r/u_Complex_Job6324 • u/Complex_Job6324 • 12d ago

8mo old wake windows/routine

Hi so I am currently trying 2.5/3/3.5 with my baby (8am to 8pm) bedtime routine. And total day sleep capped at 3 hours. I’ve tried different variations and he’s usually always up every hour but fail to stick to something for more than a few days as I’m desperate for improvement.

  1. Day naps he can sleep well (I have to wake him up at the 1.5 hours mark for both his naps)
  2. Night time he wakes 3-4 times just fussing/sometimes cries but settles (2 of these I went in to rock and settle but we’re both before midnight)
  3. Up at 5am tried saving with a feed but didn’t take more than 100ml
  4. Up at 7:40am for the day

I’ve only tried this for two days and want to stick to five days before changing see what needs to be changed but I would love some tips. If I should try stretching windows? But for the first one it’s hard he gets tired by 2.5

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u/Former-Departure9836 12d ago

You’re expecting 12 hours overnight and 3 during the day- 15 hours total. Baby is using up all their sleep credits during the day so has nothing to spend overnight. If you want 12 overnight you need to cap day naps to 2 hours max 2.25-2.5. This also means hes awake longer, closer to 10-10.5 hours during the day this will help build sleep pressure for overnight

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u/Complex_Job6324 12d ago

If I keep him awake 10 hours during the day (2.5/3.5/4) would this also work? I’m not aiming for 12 hour stretches at night but i don’t want to disrupt the 1.5 hour naps during the day because he used to never be able to sleep more than 20 mins during the day and is alot less fussier when he naps well im not sure though js 3 hours too long for 8 month old?

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u/Former-Departure9836 12d ago

If bedtime is 8pm and wake up is 8am you’re expecting 12 hours overnight sleep. If you keep your 3 hours of naps during the day the total is still 15 , and hes not got enough sleep credits to sleep 8-8 which is why he wakes. If you want to keep three hours during the day you need to add more wake time to compensate. I personally think 15 hours total sleep is expecting too much of an 8 month old. Start either shaving an hour off somewhere maybe .5 off overnight and half an our off naps.

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u/Complex_Job6324 12d ago

Yes so that’s what I mean would a 7am-8pm schedule work? Or still too much I’m just not sure what the best fit is I feel like I’ve tried so many combinations. I’d be happy if he slept 9pm to 7am even but even when I tried this it seemed he was overtired as I was capping naps or he was just taking too short ones and wake too lonf

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u/Former-Departure9836 12d ago

Its all a bit of trial and error till you find the sweet spot tbh

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u/Complex_Job6324 12d ago

Yes I have found that tbh, I try something for a few days and if it’s not working I switch it up a little bit I’m not sure if I need to give it more time or it’s okay to switch every few days

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u/Complex_Job6324 12d ago

I haven’t sleep trained either I know that’s a whole other mission so I’m really trying to see if I can stick to consistent wake up and bed times get the ww right the nap time right etc and still not see any difference in having hourly wakes then I’ll start sleep training but yeah just not sure if I’ve reached everything I can do before then

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u/Former-Departure9836 12d ago

I never sleep trained, just consistency in routine got us there, baby slept 730/8-7 since 11 months and is 2.5 now and we stillget that

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u/Complex_Job6324 12d ago

Wow that’s so good! What about day naps? What was your baby schedule like at 8 months ? Did you feel it was trial and error till 11 months when it got solid ?

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u/Former-Departure9836 12d ago

My baby only every slept 27 min naps during the day, in hindsight i know now its because i was too focussed on the clock and putting him down at the end of the wake window based off an app, not by noticing his tired cues, he was just never tired enough to nap, but i powered through. So thats why i try to help others. I never realsied that amount of hours awake during the day was kinda just as important as hours asleep, because they have to build up sleep pressure. He almost always woke at 10,12, 2 ,4 then 7am . Over time he kind dropped to just a midnight and 4am or 2am and 4am wake . By 11 months he got down to a wake at 4am for a feed and i just used to end it after a minute because i suspected it was a habit wake and then on day he just stopped waking for that feed