Can someone tell me why my kid is waking at 3am?!?

[Mommyadel]

My little one is 15 months... Routine is as follows
Awake:6/6:30
Eats 8:45am
Eats: 11:45
Sleep:12-1:45/2pm ( sometimes it's just an hour - varries)
Eat 3pm
Eat 5:30/6pm
Sleep7pm

She wakes around 3/4am what seems every night!! We have to coax her back to sleep and if we are lucky she will. Some mornings we have to give her a bottle to get her to go back to bed and she will other times she's ready to start the day at 3/4am!! We give her a dream feed at 10 pm in hopes she will sleep til 6am at least! But sometimes she wakes again ... I'm pretty sure she is teething so we usually give Motrin at her bed time bottle so help with pain. Any suggestions on how to get her back on track? Any help is appreciated!!

[becj86]

The pain meds will have worn off by then, so could be pain waking her.

Otherwise, could just be dreaming or a habit thing - I'd try wake to sleep in your shoes, I think. It might otherwise be time to start capping her nap - has she been low sleep needs so far?

[Mommyadel]

So you think I should wake her 20-30mins before to see if it eliminates the habit? He naps are good, she will sleep about 1:30hrs on average. Sometimes it's more.... I'm not sure it seems like it's been going on for awhile

[becj86]

When did she go to one nap?

Wake to sleep is an hour before at night. Not a full waking, just enough to get her to stir, so stroke her cheek or something, when she moves or sighs, you've done your job. I'd give that a go for a week and see if it helps.

[Katet]

At 15mo her metabolism should be such that she should be able to go 12-15 hours with no food. So firstly I'd cut back the dream feed as it is actually confusing her metabolism & disturbing her sleep cycle so she re-sets & gets out of deep sleep at the early time. , I'd then only offer water when she wakes, then you can totally remove food as an influence.

[Mommyadel]

How would you suggest going about cutting the dream feed? A few oz at a time over the course of the week?

[becj86]

Thanks Kate, great pickup - I didn't see the DF there... Yep, so you can water it down or reduce amounts or just stop. Whichever way you choose, really. IIWM, I'd probably just increase her afternoon calories by a little and decrease the dreamfeed gradually - how much is it at the moment?