Early morning waking!!

[LucySol]

Any help would be most appreciated! My 4 month old has recently started waking for the day at around 5-5.30. She’s waking very happy, singing away and no amount of re settling is working- she’s awake for the day! She’s always stirred around this time but has always been easy to resettle back to sleep till 6-6.30 which I can cope with as I have to be up myself by 6.30. No 2 days are the same. She always falls asleep on the school run in the car about 7.40 ish and 2 hour A times give me 45 min nap whereas 2.15 A will give longer 1.5/2hr naps .

Yesterday Her day looked  like this:
5-5.30 wake up
6 am 6oz bottle
7.30-8.15/30 nap in the car during school run.
9-9.30 6oz bottle
10.30-11.00 sleep in pushchair as was out
12.30 6oz bottle
1.15- 2.45 sleep ( I have to wake up for the school run) she will then
Doze on and off in the car untill 3ish)
4pm bottle
5pm she’s needing a bit of a catnap here- I normally let her have 15/20 minutes but this is stopping her going to sleep at bedtime as she’s singing away from half an hour so I’ve been thinking about doing early bedtime,
Bedtime is 6.30/7 depending on if she’s had the catnap

Many thanks!

[creations]

Hi
It looks like your LO is waking earlier because her first nap is coming at 7.30 on the school run so in effect she is giving herself the A time she needs prior to that nap (which makes sense really).
One option would be to just let her get up at 5.30 as the routine is kind of working for you in that sense - and get yourself to bed an hour earlier too so you don't miss your own night sleep.
Another option would be to shift the whole day on aiming to avoid the car run nap and her not being tired until you get home. For instance waking at 7am and not being tired until 9.15am then being able to do a good nap at home.  Of course if you shift the day on it impacts on the timing of the afternoon nap too and that could be a good thing or not for you.
There could be a chance of:
WU 7
A 2hr 15
S 9.15 - 10.45 (1hr 30)
A 2hr 15
S 1pm - 3pm (2hr or waking at 2.45 for school run)
A 2hr
CN 5 - 5.45
BT 7pm ish or whatever suits based on having had the CN, it could be a bit later than 7pm but you probably don't want it earlier if you aim for a 7am WU next morning, if anything it could be later than 7pm, maybe 7.45pm or 8pm to allow for 11hr night sleep which is what she's currently doing.

She's probably a bit young to drop the CN and go for EBT, I would be concerned that it could cause some OT leading to EW or that if it did not cause OT the EBT would not help to shift the WU time the following day.  Of course you know her best though so take all your knowledge and experience into account when considering my ideas

Not a simple solution but perhaps some options to think about.

[LucySol]

Thanks so much for your reply. I could definitely make that suggested routine work it’s getting her to wake later in the first place to be able to do it! I find that with the CN she tends to resist bedtime a bit more and lies awake singing for ages! I can give it another go though!

Yesterday she did-
W.U 5.40
S-7.50-8.30
S- 10.50-1pm
S- 3.15-3.45
Bedtime- I tried for 6.30 but she lay in bed singing untill 7.10!
Woke up this morning at 5.45.

Any thoughts on that?

[creations]

I could definitely make that suggested routine work it’s getting her to wake later in the first place to be able to do it! I

Mybe give her the third nap for as long as she wants it one day and just allow BT to be later, lots later.  A shift like that on one day can help to kick start a new routine.  You said with the CN she then delays her night sleep so it's exactly what you want to shift the day on really.  I'd let her have more than 20 mins and try to get to 8pm or even 9pm before BT for that one day.  That gives you a 1-2hr shift to get you started on avoiding the car nap in the morning.

As with anything though you have to roll with it, your LO hasn't read the thread and doesn't know what you hope for so you'd kind of need to play it by ear at the time too.