Gah I have really faffed it up (EMW)

[TheOnlyPersonInTheDarkDarkRoom]

DD has always woken up early - 0600 or there abouts.

In the last few weeks she wasn't tired at bedtime (1930) so we dropped her afternoon nap and changed bedtime to 1900.

That was the first mistake.

Then she was waking at 0500 and refusing to settle so we took her into our bed where no more sleeping was done by anyone but at least we could relax.

That was the second mistake.

Now she's waking earlier and earlier (it was 0415 this morning) and crying til we get her out of the cot.

DH took her downstairs this morning to try to break the 'getting in mum and dad's bed' habit. We have no idea what we are doing if I am honest.

We are going to bed at 2030 and are all exhausted. Can anyone help PLEASE I will give out 10,000 Internet points to anyone who can give me advice that gets her sleeping til 0600

She is 13mo.

[Rootatoot]

I don't think you have done anything wrong. You are just trying to do what gets you through. My DS is 15 MO and is a terrible sleeper. I am also struggling with him in our bed but it's just what I have to do to get ANY sleep. It is definately teething with mine at the moment.

I wouldn't worry that the 4am starts will carry on neccessarily. At 13 mo, my DS went to 1 nap but some days really needed 2 still. What time does he have his morning nap now? We do around 11am as he doesn't make it until after lunch.

DS wakes early but sometimes if it's very early ( have also had a couple of 4.30ams) he will often have a random snooze early on (say 8am). I then assumed he wouldn't want his usual nap but he did. Maybe try going back to his usual bedtime for a bit. Play it all by ear a bit?

I bung him in his playpen with a whole bunch of toys if he wakes up at 5am and I can usually doze a bit whilst he plays.

I will also be having a sleep at 8.30pm tonight. You are not alone!

Sometimes I think it is more stressful to think about what you are doing and analyse it and worry. Lately I have just been plodding through and feeling strangely comforted by the 'oh well' there's always coffee and I WILL get some sleep at some point philosophy. Although maybe I'm just slightly delirious from the sleep deprivation! ;)

Sorry I don't have the answers, just wanted to offer some moral support.

[watermint]

Does she still have a morning nap? If so can you try pushing this later and later, so that she is not using that morning nap to catch up on night time sleep iyswim? We tried this with our DS (14mo) and he now just has longish nap between 11-1.

This seems to have helped the early wakings, although last few nights he has woken up at least twice during the night - arghhh - if it's not one thing it's another!

[silverangel]

We have the same with 15 month DTs, getting earlier and earlier, usually 5am now.

I have a plan. From tomorrow, when they wake, I am going in and going to sit on the chair in their nursery in the dark. I am not getting them up until 6am earliest. They are not coming in bed with us anymore!!! Whether or not this will make any difference I have no idea, but our bed is getting too small for both of them and us and I'm fed up of seeing 5am and I really don't want it to get any earlier!

[silverangel]

We have the same with 15 month DTs, getting earlier and earlier, usually 5am now.

I have a plan. From tomorrow, when they wake, I am going in and going to sit on the chair in their nursery in the dark. I am not getting them up until 6am earliest. They are not coming in bed with us anymore!!! Whether or not this will make any difference I have no idea, but our bed is getting too small for both of them and us and I'm fed up of seeing 5am and I really don't want it to get any earlier!

[TheOnlyPersonInTheDarkDarkRoom]

Good to know I'm not alone!

My poor childminder doesn't know whether she's coming or going as I keep asking her to do different things every day - drop her nap, don't drop the nap, drop it again! Anyway yesterday I threw my hands up and said "do what you think!" So she kept her up as long as possible then DD had a nap 11-1. Bedtime was around 1915 and it worked much better, she woke up at 0545 this morning huzzah!

I think there is truth in her using the morning nap as an extension of the night so it works much better the longer she stays up in a morning

Dreading the weekend as we are staying with friends and will not be popular on Sunday morning at 6am!

[fififrog]

I was going to suggest childminder's tactic too - you should be able to gradually move it to after lunch over the next few weeks. Don't worry about your friends - I doubt they'll wake up. Our early riser has never disturbed anyone we've stayed with, much to my surprise, and I refuse to let her get up til 6.