Desperate for sleep!

[Antwan87]

Hi everyone,
I hope you can help, I'm at a loss of what to do anymore. My little boy, now 3, has been waking up at the crack of dawn since we moved him into a toddler bed a year and a half ago! I can't believe it's been going on for that long. We were forced to move him into a bed because he kept climbing out of his cot and banging his head! But his sleep went insane for the first few months, then settled a little bit but the 4/5am wake ups stuck!
He'll have the odd morning where he'll sleep til 6.15/6.20ish, which is bliss!! And I feel like a new woman when he does! But it's rare. He usually wakes between 4 & 6, usually about 5ish and I just feel like it's making me ill.
I already have a thyroid problem caused by the pregnancy which makes me tired anyway and I work full-time as a teacher, so waking up at 4.30, like I did this morning, is killing me! I don't know how I'm going to get through the day. And I know he's not getting enough sleep either bc he's yawning, cranky and over emotional. I just don't know why he insists on waking up at that time and he just can't get back to sleep.
We've tried everything!!! I mean, everything!
Had health and development practitioners come round but they just suggested a sticker chart that he wasn't interested in. He has white noise, 2× black out blinds and curtains, really good Bedtime routine (it's not a problem putting him down at all). He goes to bed about 7.30, we do the bath, story etc. He has a potty in his room so he can change his nappy in morning to pants if it's wet (still in nappies at night). I don't know what else to do.
My husband works away a lot so it's left to me and I just feel like i'm losing the plot. I can't do my job properly and I'm upset for my son, because he's so, so tired. I keep telling him if he could sleep longer in the morning he'd feel so much better.
I really don't know what the problem is. Sometimes he'll wake up at 4am, dry nappy, room warm and dark, no noise, there's just no explanation.
I think he naturally stirs at that time but doesn't know how to let himself drift back off to sleep. I don't know how to teach him that though. He's a very active, headstrong boy and literally leaps out of bed and charges in our room! It's really hard for him to relax and stay still so I can't even stroke him back to sleep or anything. And he is wide awake at that time, chatting away while I'm dazed and confused!
I don't know where else to turn. I always thought when he started preschool things would change, I don't know why I thought this. But they haven't and I just feel desperate.
If anyone has any advice on what to do or who to ask turn to for help, it will be gratefully received.
Thanks so much!

[Jesssr]

Oh OP you poor thing. Sleep deprivation really is the worst and I sympathize with you so much.

Could it be something happening that wakes him at that time like the heating turning on or a neighbor going to/returning from work, the bin lorries or a bus going by be or something? No doubt you have already thought of all this.

I'm so sorry but I don't really have much in the way of helpful suggestions to get your DS to sleep any longer. Is he tired and settles straight to sleep at 7:30? If he's so tired would a slightly earlier bed Time suit? Or if he's still wide awake when you put him to bed pushing his bedtime back by 15 minutes to see if it helps him sleep longer?
Again I'm sure you have tried this.

My only suggestion.... And it's for your sanity rather than to help him sleep longer is to confine him to his room.
If he's not upset when he wakes up is there any way you could stop him escaping his room and coming into yours? At least you might be able to rest even if you don't get any actual sleep.

My DD is younger than yours and we weren't through a phase where she woke at 5. She's also very headstrong! But we knew she was safe in her room so we left her in there and after about a month of early walkings she started to settle herself back to sleep. I think she got bored of being awake and on her own. We don't keep toys in her room just a teddy and a doll she brings to bed.

Some people swear by those grow clocks too. Maybe even trying to explain to him that he can't leave his bedroom until the clock says 6? You can get them pretty cheap second hand if you want to give it a try.

I'm so sorry I can't be of any help. I hope the clocks changing this weekend might interfere with his sleep enough to change things up.

I really hope you find some solution!