Early waking madness

[SnowWhite26]

Hi.
I know this has been posted many times before but my lo is nearly 23 months goes to sleep happier between 6.30 and 7 and has a 1-2 hour nap in the day at some point. But she wakes anywhere between 5.30 and 6.30.Is sporadic phases though. Like the last couple of weeks i have first heard her about 6.15 to 6.30.Randomly for no reason she has started waking at the dot of 5.30 in the past few days. I no or at least hope it will go bk to 630 again but it drives me nuts. Shes so loud. I go in once or twice and say shh sleeping time. We try and leave her in there till 7 but she is getting louder the older she gets. Shes happy shouting, generally laying down. But doesn't understand quite haha. How do you all deal with this? I have had pms but an learning to not get so crazy. I just dont no p how to make her chat quitely or what to do and why 5.30 seems so appealing all if a suddden for a phase. Any ideas? Thanks X

[TronaldDump]

DS is 21 months and wakes between 5am and 5.30am every day. My only advice is to go to bed earlier. After 5am is shit but fair game at this age I'm afraid. We've tried blackouts, later bedtimes, feeding him up before bed...nothing works! I'm sure they'll sleeo longer as they get older.

[SnowWhite26]

Thanks Tronaldrump. Yeah i have given up trying. I except it it just dtives me nuts that i think i have cracked it as she wakes up later forca time then randomly 5.30. Shes happy in there and i think dozing of as goes quite for 5 mins then really loud chat. Yesterday was constant loud chat. Do u leave u little one till a certain time or get him up? Someone suggested a gro clock just to tell them to be quite till the sun. But she doesnt understand quiet atm.

[thingsthatgobumpinthenightouch]

My son was 2 in July and has been like this for months. I just go to bed earlier too, dp hasn't quite got the hang of that and is struggling!

[Lenl]

My 2 year old wakes up any time between 5am and 7am. Usually about 5.45/6. Fair game for that age in my opinion. 7am is rare but glorious. 5am is demoralising, and happens far to often

I feel your pain but I don't think you can 'crack' it as something will happen to change it again. I have to get up he wouldn't be left. He comes in my room anyway.

I have a 2 month old so am up a few times at night so now I go to bed with baby at 8 every night and am asleep by 9.30. Accepting that I have to lose my evening has bought me peace haha. It won't be for long.

[SnowWhite26]

Do u get up or leave him, till a certain time? My husband sleeps through it grrr x

[SnowWhite26]

Thanks lenl. I dont want a solution of hpw to make her sleep longer as i no that will not happen she wakes when she does. Its more whats best to do as the word quiet doesn't make sense to her. She would read but that means light in room then she will get bored and chuck them. She will really wake up if bought if in our room abd see it as playtime. That must be tough with a newborn to! x

[Lenl]

I guess I'm luckyz, my 2 year old is quite relaxed the first 10 - 15 minutes which sort of eases you in. He'll sometimes just cuddle up quietly. He's never been a happy wakes - he used to always wake up crying which was so loud and I hated that. Noise too early sucks.

He's starting to understand 'let's do quiet voices' and sees it as a game so that could be worth a try? He's a couple of months older than your daughter can't remember when he understood the concept

[TronaldDump]

We don't get him up until 5.30 - sometimes he goes quiet/back to sleep for 20 mins or so, sometimes he gets angry! I'm tempted by a gro clock too. His big brother (also an early riser but less painfully so since he turned 2) has one so I think he'll grasp the concept quicker - but they're still so little really. I'd say 2.5 is ideal for the groclock in terms of understanding. I've been a total sucker and ordered that sleepy cream stuff from Lush which is supposed to help them sleep longer and better!

[SnowWhite26]

Yeah maybe we can do a quiet voice game in the day and nap times etc.. Never heard of this sleep cream haha sounds amazing

[FATEdestiny]

11h overnight sleep is average at this stage, with a range of 10-12h sleep per night being completely normal.

A 6.30pm bedtime will gi e you an expected wake up time of 5.30am. And antthibg after 4.30am would be reasonable for that bedtime.

A 7pm bedtime would give you an expected wake up time from 5am onwards.

Your baby is waking up at 5.30am because that will be when baby has had enough sleep and is ready to get up and start the day.

Your answer will come from a later bedtime. At 2 years old I was aiming for an 8pm-7am night. Occasionally we got a 6.30am wake up (10.5h) and occasionally we got a 7.30am wake up (11.5h).

If you want baby waking up at 7pm, she needs a later bedtime.

[pikapoo]

Agree with FATE - 6:30/7 is early bedtime for your DD by the sounds of it, if you want her to wake up later then shift back to 8ish. We did this when our DS (now 15 months) started waking earlier and earlier till he was consistently getting up between 5-5:30. We decided we'd rather spend more time with him in the evenings than in the early morning when we're both zombies. He generally sleeps only 10-10.5 hours overnight, so this pushed him closer to 6:30am. If your LO is doing 11 hours overnight and you want a 7am wake up, then an 8pm bedtime might be the way to go.

