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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be horrified I used to wake at this time every day?

237 replies

iusedto · 02/01/2025 05:08

At 18 months my previously crap sleeper started sleeping through (mostly) but swapped multiple night wakings for waking very, very early - 5-530 generally.

This lasted for around a year. Then he dropped his nap and sort of shifted that sleep to the morning. Gradually he’s been waking later and later and now sometimes I have to wake him. (Not often.)

I have a ‘new’ 18 month old who thankfully doesn’t seem as inclined to start the day when it’s still the middle of the night but she did just wake me about half an hour ago and I am waiting for her to go back to sleep.

But - AIBU to be horrified this was a habitual start time if you like for me once upon a time? I’ve given myself such a hard time about not properly enjoying ds as a toddler but I kind of think no wonder; I must have been sick with exhaustion!

OP posts:
LonelyInDville · 02/01/2025 15:06

When I shared a car with my ex we would have to be up at 4:15. It was horrible, I usually wake up around 5:15 - 5:45 now that I'm WFH.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 02/01/2025 15:05

It sounds horrific to me, but I’m one of natures’s owls. Perimenopause has not remotely changed this!

itsgettingweird · 02/01/2025 15:04

iusedto · 02/01/2025 12:02

There is definitely a sniff of moral superiority from those who are up early, either by choice or because of circumstances. I wonder why?

It's not moral superiority.

Those of us saying about competitive sport are pointing out we have to do it because of that.

No - I wouldn't choose to be up at 4am - but I chose to allow ds to start swimming and it turns out he's good at it and so I decided he could join the performance squad when invited even though that meant early starts.

It's more pointing out it's possible to adjust your body clock for other reasons other than the drag of getting up with a toddler! (For which I sympathise because I've been there 😂)

BoldExpert · 02/01/2025 15:03

iusedto · 02/01/2025 15:03

I don’t hate the early morning. More the middle of the night I hate Wink

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ok so presume your partner hates 5am even more than you?

magicalmrmistoffelees · 02/01/2025 15:03

iusedto · 02/01/2025 15:02

Indeed, although my normal wake up time is around 7, and my normal bed time around 10-11, which despite what MN claim is fairly normal!

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Yes, this would be my natural pattern too if left to my own devices!

Original poster
iusedto · 02/01/2025 15:03

BoldExpert · 02/01/2025 15:01

I take it your partner also hates early
morning OP? even more than you?

I don’t hate the early morning. More the middle of the night I hate Wink

OP posts:
Original poster
iusedto · 02/01/2025 15:02

magicalmrmistoffelees · 02/01/2025 14:24

And those who go to bed late and rise late can be smug knowing they’re up doing those things late at night while everyone else is in bed!

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Indeed, although my normal wake up time is around 7, and my normal bed time around 10-11, which despite what MN claim is fairly normal!

OP posts:
BoldExpert · 02/01/2025 15:01

I take it your partner also hates early
morning OP? even more than you?

Original poster
iusedto · 02/01/2025 15:00

Jifmicroliquid · 02/01/2025 13:47

I think if OP had said she was getting up at 3am or even 4am, people might have a bit more sympathy. I tend to think of anything from 5am onwards as normal get up time on a work day for a lot of people.

Oh, I’m not, not any more. My 5am days ended around summer / autumn 23, when DS dropped his nap. I’m just woken up by his sister now but like her mother she is a slovenly sort and stays in her cot until about 630/7. So sympathy I don’t care about. I just woke up this morning (courtesy of the toddler, but she did go to sleep again) and thought dear god … this was once my start time to the day.

I realise the rest of the world were duly arising then and my laziness is noted.

OP posts:
magicalmrmistoffelees · 02/01/2025 14:57

I am up at 5am by the way, but not doing workouts. I’m just spending my time stopping my autistic child from injuring himself or burning the house down, generally. No smugness, I’d rather be asleep.

magicalmrmistoffelees · 02/01/2025 14:53

BoldExpert · 02/01/2025 14:37

personally the idea of doing an online hiit class at 10pm is horrific! but i suppose you think doing it at 5.30am is also horrific!

No, I wouldn’t do one at either time 🤷🏻‍♀️. I workout in my lunch breaks. Just pointing out that something isn’t more virtuous because it’s early, rather than late!

