Can't predict 6 month olds wake windows

[Ayopopaya]

My baby just turned 6 months and whilst we've never been in a routine, any sense of rhythm has gone totally out the window in the last couple of weeks. Some days he has 3 naps, sometimes 5. Sometimes he can stay awake for 3 hours, sometimes barely one without hysterical crying. It's making the days really stressful as I can't work out when he needs a nap or to go to bed as he'll be fine one minute and the next seriously overtired and sobbing. He was ill last week and has been teething but the illness has passed and 2 teeth erupted. Night sleep isn't great - takes an hour plus to get him settled in his cot after feeding to sleep (usually multiple false starts), between 2 and 4 night wakes and after months of a 7am wake up, suddenly he's up at 4.45 or 5am and won't go back to sleep. Bedtime used to be 8.30/9 but it's been much earlier the last week - starting from 6.30ish. I just feel like I have no idea what I'm doing and I'm feeling really bad/ like a total failure as he's getting so upset 😥

is this something babies can go through at this age?

Could be more teeth on the way if his sleep is disrupted. Try to ride it out for a week - just go with th flow and see if it sorts itself out

Watching as I am in the same situation and have no idea what to do!

@TinyTeacher thanks, I did wonder if this is the case, though the first two didn't seem to cause as much drama as this!

@haloangel oh no, solidarity! It's so stressful and I'm knackered, hope you are doing OK. I have also been told it could be a "leap" but feel like that might just be wishful thinking...

Hiya! I have a seven month but I got really confused recently with naps / awake windows - I think because she was waking super early (because of the heat? Light mornings?) and I got very very confused. It sounds like I felt how you do! Anyway I primarily stick to being baby led and we are now back into a routine ish as she’s stopped waking super early. We did buy black out blinds from tomee tippee which have been amazing! So basically I found when I managed to extend her wake up time back to 7am (as opposed to 5am) the rest of the days naps fell into place. Of course this may not be relevant to you and your baby but I saw you mention some early starts so I hope this helps somehow!!

@Peanutbutteryday thanks for the suggestion, I would love to get him sleeping later! He's currently still in our room which has bay windows so not good for black out blinds (we have blackout liners but they're not very good) but might attempt moving him into his own room soon and see if it helps and get some blackout blinds as well as our curtains... though I'm scared to move him at the moment whilst he's still waking up so much, I feel like it'll just be making my life a lot harder! But I guess we just need to try it out

Ah I see! Well fingers crossed it improves - it will do!!

I feel your pain.
I moved my LG into her own room at 7 months and found a massive difference she started sleeping better. Now it didn't solve her sleeping through the night and she still doesnt (18 months) but it did help
Wakes windows are very basic and don't work for a fair number of kids.
Try looking at sleep hygiene, is the room warm enough/ cool enough. Is it dark enough. Have you tried white noise? Are you dressing the baby suitably at night?
Are you doing a bedtime routine?(can be bath or no bath , maybe a baby massage, read a book, darken the room , bottle then bed any combination of these).
Also quick fixes is what you are after and I'm so sorry to say I never found a quick fix. It takes time to establish a new routine.
Some babies are just crap sleepers. Doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong I've learned that the hard way.
Also when baby cries leave it a minute before responding they might go back over .
If your baby has a dummy invest in glow in the dark ones they can find themselves in the dark.

4-7 months was horrible for sleep/naps for us. Every day varied so much. I think they have a big development change around then.

Honestly... in the end we just went with the flow. Some days it was 5 naps, others sometimes 2. Tried to make the days busy and he would just nap in the buggy/car if tired.

Around 8/9 months we were able to get I to a good routine again.
12 months now and has very predictable 1 (sometimes 2) naps a day and sleeps beautifully at night

I ignore 'wake windows'. At 6 months i would just look out for signs DS was getting sleepingx, so rubbing his eye, or a certain cry which was basically his tried cry, and then straight up to cot for nap ig i was homez or in the pushchair/laid flat if we were out and about. Still do the same now at 9/10 months