your EASY From above)

w: 6:15
S: 10:10-10:45  this is an OT nap so you'd want to lessen the next A time
S: 12:55-14:25 (this is a good nap)
BT 5:30

Hopefully this way she'll tack on the lost day sleep from the 1st nap but she's not OT when going to bed so she's more likely to sleep later.

[katkniep]

Thanks for your help on this
I'll give the longer A times a few days to see if there is an improvement (like this morning), as it's only been 1 day so far. Then i will try the EBT when that doesn't work.

I'm always too worried about messing with more than one thing at a time, am i overcautious?

[Skadiver13]

It will definetely take time when strecthing A times. Just remember on a short nap to reduce the next A time not stretch it. So work on stretching the 1st A maybe 10-15min and hold it there. It can take a bit to work.  Nope you aren't it takes me forever to make changes and usually I wait until I'm so exhausted and it can't get worse.