Quick Question on Nightweaning and the 7 hour "window"

[lessmith23]

So we're NW DD and things are going well but I've stumbled upon an issue and am not sure what the best course of action is. I'm hoping some other BTDT moms can help.

I've been nursing DD before bed. Basically we do bath, brush teeth, read a few stories then we nurse and then I lay down with her until she's asleep (usually around 7). Now Dr. Jay Gordon's NW method suggests choosing the 11-6 window as the "no nursing" period of time. I'm fine with that however often times, DD doesn't wake up before 11, wakes up at around 2 (so 7 hours has elapsed) I nurse her but then the other night she was up every couple of hours until 7 when we got up for the day. Also, her sleep is very light after 4 which makes it hard for me to sneak out of bed and get myself ready before she gets up. I've tried to "dream feed" her in the past but it seems to wake her up too much.

Any suggestions on how to best handle this. I'm certainly not complaining as we are making progress just wondering if I could tweak things a little (or is it best to let sleeping dogs lie?).

Thanks.

[bluebunny]

First, I think you need to be consistent. Choose a window of time and stick with it. I haven't read Dr. Gordon's approach in several years, since we NW my oldest, so I might have forgotten but my understanding was that the reason for choosing the 11-6 window is so that YOU get some sleep. What's the purpose in withholding nursing at 8:00 p.m. when you are still awake? That is my philosophy anyway.

So pick a window and let that be the no-nursing time. If it works better for you to do 2-7 (five hours), then do it then. It really doesn't matter as long as you are able to get some sleep, too.

As far as the light sleeping after 4, I don't have a remedy for that. I have the same problem.

[Xerxella]

We had the same problem, but I did find that it just slowly disappeared over time. DD just started waking up later and later, so now she (overall) STTN. We night weaned at 14 months.