She used to wake at 7, then 6, then 5, now 4am - what on earth?

[zambooloo]

6 month old dd.

Naps...
45 mins at 8 ish
1.5-2hrs at 12 ish
30-45mins at 3.30 or 4
Bed at 6.30-7

Please tell me what is going on - I must be doing something wrong. I can't start the day at 4. Anyway the way she's going next week it will probably be 3!

Help, help, help!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Could it be the light that's waking her? It got me this morning! DD used to wake at stupid-o-clock if it was too light. She has curtains and a black out blind. I got so fed up I covered the windows with kitchen foil, made me look a bit crazy, but she started sleeping in.

Failing that, it might be time to cut down and drop her afternoon nap, but I can't remember when DD dropped hers.

Just read about advice to fix this which says if they are early waking it is cos their first nap is too early. Keep them awake until at least 9am. It will be hideous first few days but then it should start to make them sleep in longer in the morning.

HTH!

Ok, I found the notebook I used to track all DDs feeds and naps. Yes, she is my PFB! She wasn't having an afternoon nap at all at that point, just a morning nap for about 45 mins, and one after lunch for 2 or so hours.

Maybe stretch out the bedtime a little,or come back down after bath time for a little while.DD2 was frequently waking at 5.Used to keep her down until 9 ish some evenings to break the cycle.she now usually goes until 6.30 maybe even 7.she was always up at 7 and back down by 9.30 for a morning nap,and 1.30 until 3 every afternoon.HTH

Thanks for replies - can I ask you about lengths of naps at 6 months? She is getting tired after 2hrs awake - is this right for 6 mo?

Going on Dd 2 and what I can remember, she used to have an hour at 9.30 am, usually hour/ hour and a half after lunch. Today she has had 45 mins this morning, and refused her normal afternoon one. All I am hoping is she will last out until bath time. On the odd occasion against all advice, she has had an hour at 4.30 pm.Granted , she has come back down after her bath, and been put back up at 9/9.30.This has taken her through until 7 ish. She has sometimes still been asleep at 8 am, but has had to be woken to take elder children to school.It is not unusual for young children here to be up at 9 or 10 pm, and they do seem to get longer lie ins.

Yes, after 2 hours awake , they usually are tired, and if not put down for a nap, usually get over tired and sleep badly at the after lunch nap , in my experience! But I am still learning on number 4!!

awake times between 2-3hrs at this age. Varies child to child.

At this age early waking is common & often related to them getting ready to drop the late afternoon nap (which typically happens between 6-9 months). If they take a long nap at this time of day then you can end up with them being undertired at bedtime. You will then either find it difficult to settle them to sleep (as they aren't tired enough), or they can wake early.

Bundlejoycosysweet is also right that early waking is linked to too long/too early a morning nap. In your case I would say it is a wee bit too early. I wouldn't hold her out all the way to 9am in one go though or she will get massively overtired. I would just very gradually nudge the nap later by 5mins every few days until nap starts at 9am. Hopefully she should nap for around an hour & then you may find she takes lunchtime nap somewhere between 12-1pm.

Shifting the naps a bit later like this may mean you can cut back the afternoon nap a bit to between 15-30mins, or it may mean she can last to bedtime without it.

HTH.x