Author Topic: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!  (Read 3595 times)

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Offline Mackjack

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FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« on: July 25, 2014, 08:52:42 am »
Hi there,
DS is 27 wks old. I've had various sleep issues but to summarise he is an independent sleeper, on a 4 hr EASY, can handle A time of between 2.5-3hrs, STTN, controlled reflux, on solids (we're doing BLW), recently switched from EBF to formula feeding.

The issue is that for weeks now he is waking between 5-5.30. It doesn't matter what time he goes to bed (I've tried as early as 6 and as late as about 8/8.30), how many naps he has or how long they are. It is driving me crazy!!

The other morning, I woke at 4am so thought as I was up, I might as well try WTS but when I looked in his room he was shuffling about and seemed very restless so I thought I would be risking waking him so didn't do it. I also woke at 3.40 the other night and noticed he was wedged horizontally in his cot so moved him - he woke and smiled at me but went back to sleep. Although a little early in the night for WTS, I was hopeful that this might have had a similar effect and disrupted his sleep enough to 'reset' his clock but sadly not! I also tried PUPD for 1hr 20 the other morning and it made no difference at all. He seems to wake in the morning with a start and cry/whinge but when I go in he is smiley and blowing bubbles.

Up until Weds when DD finished preschool, 5 days of the week his naps were a mess as the school run totally disrupts his day and he gets 30mins there, 15mins here etc so I was hoping that once we were in the holidays, his naps might get better which might improve the EW. It's only been 2 days and his naps haven't been amazing but no improvement so far. He may be going through the 3-2 transition but when I've tried to only give him 2 naps at the weekend, it has meant a long A time before BT (about 3 hours) and I think that's too much for him - but I couldn't give him less A time because BT would be ridiculously early.

Here's our EASY:

TUES
WU 5.20
E 5.40
S 8.30-9 on school run
E 9.30
S 15mins on way to preschool and another 15 on way back - so he woke about 12.15
E 13.30
S 10mins in car about 14.30-14.40
S still really tired so went down for a nap at 16.00 really easily - woke at 16.50 (think he was woken by DD)
E17.40
S 18.50 - tried an earlier A time before bed and he went down easily
NW 20.40 - settled easily - OT?

WEDS
WU 5.20
E 5.40
S had a nap before school run which I had to wake him up from before we left 7.40-8.20
E 9.30
S 10.40-11.35 - again, I had to wake him to pick up DD and he slept a little bit more on the way
E 13.30
S Fell asleep on way to DD's ballet about 13.40-14.00 then again on way back so I put him straight in his cot and he sletp 15.00-15.45
E 17.30
S 18.15

THURS
WU 5.20
E 5.40
S 8.20-9.40
E 9.45
S 12.35 fidgeted for a while before falling asleep and only slept 40 mins til 13.10 - OT?
E 13.45
S 15.50-16.55 I woke him from this as I was worried it was a bit too long so close to BT
E 18.10
S Was rubbing eyes so went to put him down at 18.50 but realised he'd filled his nappy so had to bring him back downstairs to change him. This seemed to send him over the edge and when I tried to put him down he had a meltdown - asleep by about 19.30

Woke up this morning at 5.35

He is currently still napping after going down at 8.10 (it's now 9.50). I will probably let him go no more than 2 hours...?

Any thoughts gratefully received!!

Offline Mackjack

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2014, 09:04:42 am »
PS - this morning when he woke at 5.35, I held him for about half an hour just to try to get him back to sleep or at least string out his feed til a little later. He was closing his eyes on nd off  but really fidgeting (and cooing!) so didn't go back to sleep.

Offline Buntybear

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2014, 17:40:57 pm »
Bumping for you   :)

Offline PuppyLuf

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2014, 18:35:48 pm »
I'm not sure where you live, but my son (same age, same general situation) has been doing the same thing.  I realized one of the factors was that it is light here at 5:30.  This started in May / June, so I completely blacked out his windows.  Like jet lag, waking up early due to light takes about 2 weeks to get over (resetting circadian rhythms).  If his room isn't blacked out completely, you may want to try that for a few weeks.  I noticed my son falling back asleep on his own after his EMW much more easily when the room was dark.  I read that for it to really truly work, you have to make it so there is no difference whatsoever in the darkness level from middle of night to morning. HTH.

Offline Mackjack

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2014, 20:54:54 pm »
Hi.  Thanks Puppyluf. Sorry for the delayed reply.  Where we are at the moment is if he has 2 good naps (1.5/2hrs) and an early BT (about 6) he will usually do about 12 he's at night and wake at a decent time. However if he has rubbish short naps - whether that's a few little ones when we're out and about or 2 short ones and an app 3rd one,  then we usually get EW.  Its so frustrating because if his first nap is short then that's it - I know we're going to have an EW the following day and there's nothing I can do about it. I don't know if its because I'm too scared to do a really short A time before bed when he's had short naps - I never really go below 2hrs A time?

Offline Mackjack

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #5 on: August 03, 2014, 20:56:45 pm »
Sorry, that's meant to say "12hrs" at night and "apop" 3rd one.

