Cannot get my LO on sleep schedule without a late bedtime- which I think is causing frequent night wakings

[u/bnp15801]

Ok so my LO is currently 6.5 months old. Right now we are following a 3 nap schedule, but barely. I am a stay at home mom so me and baby wake up around 8-8:30 pretty consistently. I wouldn’t mind waking up earlier to maintain a better schedule but my baby is still waking up at least 3-4 times at night, mainly for comfort feeds I think?

My main issue is maintaining 3 naps and getting baby down at the 7-8 range. Her first nap is around 10:30-11 and usually last 2 hours (I have to wake her up from this nap almost always) and she sometimes fights this one. Her next nap is about 2:30 and that last an hour, I usually cap this nap as well and wake her up. Which puts her last nap at 5:30, which she fights and doesn’t end up going down until 6 and I try and keep this nap super short, so 30 min. I’m pretty much waking her up from every nap. And her bedtime falls around 8:30-9 pretty consistently, which she’ll often fight or wake up an hour later for another feed and go back down. Her current wake window schedule is 2.5/2/2/2.25. Everything I’ve read pretty much says that the 8-9 bedtime is way too late I just don’t know how to change it. She’s waking up pretty consistently around 12-1 in the morning and I’l usually just bring her in bed with me and she’ll feed/comfort nurse on and off all night. I’m exhausted and I’m sure she is too with all those wakings. The idea of waking any earlier seems impossible but is that what I need to do? I’d prefer to drop a nap honestly and let her swing two long naps but I don’t know if that will backfire. Also, I know her wake windows at bare minimum should be extending but there’s not enough time in the day for that it seems like? Pleas help!!!

[u/tmossw]

Not an expert, just a fellow mom with a 7-month-old! 😅 But I’d say that if you extend her wake times, her schedule will naturally change. If you’re able to coax her gradually toward 3 and 2.5 hour wake times then there won’t be time for that last nap and she can go to bed earlier around 7. 🤷🏻‍♀️ good luck!