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Hi Katerina,
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions.
It seems like giving her a feed when she wakes at 4:30/5am is working well, as she falls back to sleep afterward. She might be waking because she’s hungry. If you’re comfortable with it, I recommend continuing to feed her if she wakes at this time. In the meantime, consider the following:
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If she wakes before 6am: Wait, watch, and listen. If she isn’t calling out and you’re comfortable with it, leave her be. She might just be stirring and could fall back to sleep on her own. The potential issue is if you go to pick her up too soon, you might wake her fully, making it harder for her to fall back asleep.
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If she’s awake and calling out: Go to her and feed her, keeping the room dark and quiet. After feeding, place her back in the crib to continue sleeping.
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If she wakes after 6am: Consider getting her out of bed, as a wake-up time between 6am and 7am is typical for babies.
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Bedtime routine: Continue putting her to bed at 8pm for the next few nights and keep the lights bright until bedtime. This will help shift her circadian rhythm. We’re aiming to move her wake-up time later, and adjusting her bedtime is key. This shift can take at least 3 days, so don’t expect immediate changes. You might initially see small changes, such as waking at 5:45am instead of 5:30am, gradually getting later.
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Monitor her naps: You mentioned that her naps are lengthening, which is a good sign. If the first and second naps become consistently longer, consider if it’s time to drop the late afternoon nap, especially if she doesn’t do it herself. Babies typically drop the third nap between 6-9 months of age. If she starts waking earlier in the morning and doesn’t go back to sleep after a feed, it might be a sign that she’s ready to drop the third nap.
Does this sound doable?
Emma
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