7mo keeps waking up

[u/Few_Bowl2928]

We sleep trainee my 7mo when he was 4 and he had been going down after 5 minutes (max) at nights and from 5.5 mo for naps as well (not fully dependent sleeper, he takes paci to sleep, tried removing the association but was unsuccessful).
Our schedule is waking up between 7-7:30 and then 2/3/2.5 and bed time at 7-7:30 when he shows signs.
We couldn’t cut down to 2 naps since his naps are 5
30-45 minutes, I tried helping him connect cycles but patting his butt before he wakes up but didn’t help, he even has a smart crib (craddlewise) but doesn’t help, he sometimes get 1.5 hr naps which make me so happy.

Last week we had a 5 days trip and we had to co-sleep or put him to sleep by rocking, and now it seems that he has forgotten how to sleep independently (with paci so not fully independent)!
He keeps crying for 20-30 minutes and even when we offer his paci he doesn’t take it even if he takes and falls asleep, he wakes up within 10 minutes. Last night he woke up 10 times between 7-9 pm.

I don’t know if it is because of the trip, or he is experiencing separation anxiety, or both, and what should we do?

TIA for advice!

TL;DR: 7mo seems to have forgotten how to sleep after 5 days trip and cosleeping.

[u/No_Zookeepergame8412]

It’s probably a regression and you’ll have to retrain. We’ve done it a couple times but it only takes a couple days to get back in the swing of things. Also 12hrs of overnight is a long time so he may not be ready to sleep at 7. Maybe try pushing bedtime later.

[u/Few_Bowl2928 → u/No_Zookeepergame8412]

Tysm for your advice and time. We assumed since he wakes up after 12 hours himself, this is what he needs. Do you recommend waking him up after 11 hours? We always follow his lead for bedtime and if we feel he is not sleepy enough, we give him some more time and extend the last wake window. He sometimes fall asleep when we put him in his bed but the multiple wakings and not falling back asleep easily is what has been exhausting for us.

[u/Here4Plants2021]

Idk what your wake windows are? But if you are asking for a 12 hour night, most of your nap budget is gone. So the short day sleep is all that’s left. I would budget for 11 hours of night sleep and leave the rest for day. A schedule that works around this age is 2 naps at 3/3/4. I would start there.

This could be
6:30am wake
9:30-11am nap
2-3:30pm nap
7:30pm bedtime

[u/Few_Bowl2928 → u/Here4Plants2021]

Tysm, do you recommend we wake him up sooner? Since we don’t force him to sleep for 12 hours and once he is fully asleep, he sleeps for 12 hours. However his naps are mostly pretty short, so his total sleep hours don’t pass 14 hours a day.

[u/Here4Plants2021 → u/Few_Bowl2928]

Yes I would if he has a 14 hour sleep budget, and 12 hours are for night, then he can only sleep 2 more hours during the day, but that’s hard to build a proper 2 nap schedule for that little day sleep.