Early rising- just venting really

[ShushBaby]

OK, we have tried possibly everything- blackout blinds, later naps, fewer naps, more naps, ignoring, giving water, giving her toys, wake-to-sleep, taking her outside at teatime. But apart from 2 glorious months of 6.30am 'lie-ins' between 13-15 months, and 2 days where she slept til after 7, our 16mo dd has woken between 5am and 6am for months and months.

I AM KNACKERED.

I feel annoyed every morning even though she is lovely, happy girl. I am bored of going to bed at 9pm. We want another baby, but I don't know if I could take sleepless nights plus early mornings. She's a short napper too so sometimes the days can feel very, very long...

I do know we are lucky that she sleeps 10-11 hours. But man, this early rising is getting OLD.

Our 'technique' now is to go in every 5-10 mins and tell her to go back to sleep. She often does- for 10 or 20 mins. Then she will sit there moaning, but we don't let her get up til 6am.

I don't think there's anything we can do. WHEN WILL IT END?

That is all.

[mdavza]

I feel your pain, I'm there with you, alos about the second baby thing...let's keep in touch and ONE DAY (when I have no idea) we can message each other with a smile and say: it was tough but it's over! (Touch wood, touch wood)

[Iggly]

Same here! Ive given up.

Am also 15 weeks pregnant with DC 2 as figure best to get it all out of the way (DS is 20 months).

[ShushBaby]

Congrats Iggly. We'll all be fine! (hysterical nervous laughter).
This will enrage anyone who is going through 'proper' sleep issues, but I often get a real sinking feeling when I realise this is as good as it gets for a while. There's no big issue that sleep training can solve. This is it. 5.30am it is, for a while! And I know she will grow out of it, but WHEN? Gaahhhh

[greeneone12]

It is hard adjusting - mine also wakes at 5am for a feed but generally goes back to sleep for an hour more so guess I am lucky. It is hard though...especially when she doesn't nap much in the day either!

[ledkr]

Me too,im on another thread too and we are all fed up. DD is 19wks and has always slept long at night,was doing 7-7 untill 2 weeks ago when she woke at 4.50,had a feed but wouldnt go back to seep until 8. She has done it ever since.I too am shattered and i think feeling a little depressed but only from the tiredness. The only light at the end of the tunnel is that on the other thread there is a link which tells you to about taking them into the day light for awhile before bed,ive done it twice and both times she slept until 6 so i can recomend it,i have had trouble doing it the last few times cos dh onlates and just me an 2 dd's. Im sorry i cant do links but go on my profile and the thread will show on there.Worth a try.

[Bearcrumble]

I am in exactly the same boat. DS is 16 months wakes at around 5am. Thought I had it licked by going from two naps a day to one but after a few fluke 6.30 or 7am wakings it's back to 5am. Ten to five this morning - we put him back to bed after a feed (sometimes with books) but he babbles and eventually shouts. He never really goes back to sleep but sometimes will be quiet enough for us to get another half hour. It's rubbish and I feel guilty for feeling resentful. There's no point going out in the evening or going to sleep after 10pm at the moment. I have to cram all my 'me time' into a couple of hours between 7-9ish. And eat. And wash.

[cairnterrier]

If you've got a laptop, I've found that BBC i-player and In the Night Garden with the laptop strategically placed so that it can be seen from the cot gets me another 30 mins essential sleep time. This too shall pass (yawn), right???

[ledkr]

www.sleepytot.com/sleepytot_community/articles/five_ways_to_stop_your_baby_waking_early.phtml
First time trying to link does it work.
I was going to say yes i feel like abloody child going to bed early every night.

[howzaboutthat]

My Dc gets up between 5 and 6 at almost one year old.

She's spent the last 6 months getting up around 6 times a night AND getting up at 5 something AM.

So for us, that's a lot of progress. She comes in our room, we give her a bottle then chcuk her on the floor with a load of toys and a box of breadsticks while we doze until her sister gets up at 7.30.

We go to bed around 11 or 12 most nights.

We survive.

yeah it's a pain in the butt, but really, if you want two DC you need to know, it's NOTHING like having 1 dc. NOt really.

Our first DC slept through solidly from 6 months old and then started waking at night when the second was born. It's hard but you survive.

Your baby goes to bed then sleeps til morning, albeit very early morning, can you maybe manage your expectations a bit? Becuase who knows what kind of a sleeper you#'ll get second time around, and even if your firstborn is a good sleeper by then, THAT MIGHT CHANGE!!

[NormanTebbit]

All three of mine have done this. It gradually passes after age two.

