Ideas or sympathy please!

[StealthPolarBear]

DS's waking has got earlier and earlier, been about 4.30 the last few days and was 4.15 this morning. I fed and fed and fed and managed to put him back down at 5.10. Crawled back into bed, only for him to wake me up at 5.15. We then came downstairs for porrige (his request) which he refused to feed himself - I had to do it. Refused to play by himself without me joining in. I was exhausted and needed 5 minutes to myself - finally got that at 6 when CBeebies starts.
Has anyone dealt with this? He's 2 btw. Right, off as am being nagged to read him a book

[Tambajam]

Does he still sleep in the day? How long for? Could be an indicator he is ready to drop nap or reduce?
What time is he in bed?
Is room fairly dark?
Might he be too hot?
Anything changed in last few days?

Failing the obvious stuff I might be brave and try 'wake to sleep'. So wake yourself up at 4am and go into his room and touch him gently and rouse him just enough to disrupt his sleep cycle but not wake him entirely. He then falls back into a deeper sleep and begins a new sleep cycle (ideally). It can be a useful technique to break a pattern of early waking (which then results in the need for daytime sleep and the cycle continues).

[StealthPolarBear]

He sleeps in the day at nursery but not at home usually, doesn't seem to amke much difference.
He goes to bed around 8. We've tried opening windows, reducing blankets, he slept in only a nappy for the last few days not last night.
Thanks, ack soon being winged ata agin

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

Can it be that he wants the milk? DD was like this in the morning for a while. She had a bottle of milk though, and her waking and wanting it got earlier and earlier and meant she was awake afterwards.

we stopped the bottle completely. It was not easy, in fact it was very difficult to do, but as she got used to not having it her sleep changed, and she went from waking at 4-5am, and being very awake but very tired, to waking at 6:30am (not instantly, but over a very short time). She now has no milk at all in the morning and sleeps until around 6:30am-7am, although today it was 6am! She has her breakfast when she gets up.

[StealthPolarBear]

I did wonder if he would e OK this morning as he woke up briefly at 3.30 (coughing) and I patted him back to sleep - was that too early do you think?
Pavlov, how would stop the milk? If he wakes before 4ish he will go back to sleep, any later and he won't. If I don't feed him he'll just scream and then we'll all get no sleep and be miserable Did you replace it with something or just put up with the screaming for a while?

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

stealth - we just put up with the screaming We figured it was that, or always be woken at 4:30am, we had to break the cycle. I think what we did was let her be upset until 5:00am and the give her milk, did this for a few days I think, then pushed it back to 5::30am and gave her milk, then at 6:00am for a while, then when it got to this we figured this was the best we could hope for, and got her up and replaced milk with breakfast. After a while, she just started sleeping a little later before wanting to get up for breakfast.

It was hard, and there might be an easier way, but we never found it.

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

Replacing with water - we tried that and she would throw the bottle at us .

I did go through a phase of looking like a walking zombie, at work it was tough as I was so tired. I had early nights for a while!

[StealthPolarBear]

I would be happy with 5am, that tends t be the time I get up with work, but 4ish is no good
Not sure if we can do the screaming thing, I'll be just as tired but also a nervous wreck, DS will be upset (and I have to leave him at nursery) and DH will also be awake. I'll think about it, thanks

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

You could try moving the milk, gradually to 5am, by not letting him have it until 4:10am, then when he settles with that, make it 4:20am, until it is finally 5am where you will be happier? That way you would not be disturbing the whole house for hours at a time.

(we did not just leave DD to scream in that time, we did comfort her, go in a pat ever 5 mins or so, don't think we just let her holler for half hour!)

I do feel for you, it is very very hard. i wish i could give you a way to make him sleep just a little longer!

[StealthPolarBear]

yeah, might try something like that thanks On the times I don't want to bf him I distract him with milk in a cup and whatever we're doing until he forgets about it - suppose I need to just do no drink and a quiet story for 10 mins.
well I had a quick snooze while he was watching CBeebies, and now he's asleep - looked exhausted! He sometimes doesn't sleep, but he obviously needs it today

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

I hope it improves for you Stealth.

[ches]

I have a 2yo and have had success with telling him "no, it's still sleeptime the wake-up song didn't play yet." Sometimes he's happy to go back to sleep, he is generally happy to wait for more milk. He is going through a growth spurt right now though and is HUNGRY at that time. On Thursday he had three trips around the boob buffet at 5:20, then downed a huge cup of milk. I couldn't get him back to sleep but HE put on a DVD and I went back to bed.

[StealthPolarBear]

ches, it's interesting you say that because we want to try getting him one of those clocks and then saying he can read or play but can't get us until the clock says so. I think with a bit of patience that will sink in.

[StealthPolarBear]

Well DS went to bed an hour later last night as we were out (about 9 or 9.15ish) and didn't wake up until 6.30
Can't believe I never thought to try that! We'll see how he is tonight - going to make sure he doesn't sleep today.
He did wake for a feed at 2.40 for anyone getting too