8 month old with multiple night wakenings and early rising

[Caroline5555]

Please can anyone help - I am desperate! My DS is just over 8 months and still doesn't sleep for prolonged periods at night, plus wakes around 5am every morning. I can't take it anymore! He was fully breastfed till 6 months, then combination fed (breast morning and evening, formula at other times) until a week ago and is now fully formula fed. He was 9lb at birth and has no health issues. He goes down for naps well in the day, though the length of his naps is variable (30 min - 2 hours). He has either 2 or 3 naps a day, depending on their length. His awake time is about 2.5 hours. Very roughly (as we don't have a great routine), this is how his day goes:

0500 wakes (doesn't usually want milk anymore)
0600 breakfast (porridge or cereal with milk on it)
0730-approx 0900 nap in cot
1030 milk (offered 7oz but sometimes doesn't want much) and small snack (e.g. couple of rice cakes)
1130 lunch
1200 nap (variable length 1-2 hours)
1500 milk (offered 7oz and usually takes most of it)
1600 nap (usually approx 30 minutes but can be 60 minutes if short lunchtime nap)
1700 tea
1900 milk (takes 7oz) in dark nursery
1930 sleep
2230/2300ish wakes, nappy changed and offered milk (until recently he used to take 7oz as a "dream feed" but the past week he has not wanted any milk but is still waking at this time)
Any time between midnight and 0300 wakes and takes 7oz milk if had none earlier (I try not to give him any milk if he had a good feed at 2300)

If there are any other night wakenings we don't feed him.
He is quick to settle for his day naps usually, but recently is taking longer to settle when he wakes in the night (up to an hour).
It is impossible to get him to go back to sleep when he wakes at 5am - he is bright, alert and ready to start the day!
He often does a poo around 5am which doesn't help!

I really want him to wake less overnight and sleep in later than 5am (this morning it was 4:30am) - please help!
How much should he be sleeping in the day?
Should I try controlled crying at night?
Should I reduce the amount of feeds I offer him?
Does he need longer A time? (Though he does go down easily for his naps after around 2.5-2.75 hours)?

I feel like I'm exhausted, in chaos and don't know where to start! :-(

[FPT23]

Hi there!

So sorry for all the troubles! Sounds tiring but I'm sure your doing the best you can! Many hugs your way! It's really hard sometimes- feel free to vent away!

Well, at first glance- it could very possibly be your A times. At 8 months it is between 3-4 and some are getting more. 2.5 A time is normally for 5-6 mo. For starters, EWs can be developmental, but sometimes it can be due to the morning nap coming too early. For a few days, you really need to push out that first nap. It will be tough, and tiring. He may seem very tired at first and he probably will be, but you need to keep consistent with it. Try increasing by 15 mins every few days. Stick with it and see if you have any improvement. "ideally" you want the first nap closer to the 9/10am mark (depending on WU and once it becomes a more decent time too) and his second nap around 1/2 pm, BT by 6-7pm give or take.

Another thing here is that most babies are down to 2 naps a day by now. Once your increase your A times, you will see you don't need that last little CN you have in there.

A few other factors to fit into the possible NWs (if once routine is tweaked and they still occur) ...there is a growth spurt around the 8.5/9 mth age, more or less. Also, never rule out possible teething so medicate when your feel is necessary.

Hope this helps! Xo

[Caroline5555]

Thank you so much for your speedy response. I am so grateful as I've just been too tired to think out any sensible strategies by myself! Will give it a go.....

[FPT23]

I know it's tough! Hang in there and hope these little tips can help make a difference!

[Caroline5555]

So...things are better but I'm still looking for some more advice please!

I have increased his A time and reduced him to 2 naps. I no longer give him milk overnight and have dropped the dream feed. I have starting sticking to the following pretty strict daytime schedule:

Wakes 5am (this is still a daily problem!) - always wide awake and won't settle, often done a poo, have tried just changing him and putting him down, have tried changing and feeding him and putting him down, neither worked. So I'm still just getting up with him at 5am. So...

0500 wakes, 7oz bottle
0600 breakfast
0900 nap (I wake him at 45 mins)
1130 lunch
1300-1500 nap (often 1300-1430)
1500 7oz bottle
1700 tea
1900 7oz bottle and bed

The good news is that for the past three nights he has slept through from 7pm-5am, but how can I get him to wake a bit later?? Anything after 6am I could cope with!

[FPT23]

Oh yay great news! Glad the tips worked for you sounds amazing!

Early wakes at this age can be developmental! So keep that in mind.

Something I always remind moms (because we forget hehe!) is to make sure there is no discomfort. Teething or tummy troubles from new foods.

Also, make sure he room is blacked out. Make sure that the sun light from the beginning of the day doesn't wake him. That's common as well.

But mostly, a lot of times it is developmental.

However, with early wakes, sometimes it can mean the morning nap is coming too soon. Remember, their A times are 3-4 hours now. I would try pushing his first nap out. I know it seems crazy and he will be OT but until he adjusts. You can always give that a try as it tends to be helpful sometimes!

Also, when he wakes at 5am, what are you doing? I would try not to make it a habit to start your day w/ him at 5am... They can easily get used to this. Have you tried to resettle back to sleep? That's sometimes another accidental parenting prop we end up doing. I know I did it and wish I hadn't with DS1 hehe.

Here's a link that is worth reading into. There is more tips here that you may want to consider too:

Early Waking

Hope this is helpful and again, congrats on the longer nights and long sleep!