What to do with my early rising toddler? 4am start to the day:-(

[dottytablecloth]

Ds goes to bed at 7/7.30 and we've tried putting him down later but it doesn't seem to matter.

Anyway he sleeps straight away but over the last few weeks has got into the habit of wakening at 4/4.15am. It's far tok early to start the day.

We've tried bringing him into bed with us but he's always hated this so there's no chance he will to back to sleep. We've also tried letting him amuse himself with toys in his cot but he cries and we've also tried the whole going in and saying it's still nighttime and leaving him but again he just cries and cries and everyone is stressed.

The only solution seems to be getting up (this is the only thing that stops the crying, he's perfectly fine when we get up so it's not teeth or anything bothering him.)

Is there anything I can do to break this habit? Ds is 21 months btw.

[whyhasmyheadgonenumb]

Snap snap snap.

My DS is 21 months too, every morning I look at the clock and die a bit inside :( this morning was 4.35, that's a lie in. His sister gets up at 8.30, they both go to bed at 7.30!!!

What on earth do we do???

[Riverland]

I sympathise, I've been through this. It just changes, as the child changes. I know that doesn't make you feel in charge of the situation or sound very helpful!

How long does he stay awake for, when he wakes at 4 am ? Do you just potter about with keeping the lights low and being fairly dull, so that its not that stimulating for him? I used to keep it very low key and sit there with my tea, being cuddly but quiet!

[MarrogfromMars]

Try a groclock (sp?) that changes colour when it's time to get up and shift forward very gradually...?

[munchkinmaster]

If my toddler gets up we go in and sleep on her floor but do not let her up until 7. You would need to set a more realistic goal. There can be tears but by and large there aren't.

I say, you need to close your eyes and try. Also I've banned tv etc in am and no early nap.

[GinGinGin]

Yay, another early riser, mine gets up between 3.30 & 4.15 (3.40 today). I love it when people complain about their child getting up at 5.30!

My dd is 2 & we watch a lot of TV in the morning (& I drink a lot of sugary coffee).

[GirlWithTheLionHeart]

Snap too, 22 months here.
We were up at 4.30 today and 4 yesterday. I'm thinking no nap today at all and see how it goes.

I'd like to see you try that with my ds munchkin he would shout the whole street awake until you got him up.

All my friends kids got up at 7am yesterday

[purplemurple1]

We also have an early riser, as a family we all get up at 5am, but during the last week he started getting up between 3.30 and 4am. Managed to get it back to 4.50 today.
The main things for us are the timing and length of the day nap, and just not exepcting him to sleep longer than he needs to over 24hrs. He dropped to one nap at 9months (he is 14months now) and the timing of that has to be a max 2hrs, sometime between 11.30 and 14.30 earlier or later and it leads to early monrings. (The back slide this week has been new staff at nursery putting him down at 10.00 becuse they had expected him to need two naps.) Also have had to accept he only needs 9hrs at night we can choose when they start but he wll always wake after 9hrs, fresh and ready to start the day (not hungry, thirsty).

Have you tried altering the daytime naps?

[JimbosJetSet]

Both of mine went through this at a similar age. It does get better by itself - hang on in there

[knickyknocks]

Huge sympathy from here. I thought 5am was dreadful but today we had a new low of 4.20am. Yuck. Think that hour going back has affected things. I'm supposed to be going out tonight but would much rather be staying in and going to bed at 8 to cope!

Trying the lots of fresh air and late nap approach today. We have a gro clock too so will.dust that off and see if that works.

Gosh, can't believe how rough some of you have had it - 3.30 wake ups

[RoganJosh]

What do his naps look like? We had to limit them to 90 mins and waking by two pm.

[GinGinGin]

Dd has been like that since she was about 9 months old (now 26 months). I've got used to it, but it is now starting to take its toll - I'm constantly tired and seem to catch any cold/virus going probably because I'm run down. I'm also concerned about the amount of tv dd watches early in the morning. No daytime naps doesn't seem to make any difference & she is incredibly grumpy if she doesn't nap. DH gets up with her at the weekends so at least I have that

[Rinkydinkypink]

I understand your desperation! Ds who is now 7 was utter torture. Woke 4 times a night till he was 4. Up before 5 every morning without fail. We tried everything and nothing worked.

Now he can get up and put the tv on himself but he's only been doing this for the last 6 months. He's still up at 6 am unless he needs to get up then he sleeps in

His ds 18 months is thankfully usually a bit more reasonable in the morning but getting her to sleep is difficult.

I'm sorry to say but I think some children are just like this. I know its awful, I used to dread every morning and like I said we did everything but none of it worked.

[fortheloveofmike]

Bloody hell... snap here too!!

[TheOriginalWinkly]

OP can you try putting him to bed earlier. Ideally he ought to be sleeping 11/12 hours at night and could be waking so early due to over tiredness. So say, awake from last nap by 3.30, dinner at 5, bedtime routine starting at 6 to be in bed asleep by 6.30 at the latest.

[LetThereBeCupcakes]

21 months and exactly the same here .

I'm grinning and baring it to be honest - he didn't start sleeping through until 15 months (due to undiagnosed diary intollerance), so I'm just gritting my teeth and chanting "this too shall pass" .

Length of nap / time he goes to bed doesn't seem to make a blind bit of difference.

Perhaps we need a "21 Months Early Risers Support Thread?"

[GinGinGin]

Yy to support thread and we also need gin

[LetThereBeCupcakes]

Is the gin for us or the toddlers?

Shall we start a new thread or stay here?

[Doodledot]

You could try stories on a cd or iPod etc. they may then lie and listen to stories etc?

[fortheloveofmike]

Can I join.. I have chocolate

[Doodledot]

We knocked naps on the head early too - both mine only ever sleep 10 -11 hours in any day. They do full nursery and school days and hours and hours of outside play / cycling etc Bed at. 8. Up at 6

[LetThereBeCupcakes]

Doodle sadly my DS is not a lying-in-bed-listening-to-stories sort of a toddler. He's more of a climbing-up-the-curtains-and-hurling-himself-off-of-bookshelves sort of toddler. And when he's awake he's AWAKE.

OP, I feel I have hijacked your thread somewhat. Apologies .

[Christelle2207]

Mine is only 15 months but goes through phases of getting up at 4something.
I don't think he needs as much sleep as his peers tbh-we have had some success moving his bedtime back half and hour and limiting his daytime naps-definitely worth trying.

[whyhasmyheadgonenumb]

My DS doesn't do lying quietly either, he shouts 'mommy MORNING' at the top of his voice. He is now fast asleep in my car having had huge tantrum because I wouldn't let him hold a black marker pen.

[whyhasmyheadgonenumb]

It annoys me because I daren't have wine in the evening anymore, 4am starts with a long day ahead with 2 preschool toddlers and a hangover doesn't mix :(

[Doodledot]

Lettherebe yes sadly so are my DC. Gro clocks didn't work as they just turn sunshine back on. Cot was gone both times by age 20 months as they climbed out. In fact they climb anything. We have however trained them that they can't actually get up and play at 4am. In fact before 6. We often get in with them, put stories on, pin them down and fall asleep again. They are a bit older now tho and it took a month of perseverance