BoldExpert · 02/01/2025 14:37

personally the idea of doing an online hiit class at 10pm is horrific! but i suppose you think doing it at 5.30am is also horrific!

BoldExpert · 02/01/2025 14:36

magicalmrmistoffelees · 02/01/2025 14:24

And those who go to bed late and rise late can be smug knowing they’re up doing those things late at night while everyone else is in bed!

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absolutely!

and what about those who stay up late AND wake up early

smugness must be off the charts!!

magicalmrmistoffelees · 02/01/2025 14:24

BoldExpert · 02/01/2025 14:19

i’m an early riser

and it’s part of the joy tbh! A little bit of smugness!

the country so still and peaceful, meanwhile i’m building up a sweat doing an online work out video or catching up on admin and it adds a layer of enjoyment knowing that majority still tucked up in bed 🤭

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And those who go to bed late and rise late can be smug knowing they’re up doing those things late at night while everyone else is in bed!

BoldExpert · 02/01/2025 14:21

colinthedogfromaccounts · 02/01/2025 11:58

Pray your children don't get into competitive sport.

4.10am starts for rowing dropoff - 5 days a week. The only solution was to go to bed at 8pm. Plenty of people have jobs that start early.

and they then went on to have full day at school?

BoldExpert · 02/01/2025 14:20

colinthedogfromaccounts · 02/01/2025 11:58

Pray your children don't get into competitive sport.

4.10am starts for rowing dropoff - 5 days a week. The only solution was to go to bed at 8pm. Plenty of people have jobs that start early.

wtf? 5 days a week?! how long did that go on for? And is she/he now an olympian at least?!!

BoldExpert · 02/01/2025 14:19

iusedto · 02/01/2025 12:02

There is definitely a sniff of moral superiority from those who are up early, either by choice or because of circumstances. I wonder why?

i’m an early riser

and it’s part of the joy tbh! A little bit of smugness!

the country so still and peaceful, meanwhile i’m building up a sweat doing an online work out video or catching up on admin and it adds a layer of enjoyment knowing that majority still tucked up in bed 🤭

theferry · 02/01/2025 13:52

I still shudder at the memory of having 5 years of broken sleep and early risings. Neither of my DDs slept properly until they were 3. I don’t know how I managed to keep going. Im very protective of my sleep many years later. Of course, now they’re teenagers I can’t get them up at all!

TitaniasAss · 02/01/2025 13:49

I have to get up at 5.30 for work. I hate it in winter but love it in spring/summer.

Jifmicroliquid · 02/01/2025 13:47

I think if OP had said she was getting up at 3am or even 4am, people might have a bit more sympathy. I tend to think of anything from 5am onwards as normal get up time on a work day for a lot of people.

pelargoniums · 02/01/2025 13:45

iusedto · 02/01/2025 12:02

There is definitely a sniff of moral superiority from those who are up early, either by choice or because of circumstances. I wonder why?

Yes! Staying in bed is seen as lazy, even if you’re a night owl and stay up late – the virtue also seems to be in going to bed early, too. Because anyone up late is obviously a degenerate.

Tootiredmummyof3 · 02/01/2025 13:39

I used to get up at 2am for work. The entire time I did that job (5 years )I was ill. And I'm sure it was just from being exhausted.
When I changed jobs to start getting up at 6:45 I never felt ill.
Lack of sleep is awful, I had young children too so no naps during the day. The thing to remember is your toddler will get through it and so will you. In a year or so you might have two children sleeping until a reasonable time in the morning.

Sparklyhat · 02/01/2025 13:32

My DS (almost 4) ha started sometimes waking up at 3/4am and wants to get up for the day. I'm not sure what the right thing to do is. So far I always tell him no it's bedtime, and get him back into bed or in ours but he doesn't sleep just messes about and we don't get any sleep anyway.
Should I be getting up with him when he wakes at these times? I thought letting him get up at 330am would show him it's okay to do that and encourage it to do it more often? whereas I'm obviously trying to discourage it and instead reward him waking at 630am

Original poster
iusedto · 02/01/2025 12:02

There is definitely a sniff of moral superiority from those who are up early, either by choice or because of circumstances. I wonder why?

OP posts:
colinthedogfromaccounts · 02/01/2025 11:58

Pray your children don't get into competitive sport.

4.10am starts for rowing dropoff - 5 days a week. The only solution was to go to bed at 8pm. Plenty of people have jobs that start early.

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