HELP... PLEEEZE EARLY MORNING TODDLER WAKING

[Guard]

Am now at my wits end with DD1 (4 yo) who wakes at 5am every day (waking DH and me up). She will go back to her room to play with her toys but makes enough noise so basically I'm awake. She sometimes wakes DD2 (2) up as well.
Over the lst few months it has really worn me out (am now expecting no. 3) and I really need to get some sleep, by 9am I am simply exhausted (cannot really sleep in the day as have toddler) and by 5pm I have to cope with a totally exhausted 4 year old. I've tried all the obvious things (her room is absolutely pitch black, she is warm, wears thermal PJs, has lots of food and carbs begore she goes to bed and always has a wee before she goes to bed at 7, we live in a quiet area so don't think it is noise).
She was always a great sleeper until this summer and goes to bed at 7. Putting her to bed earlier eg 6 or 6.30pm or later eg 7.30/8.30 makes absolutely no difference (except if she goes later she is even more tired and crabby the next day). I'd love some help as I'm now at the point of losing my rag as am too tired to cope (then I feel super guilty )....

[Nemo1977]

no advice just sympathy. My DS is the same and he is 3. Been like this from 18mths. He will also wake DD[11mtyhs] on purpose as he knows I then have to get up. Am also pg with no 3 who is due in jan and I am physically exhausted. Have tried the different bed times etc and it make s no difference at all. I even hoped sending him to playgroup would tire him out which it does but not to the point of sleep!!!! Have actually been considering getting a tv for his room just for my own sanity but we are still not decided as always said I wanted him to be at least 10..lol

[fortyplus]

Mine did this. I put a star on the clock in the bedroom and said dh & i would be really tired and grumpy all day if we were woken up before the little hand (which helpfully was a different colour) touched the star (about 7 am).
Hopefully she would accept that if she wakes before this she should go back to sleep herself, but if not at least you will be getting more rest. Introduce a star chart for the days that she doesn't wake you before 7 and reward her if she manages 3 days in a row.
She is old enough to understand that she needs to be more considerate. Emphasise that if she is unwell or has had a bad dream she can come to see you, but not if she has just woken up early. You may have to resort to removing her toys from her room - or at least threaten that this will happen.

[fortyplus]

Nemo1977 - mine are 11 & nearly 13 and haven't got TVs in their rooms. When they were old enough I put a timer on the tv downstairs so that it would only come on at 7. At weekends & school hols they are allowed to go down and watch it till a predetermined time - 10am if we're not going out & they haven't got homework.
3 hours watching telly seems like more than enough - if they had one in their rooms I wouldn't have the same control over it.

[frazzledazzle]

I'm in a similar postition DS1(3) has been waking at 5:30.I'm pregnant and have a toddler too.I bought him an alarm clock yesterday and said when it goes off he can get up.This morning he was still clamouring to get up but wasn't asking for the light on.I didn't go to him until the alarm went off.I'm hoping he gets the messege soon!

[fortyplus]

Onl;y thing with alarm clock is that it'll wake him even when he needs to sleep longer. In some of the mail order catalogues you can buy a 'sleeping bunny' clock that has eyes shut and ears drooping at night, then 'wakes up' at a set time without making a noise

[Jackie2kids]

My DS comes into our room at 5am every morning we just let him get into our bed and he goes straight back to sleep. Would this work? Or could yours go downstairs and watch TV/play by herself ? She would still be tierd by evening though. I found putting DS and DD to bed later (8pm) helped with night waking and early rising but it took several weeks til the effect was noticed. Does DD have a daytime nap? J

[catew]

Gosh I wish my DS would go back to sleep he wakes up at about 6 but thats it no more sleep he jumps up and down on my bed!! and if I pretend to be a sleep he opens my eye lids up and says 'hello mummy' lol !

[Pitchounette]

Message withdrawn

[sleepysooz]

Aw! I feel for all of you.
I have 3yo twins, one wakes up at 10pm - 1am and the other wakes at 5am so you have my full sympathy, I get 4 hours sleep a night, I am lucky if I get 6/7 broken hours! (am I supposed to feel grateful for that) WHOOOOOPEEEEEEEEEEE!

[knackered emotion]

[izzybiz]

My Dd is 2.6 and for the past couple of weeks has been getting up between 6.15 and 6.30.

I know this isnt mega early, but she has been really grumpy through the morning. Its too early for her(and me!)

This morning i just got tough and said no way are you getting up now, she went back off till 8.00.

I think the timer on a lamp is a great idea, might try that myself!

[Guard]

Thanks - it's just good to know you're not the only one sometimes. I'm going to try the clock with the star and just reinforcing the messages... + like the TV timer for downstairs.... (can I try that on DH too ???) Golly kids don't we just love 'em

[fortyplus]

If - like me - you are the mummy from hell if you get woken up too early then they will know it's more trouble than it's worth to come in & disturb you!

[catew]

My DS seems to be getting worse he woke at 1.30 then 4.00 then up at 6 last night - He is used to having a lamp on all the time should I take it away?

[fortyplus]

My ds2 still likes a night light and he's 11 - though he's not bothered by the lack of one when we're staying with friends or when we're on holiday. He has slept well from a very early age.
I don't think that a dim light will disturb your son's sleep - in fact if he doesn't like the dark then you may cause even more problems.

[earlysbird]

I have done star chart rewards for not waking early with my DTs, nearly 3, and it works, tho sometimes needs a repeat performance! Also have recently been reading them a lovely bedtime story 'Tell me something happy before I go to sleep' - basically if you don't go to sleep the morning will be sad because morning likes to wake you up...DTs love it and now wait for me to go and tell them morning is here will try to find a link to it...

[earlysbird]

here it is