Have to wake baby up every morning - what's wrong??

[cherrymama]

Hi,

My DD just turned 3 months old.  We've been doing EASYsince she was 6 weeks.  The schedule has changed over time but here is what it currently looks like:

E 7:40am (I have to wake her at this time every morning)
S 9am (usually get caught on 45 min nap, but I will try to extend it)

E 10:30am
S 11:30/12 (usually get caught on 45 min nap, but I will try to extend it or if we are in stroller she can sleep for up to 2 hrs)

E 1:30pm
S 2:30/3pm (usually get caught on 45 min nap, but I will try to extend it)

E 4:30pm
S 5/5:5:15 (short cat nap)

E 6:30pm
S 7pm

E dreamfeed 10:30pm

She usually wakes between 3 and 4am, but I don't think she's hungry.  It's usually that she's become unswaddled or something has woken her (diaper etc.).  She used to feed at 3:30am, but then started to extend it to 5/5:30am.  So, now when she wakes at 3am I pop the pacifier in a couple of times and she usually goes back to bed till 5/5:30 for a quick 10 min BF feed and then sleeps until we have to wake her around 7:30am.

My question is, why are we having to wake her almost everyday?  Is our schedule out of wack?  We never used to wake her when she fed at 3:3am.  She would usually get up between 7-7:30.  It's just since she's been feeding at 5/5:30am that things have changed.  To be honest, I prefer the later feed and I'm hoping it will inch closer to 6 or 7am and then we can just start the day.

Any suggestions as to what's going on here?

Thanks!!!

[Mel55]

...don't take this the wrong way, but why WOULD you wake her?  I would just let her sleep and when she wakes up, adjust your EASY schedule to go with it.  My DD would wake at 9am when she was 3 months old--and that was normal.  Just my thoughts!  Good luck!

[cherrymama]

Good point.  One I hadn't overlooked.  Since she doesn't wake at the same time everyday I guess I just wondered about how important it was to have consistency in her sleep/feed schedule.

Any thoughts?

[SallyDom]

I am fighting early waking at the moment (Dom woke at 4.10am a couple of weeks ago - oh my goodness it was awful!) so I definately wouldn't wake Dom (11 months) now but when he was little I used to worry about keeping a consistent schedule so would wake him up at 8.30am if he hadn't already woken.

As long as she doesn't end up waking more in the night for food because she isn't having enough time in the day for as many feeds then I would be tempted to leave her to sleep. I did read somewhere (maybe on here?) that a baby will go to sleep for the night about 12 hours after they wake up. So I suppose if you want your lo to be in bed by a particular time then you may need to wake her in the morning.

HTH
Sal
x

[wfabby]

I'm with PP post, I wouldn't wake her.

If you are able to get her naps extended and consistent it may work itself out.  As long as she is getting enough to eat and gaining weight and thriving in all other ways, let her sleep.  She'll wake in the morning when she is hungry, and adjust her schedule from there.  Just my opinion.

Good luck on extending naps.  the nap forum people will be able to help you there!