[SnowWhite26]

We have tried pushing back but she is nearly asleep by, 7.30 or an emotional mess of tiredness. She naturally started getting tired at 6.60-7ish so thats why wr put her to bed then. Its odd that she can make at 6.30 sometimes. Its also the leaving her to chat etc and just wondering what other ppl do. Like leave them to chat give her a book etc.. And if any one else has a toddler who doesnt have a consistent wake up. Eg sometimes 5.30 sometimes 6.30.i just feel in edge waiting some mornings haha x

[FATEdestiny]

You will need to move and change daytime naps in order to make the change to bedtime. Clearly her current routine has her tired by 6.30pm and that's why you get the early mornings. It would need you to change the whole of her routine, not just bedtime.

Otherwise, just accept that you will have a child ready to get up at around 5.30am following a 6.30pm bedtime.

[SnowWhite26]

I have tried later naps but shes still ready for bed early. I guess ad she gets older she will learn what quiet at 5.30 means haha.

[chloechloe]

I think it's par for the course at that age. 11 hours is a decent amount of sleep so it's no surprise she's awake at 5:30. I think some children are wired to wake at a certain time. With DD1 she continued to wake at 5:30 even when we moved bedtime later.

I found the best thing was to go into the room, say it's still sleepy time and then offer to lie next to the cot. Often she would go back to sleep. If not we would get up and read in her room. With time she would still rouse at 5:30 but get herself back to sleep.

[mctat]

I don't think you can do anything about the level of noise OP, if she's happy in bed that's a good start.

No advice re early starts but in same boat. Dd also wakes early no matter what, at 2y2 and it's always worse if she's teething or poorly in some way. Has been the same for what feels like forever (since she started sleeping through). Also always worse in summer despite black out blinds & thick curtains. 6 is the best we ever get but that's a good day. So tired! It's often inconsistent though.

If anything, I've always got more sleep out of her with an earlier bedtime, any later and she wakes at the same time but obviously is more tired. But now reading this and wondering if we should try later again now she's a bit older and nap is a bit less crucial. Sigh.

I'd actually be totally fine with 6, and I am grateful she sleeps and we get an evening, but all these pre 6 ams build up. I crack up when I hear about people who get up earlier than their children to get stuff done (slightly hysterical laughter).

[TheChineseChicken]

We're having trouble at both ends with our 14 month old. Used to put her in the cot just after 7 and she would put herself to sleep and sleep through until some time between 6.30 and 7. Great.

Last week or so - screaming at bedtime and won't sleep if you leave the room. Gradually gets off at about 7.45. Then wakes 5.30-5.45. Gah!!!

[SnowWhite26]

Its so frustrating isnt it. You think you have cracked f it then for no reason the next week they wake up at 5.30 or 5 all week. This s morning she wome at 5.30 but mumbled on and off till 6.20 then started shouting for us. I know we get our evenings which is great but its what to do for the best for her to as shes so tired by 10 and wants a sleep.If we are busy she will have a later nap. But shes starting to fight these sometimes as well so I guess naps will probably dissappear soon. She is nearly 2 I guess. We attempted keeping her up later yesterday but was so tired she was asking for a bath and bed. I think that there must be more 7-5.30 sleepers than 7-7 sleepers haha x

[FATEdestiny]

How would she be if you did something like an early car journey to a park, or similar?

Im thinking a car ride at about 9.30am, just only allowing a power nap, 20 minutes or so. That's the idea behind going somewhere. Let her nap in the car but then get her up and active after a short power nap swimming would work too - anything that fully wakes her up.

If she'd sleep at home in her cot at this time, even better. Just get her up and active after only a quick catch-up nap.

That might help her get through until more like 2pm, or 1pm is she's still knackered. Shifting your lunchtime nap to something like 2-4pm should allow for a later bedtime.

It would also need some consistancy. You may need a few weeks of 8pm bedtimes before you start seeing an affect on the morning. Once waking later you can drop that morning power nap.

[Flicketyflack]

My daughter used to sleep in a similar way op so Inwould go with it for now and adapt your behaviour by going to bed earlier. As she drops her nap things may change again. Try to see if you can get her to stay in her bed even for five mins after waking- don't respond immediately to her calls.

I used to refuse to go downstairs and start my day before 6am but not always successfully!

Hang in there and get sleep when you can x

[Dina1234]

Mine wakes with the sun-have you tried extra blackouts?

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Sounds like a full night to me especially as she goes down so early and has a long daytime nap. How long do you expect her to sleep? ( Not arsey)

[SnowWhite26]

She has blackout blinds. We do leave her until 7 if we can. She was sleeping till 6.60 last week. Dunno what changed :)

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Think you might have to adjust your expectations tbh.

[SnowWhite26]

Ibdont understand why all if a sudden she is waking so early! 5.15 today shes chatting. Bed at 7 yesterday. A week ago it was 6.30 wake up. Nothings changed. So unpredictable. The earlyer she wakes up the earlyer the nap. The more difficult it is to change the routine.