Offline Mackjack

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2014, 20:11:52 pm »
And sorry Puppyluf like,  meant to say yes I wondered if it might be something like his room being too light but I think - *think*- it's too do with his naps and OT.  Although I'm open to suggestions...!

Offline Mackjack

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #7 on: August 04, 2014, 20:51:12 pm »
...not sure where that "like" came from in the first line!

Offline Mackjack

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #8 on: August 07, 2014, 19:10:03 pm »
Ok so now I have another problem but I think it's probably linked to the EWs/general OT!

 BT is beginning to get a little difficult. Usually, when I put him down for naps, I hold him, he lays on my shoulder and closes his eyes then I put him in the cot, he opens his eyes, looks at me and shuffles about as I leave the room and goes off to sleep. But now at BT when I hold him he's messing about - grabbing my face and hair, blowing bubbles. I usually put him down like this, leave the room and after a few minutes he'll start crying. So I wait a bit, go back in to ssh him and he'll start playing with me and smiling (even though I know he's tired). So I'll leave the room, he'll start crying, I go back in - etc, etc. Eventually, I have to pick him up and only when I've picked him up this second time will he settle on my shoulder.

Now, even though he's all smiley and playing, I think he's OT. Looking at today's EASY would you agree??

NW woke at 5am, whinged a bit til 5.10 went back to sleep.
WU 6.10
E 6.15
S 9.05 -11.00 went down easily and I had to wake him from this nap
E 11.00
S 14.00 only slept 45 mins - not sure if this was OT/UT?
E 15.00
E 17.45
S tried just before 18.00 and he did what I described above. Eventually went to sleep at 18.35

Offline PuppyLuf

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #9 on: August 09, 2014, 00:53:33 am »
OMG... I thought I had written this...  Your situation is exactly like mine.  MY LO's been doing this since six months and nothing much has changed (he's 7.5).  Early wakings, naps affecting them, smiling and playing when I come in, all of it.  He's finally getting out of the stage of trying to get me to stay in there by playing with him (I was bad and had to leave BW ideals to get him to stop that, but obviously don't recommend that as the best method).  The morning waking is still sporadic and affects his naps.  I think it's just that transition from 3-2 naps and it takes a long time.  Good luck and I hope someone has good ideas for you that I can steal!

Offline Mackjack

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #10 on: August 09, 2014, 23:29:27 pm »
Hi Puppyluf. Glad someone else feels my pain. I've noticed the past couple of nights that if I manage to keep the A time before bed to about 2.45 (especially if hes had a rubbish 2nd nap) he goes to bed easier  - but I'm finding I have to hold him at BT til he really calms down and starts to close his eyes. Did this last night and he slept exactly 12hrs  I.e6.10pm-6.10am which was amazing especially as he had 2 naps of almost 2hrs (he woke briefly around 9 is and needed resettling but I think that's because he has a cold). Today we had 3 naps - 50mins,  1hr and 35 mins - again, think these were due to his cold.  I'm guessing he's just incredibly sensitive to OT and so is struggling with the 3-2. Think that's what it is with your LO?

Offline Mackjack

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #11 on: August 11, 2014, 14:11:33 pm »
Ok now we're getting shortish naps of about 1hr 20 for the past couple of days - is this length nap usually OT or UT? OR something else? Can't remember.

He had a 3 hr A time in the morning yesterday then a 1hr 20 nap, then a 2hr 45 A time and another 1hr 20 nap. Then I intended to get him to bed about 6pm but he fell asleep in the car for 5 mins so it ended up being about 6.30. He went to bed fine but woke after 45 mins. I was trying to settle him for ages and he was just playing with me so DH took over and he went mental - really cried. Finally got him down after about 45mins ( I had to take over again and cuddle him to calm him down). He slept til 6am with a brief wake at 12.30 as he'd got stuck on his front.

Today, he had a 3 hr A time this morning, slept 1hr 20. Then I intended to just give him 2hr45 A time but  he seemed ok so kept him up for 3hrs. Went down absolutely fine but woke up at 1hr20. He was very upset when I went into him but was soon smiling.... So he woke at 14.40. I tend to go for early BT on days like this so am going to try for about 17.40 (which is still a long A before bed but I'm a bit scared to do it any earlier and I don't have the energy to try for a 3rd nap - 3 naps usually give us an EW anyway).

Offline Mackjack

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #12 on: August 11, 2014, 18:12:21 pm »
Got him into bed at 17.50....and he woke at 45mins again. Aaargh, what's going on?!?!?

Offline Lindsay27

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #13 on: August 11, 2014, 18:16:11 pm »
I am thinking he's slightly UT - have you tried pushing the A time to a little over 3hrs for his naps?  Maybe 3.15?  I'd give that a go and see what happens :)



Offline Mackjack

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Re: FED UP with 5am/5.30am WU (6mo)!
« Reply #14 on: August 11, 2014, 21:10:07 pm »
I haven't tried that yet, no. Do you think that the WU 45 mins after bed was OT too as he didn't seem UT, he was quite upset.  Or do you think he's UT for his naps so he's having short ones and is then OT for BT??