Baffled (and infuriated!) by lie-ins at granny's

[MrsBumblebee]

DS (7.5 months) has always been a relatively early riser - he's always awake by 6.30am, and as he's got older it's becoming more like 5.30am. However, every time he stays at either of his grandparents' houses, he sleeps far later - never wakes up before 6.45am, and usually sleeps until 7.15am or beyond.

Obviously, an extra hour or two's sleep at home would make a big difference to us (and to him, I think), and we're desperate to work out why he sleeps so well when he's away. There's no (consistent) difference in terms of light or noise - one granny's house is a bit darker and quieter, but the other one is far lighter and quite a bit noisier. The only thing I can think of is that the cots are quite different - ours is a spacious M&P job with expensive sprung mattress, while both grannies have a cheapo small cot with foam or basic sprung mattress. As a result, DS seems to move about a bit less in their cots - he doesn't roll over and shuffle about so much.

Has anyone experienced anything similar to this, or got any theories? And if it is the cot, can anyone suggest a way to get an active 7.5 month old to move around less in bed, without frustrating or suffocating him? I tried rolled up towels down the side of the cot, but he just pulled them over his head . Also, I've seen little bolsters that the baby lies inside to stop them rolling, but I think they're for younger babies??

Any help much appreciated!

[isaidno]

Could it just be that he is more tired? I am thinking if he is at Granny's he is likely to have had more fuss / playing / excitement than at home?

Do you use a sleeping bag? These can stop fidgeting to some degree.

[mckenzie]

why not borrow one of their cots and put it in your house and see if that makes a difference?

This won't be any comfort to you (sorry ) but my DS was exactly the same!

[cluelessnchaos]

Any chance they are stayin up later,

[PuppyMonkey]

Do you know, I suspect this is just what is commonly known as "sod's law." There's no reasonable explanation for it. It just is....

[fym]

I'd put it down to exercise - I find if i don't exercise my ds he wakes early....

[GrapefruitMoon]

I remember visiting my parents once with my dd, also an early riser at that age. Was worn out from lack of sleep and went to visit a friend overnight, leaving her with my parents. She slept until 8.30!

[Paddlechick666]

'fraid i can only add to the "sods law" theory.

dd always sleeps later at GPs place but only when I am not there

if i am there too she's back on normal duty which is 6:30am and "where aaaare you muuuuuumy? i awake noooooow" at the top of her voice!!!

she's 2.5yrs and has always been like this.

on the flipside, those rare occasions when she does sleep later at home have me awake at teh crack of dawn terrified of making any noise and then torturing myself that she's actually dead!!

can't win, i suppose soon enough it'll be me yelling "get out of your pit you lazy madam" at 2pm.

[MrsBumblebee]

Oh, well maybe it's sod's law, then, if it happens to other people as well. The good news is that he does still do it while I'm staying there as well; the bad news is that I wake up at 6am and spend the next hour fretting - why hasn't he woken up yet, is there anything wrong?

In answer to other questions, yes I use a sleeping bag, and yes I'm pretty sure bedtime is the same - I'm usually there as well, and in any case the GPs are pretty well trained . But the point about him being tired out by all the attention is a good thought.

[seb1]

It is children they are specially programmed to make their parents life hell while seeming little angels to the rest of the world. . All I can say is get used to it

[Paddlechick666]

Just like to share that dd chose this morning to sleep till 7:20am.

This beggars the obvious point of "why on a blardy Monday!" and highlights the mistake of using one's child as an alarm clock!



Another observation, are there environmental issues? I am almost certain there are days when the neighbour's milkman disturbs dd. I think she can be in a period of light sleep when he stomps past and that's that for the day.

I know when she's woken up "normally" as she doesn't cry or shout out but chats with her soft toys until such time as she thinks it's time I come and get her LOL.

[SmugColditz]

Older ladies tend to keep babies very warm .....

[Nyx]

Hey, I had this too, it's been a while so I had forgotten until I saw this thread. DD has very occasionally stayed over at my SIL's; in a travel cot in SIL's room. At home she has her own room. She normally woke at any time between 6-6.45am; unless she was at SIL's, when she would sleep until 9AM!! I ask you. In fact, SIL had to wake her up at 9am. She had only been about 1/2 an hour later to bed than usual too. It really worried me the first time (it just wasn't natural!) but it has happened at least two other times since then. And let me tell you, it was a nightmare to get her to go to sleep the following evenings...! Still haven't a scooby why she sleeps in when there but not at home. And it's not the travel cot, or sharing a room, because we've used the same travel cot and had her in our room when staying at my Mum's on holiday. I have decided she was doing it just to be contrary

[Paddlechick666]

5:30am this morning.

WTF!

Actually I think it might've been the blardy milkman again.

[yawn]

[liath]

ds relentlessly wakes up at 5.30am....except on a friday, the only day I have to get up early to go to work. Every friday I have to wake both kids up as they are both still fast asleep!! It's NOT FAIR .

[justme27]

Not sure if anyone is still reading this thread but the same here!

I agree with SmugColditz - my mum does tend to wrap her up warm and she seems to sleep better when she's all snug (like we all do I guess)

Typical though.... maybe its just because mums are more fun and they just cannot wait to wake up and play with us (yeah right)

[cornsilk]

He's probably not dropping off into his deep sleep until much later as it's a different place etc. Also, could they be exaggerating a little bit?