[NormanTebbit]

And you will meet someone whose child sleeps til 8.30am guaranteed.

[howzaboutthat]

Normantebbit - until very recently my DD1 was sleeping til 8.30, or sometimes 9.

I had a child who wakes at 5ish and one who woke at 8.30 who absolutely could not be disturbed!!!

Hence breadsticks/toys etc.

[CharlotteBronteSaurus]

7mo dd2 is going through an early rising phase too - I am feeling ready for bed right now, but there's someone something i want to watch on telly later*

dd1 was also an early riser. every now and then we'd get a month of lie-ins until 7am, but then she'd revert to 5am again. nothing worked. She is now 4.3, and has mostly slept til 7am for the past year. so i reckon we only have another teo and three quarter years to go .

*can't remember what it's called but Jason Isaacs gets shirtless.

[NormanTebbit]

OMG that's torture - one sleeping, one up. I suspect DD1 (7) would sleep in til about 8am but her darling little sisters won't let her.

[jenrendo]

I feel your pain! And I always feel bad for complaining too but just one morning without waking at 5 would be lovely. I too am FED UP of going to bed early, having to leave nights out early or leaving visitors downstairs after dinner because I have to get up in the morning. And our house is so crappy that you can hear him wherever you/he is so even if DH gets up for him I may as well be up too. People no longer come to stay the night! I asked the HV the other day about it and she said he is just an early riser. Boooo. He doesn't even cry, just chats away in his cot for an hour until we eventually get up. And then, by 7 he is so exhausted that he has to go for a nap! Why oh why can he not just sleep 'til 7?! Still, at least we have 2 hours in the evening together and a full night's sleep. Some have a dreadful time. I know I'm lucky.

[ledkr]

did anyone check out my link,it really works,there is a thread in sleep called early waking revelation where lots of people have had fab results,my dd went untill 6.30 the 2 nights i did it,forgot last night and she woke at 5,20

[Iggly]

Tried it ledkr, didn't work for us! I think DS is hungry and sometimes a bit windy so tends to wake. I've given up trying to fix it - he's only just started sleeping through again so thankful for that!

[ledkr]

I wouldnt mind if it were hunger cos she'd hopefully just go back down.
Looking for some uplifting thoughts i was thinking the older dc's may like to earn some extra pocket money when she is older haha.
Dd does lots of farts when wakes up but also all night too.Its always a somewhat noisy night in our bedroom.

[ShushBaby]

ledkr I'll take a look at your link after this.

howz you are totally right re expectations. DD does sleep through and a year ago the thought of that would have been aMAZing.

But still I complain...

I might get one of those gro clocks. But fear it will end up gathering dust like the light projector I bought for same reason, and the frickin glowy music seahorse too.

7pm-7am. That really would be living the dream..

[ledkr]

me and dh hve just said the same,at least she sleeps thru,we are going to be very good and start going to bed earlier.

[whysolate]

My youngest is 3.7 and still wakes up between 5 and 6am.

He isn't happy just getting up at that time, he shouts and bangs until he has woken his sister (4) and his brother (7).

We are all knackered and grumpy!

We've tried everything. My sympathy is with you all.

I'm off to look at ledkr's link..................

[whysolate]

... but he's not a baby, he's nearly 4!!

sigh

[AngelDog]

Joining in the moan: 17 m.o. DS has been getting up early for the last few weeks. It was 4.30am today.

I'm hoping it's developmental (he's due to hit a developmental leap in a week or so).

He's also going to sleep late, and I keep having to shorten his nap to get him to bed at a reasonable hour. I need to start going to bed before midnight myself, but I do need some baby free time in the evening, which is difficult on nights he doesn't go to sleep till 8 or 9pm.

[Iggly]

I am very excited to report that DS slept until 6.15 this morning. He woke at 4, shouted then fell asleep. Woke at 5.20, same again

Usually he wakes at 5.20 ish.

Yesterday he had 20 mins in the morning in his pushchair at half 9 then just over an hour from 1ish. Then early bedtime - if I start feeding at 6.45 he'll fall asleep (usually) by 7.15. Any later then no chance.

I know it's a fluke but still, teeny bit hopeful.

[Bearcrumble]

DS was burbling from around 4am. Got him up for a feed at 4.50 - put him back to bed at 5.30 and he slept until nearly 8!!

I taped his blind to the side of the windowframe to keep more light out.

I hope this keeps working - I don't even mind getting up for half an hour if I get to go back to bed for another two.

And it's my birthday (38, gah) - what an extrordinarily good present.