8 month old early waking help!

[CabbagePatchMama]

My (just turned) 8 month old keeps waking between 5-5:30am and i’m at my wit’s end. Bedtime wind down starts at 7pm with her asleep by 7:30pm.

She’s still on 3 naps: I have kept first nap fixed at 8:30am for some time to try and keep some structure to our day. Naps usually fall:
8:30-10:00am
1:00-1:45pm
4:30-5pm

Third nap is becoming a struggle some days but she just doesn’t sleep long or late enough on 2nd nap to transition to 2 nap days.

She now has 3 meals and approx 25oz milk across 4 bottles.

I have tried everything to settle her back to sleep after waking at 5ish but nothing works and I’m unsure what to try next and have just been leaving her in there until 6 (but she does get very shouty by this point).

To add: I’m very grateful she does self settle and sleep solidly but she is only getting 9.5hrs some nights and results in a grizzly and whingey child in the day.

that'sa lot more sleep than most children at that age I would say count your blessings.

Make a box of early morning toys that only comes out then, and fill it with things you don't need to put much effort into e.g. a balloon on string uou tie to a chair leg, then attempt to nap on the couch

My 8 month old has just had to change to a 8pm bed time as last nap is now 4 but too close to bed time. Out first nap is now 9.30. Does need longer before bed if waking awake? Mine wake at 5 but will feed back to sleep. It so hard when it's almost but not quite up time! Ps we are not sleeping through night fully.

This is so normal.

Leaving her in her cot (with some toys/books) for half an hour is fine. Is there any daylight coming in which could wake her?

You may just need to suck it up. If the living room or wherever you go is fully baby-proofed then you can snooze on the couch whilst she roams around with toys?

13 hours sleep in 24 isn't far off 9 at night pretty common move nap times slowly so awake longer in morning and not after 4.
Most parents will be up 3 or more times in those 9

Is she still tired when she wakes at 5am or is she alert and ready for the day?

I would cut out third nap as it's too late and make an sleep shorter so has a longer afternoon nap

Wake at 7 ideally

And do 9/10

1/3

Bed 7pm

It's called 234. How long they are awake for till next sleep

Only for about 1.5hrs is she awake and alert, then starts getting really grizzly and irritable! She has literally just learned to crawl so I do wonder if she’s waking excited to practice.. and then remembers she’s still tired.

Thank you! We unintentionally ended up doing naps at these times today and she’s been in a much better mood this afternoon than usual..
Think I will work on pushing her first nap to 9am and hope she consolidates sleep over the next few weeks!!

First nap is too early and too long (making up for the early wake), the second nap is too short and she’s too old to be on 3 naps. Like PP has suggests I’d try and get on the 234 schedule.

So I’d try nap one at 9am and wake her after an hour. Nap 2 after lunch, ideally 1-3pm but the gist is after eating and 1.5-2 hours. Then bed at 7 but if she’s getting tired early whilst you transition then put her to bed at 6 and gradually inch it all forwards.

Thank you!! This looks like an easy enough schedule to follow and am going to try and manipulate the routine going forwards to a 2 nap schedule starting at 9am and hope for less 4:58 wake up calls. I’ll be happy with 5:58 😂

Welcome

I’ve had many children on this routine and slept 7/7 by 6mths latest - I’m a maternity nurse and was a nanny for 20yrs+

my own dd was 7/7 by think 17w