Sleep consultant & early rising?!

[ShleepyMumma]

We paid for a sleep consultant for help with our daughter’s sleep at 4months. Controversial topic but hey ho! She can now self settle, naps in the day and sleeps at night. At 6.5 months her naps started to get really short and nights were becoming really broken so I paid for a week of support from the sleep coach who got my daughter back on track with naps and night sleep. She started sleeping through and was doing 7pm-6.30am/7am for about 2 weeks. She slowly starting waking earlier and earlier and we have started getting some early rising (5am) but mainly a wake at 5.50/6am. Typically baby gets 10.5hrs of sleep a night, and any wake ups from 6.15am seem to be long gone!
I’ve tried to improve things myself but nothing has worked. Baby has 2 naps a day at set times, 0930am (never put down earlier than 0930) and 2/2.30pm and will get 2.5-3hours day sleep across these naps (this was the sleep coach’s plan)
Do I go back to sleep coach and pay again?! I feel I should be able to figure it out myself but I just can’t. Now we don’t use wake windows so much, and set naps, I wouldn’t even know what to tweak or alter. I know the sleep coach won’t have all the answers but I felt last time she was a bit half hearted with her support and to pay again, am I being a mug?! Just lacking confidence to try stuff alone

It’s a long time since I had mine (theyre 18, 16, 12) but we used to do a ‘dream feed’ at around 1039/11pm so just before we went to bed. Wouldn’t wake them or change nappy but lift out and bottle feed. In very very subdued lighting and silence, minimum eye contact. They didn’t really open their eyes They’ve got tiny tummies so maybe this helps them go through. You’ll be weaning now though so consider how much she’s eating and why she maybe waking?

I have thought about if it’s a hunger thing. But she’s 8months now, bottles through the day and 3 meals a day, although she doesn’t eat a ton of solids (bit crap at it!) I tend to leave her in crib in the morning from 5.50am-6.30am because she’s just rolling around and chatting. Then I feed her and she’s never screaming/desperate for it. Definitely something to consider but wondering if she’s a bit old for that now. We have never done a dream feed in her life.

She’s a baby, can’t believe how much you’re expecting from a baby who’s physiologically designed to take short naps and wake frequently at night

I think your lucky to have a baby that sleeps 10.5 hours a night how later are you expecting baby to sleep? My DD 7mo still gets up every couple of hours but her teeth are bothering her and she seems to be having a big growth spurt, I would enjoy the long stretches of sleep while you can 🤣

So she's awake before 6 but not really asking for you til later? I'd leave it. My son, who went down well, was always up before 6. He is 18 now and pretty much the same! Some kids are early risers and it's too bad if you aren't, but I think you have it pretty good now.

Wow yes I’m sorry to say but you are living the dream compared to many people, I’d say just go to bed early to cope with early wake ups.

Yes- fortunate she sleeps through. I can get up at 6am without issue, I’m just worried she’s not getting enough night sleep/enough sleep in the 24 hour period.

If you have the money then go to the sleep consultant again but to be frank you baby is doing really well. Most babies do get up between 5.30-7 usually. However it you're not coping and not wanting to go to bed early then I'd say reach out for help again.

Think the sleep consultant saw you coming.

Sounds like she's doing what babies do - their sleep changes all the time. DC2 is v good sleeper but we've had periods of 5am wakes and broken nights. Chances are she might sort herself out in a couple of weeks and then you'll hit the 8 month sleep regression and be messed up again. I'd just treat anything before 6am as night time, keep the room dark and interaction to a minimum.

@lboogy & @Sausagesausagesausage thank you! Good points. I think I’ll wait, see if she naturally just sorts herself out. And if it gets really bad, I can go back I guess.

Could you shorten the naps?

Try putting her to sleep earlier or later and see what happens?

It’s all a bit trial and error really.

Or what PP suggested and if she doesn’t ask for you until 6:30 then leave her happy in her cot for a bit.

My DS is 8 months and generally sleeps 7pm-7ish Sometimes he wakes up at 6/6.30. If he does I give him a bottle and put him back to bed - and he nearly always goes back to sleep for another hour.

Of course a baby is going to be hungry if it’s 12 hours since they’ve been fed.

Wait until the end of March before paying anyone for sleep advise

Look at your daytime routine, walks in the morning with baby and what activities you do in the afternoon outside

13-13.5h a day is well within the realms of normal for a 6 month old (www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/how-much-sleep-do-kids-need/). 10.5h straight at night is incredible for this age. I think people tie themselves in knots thinking that early rising = not enough day time sleep. In my experience, early rising has always improved by either dropping a nap or reducing overall nap time.

I’d do nothing for now and if it’s creeping earlier and earlier in a few weeks I’d slim down your naps to 2-2.5h or push bedtime back by 15-30 minutes and see if that makes a difference. In the first year, they grow out of sleep schedules quicker then you’ve implemented them so I would avoid rushing back to the sleep consultant every time things go a bit awry.

@AliceW89 Thank you- this is really helpful advice and I’m going to do exactly that. Feel much better about the situation, and what to do moving forward so as you say, I’m not reliant on professional help all the time. Thanks again- appreciate it

@ShleepyMumma I feel your pain! I know a lot of babies are worse but it's still pretty relentless when they wake up early every single morning for months. My 9mo has only woken up after 6am on 5 occasions - I remember every single one very clearly!

I've come to the conclusion that he genuinely does only need 10 - 10.5hrs sleep at night. And because he's not waking in the night at all that's all in one stretch which is great, but leads to an early start if I put him down at 7pm. So it's a choice - do I get up early and have a bit of evening time or do I get more of a lie in and have no time to myself. On balance I prefer to put him down early as its more flexible - if I want to watch TV I can, if I want an early night I can. Still can't wait for him to be old enough that I don't have to get up when he does though!

I definitely don't think a dream feed is a good idea at this age (assuming no medical issues) - their tummies are plenty big enough to get through the night and actually need a bit of time to digest before going to sleep. Same with an early morning feed - just reinforces the early waking (pretty sure that's how I got in this pickle to start with! He used to go back to sleep after feeding and it was the easiest thing to do so that's what I did but now he wants to play!)

@Mimba1 Yes I think you’re right about the morning feed, I don’t think my baby would go back to sleep anyway. Maybe my baby is the same, just doesn’t need 11 hours. She is miserable in the morning though by 8.30am hence why I felt I was doing something wrong! But hey ho, I’ll go with it for now! And maybe try later bed time in a few weeks and see what that does! Thanks for your help

It’s a normal time to wake for babies and young children. 8:30/9am nap also normal.

Ah, I thought you said she was 6 months and waking at 5. I assumed crying and needing you. She’s waking happy and chatty so obviously not hungry or still tired and grumpy. Do nothing!! She’s doing great as are you!