Cannot cope with lack of sleep

[DueyCheatemAndHow]

Preschooler waking earlier and earlier. Normally it's 5 something. Night before last it was 4.45. Last night it was 3.45. He won't go back to sleep. He's then knackered and emotional.

We have a wedding today. I'm so tired. I'm so depressed by it.

Not that it will help much for today but have you tried a gro clock? My DC was an early waker (literally calling out at 3am and asking if it was time to get up lol). We tried the gro clock and it was brilliant. Hope you manage to enjoy the day.

Yes he just ignores it

I was going to do a similar post, only my daughter has just turned 6. She shouts at around 5 every morning for me and wakes up her 8 year old sister. Then they both won't go back to sleep and are exhausted during the day so weepy and hard work. I had a cry today I'm so exhausted. I'm fasting too and don't get to bed until 11 at the earliest. I take them out, make sure they are eating enough. Really don't know what to do. My girls share a room. We only have 2 bedrooms so nowhere else to sleep.

If there's a partner, make up a camp bed in a garage or shed and alternate nights.
Sound ridiculous, but my friend had a full undisturbed night every other night.

What time does he go to bed/fall asleep?

Can you swap round so the 8 year old shares with you/ your partner so she doesn't get woken up? Do alternate nights. You dont say if there is another parent, but if there is, you need to take turns.

It's a nightmare isn't it. My DS (who is now a teenager but still can't sleep in past 7!) would wake between 4 and 5 every morning. There's no real solution but things that helped us cope:

-go to bed the same time as him,
-enforce nap time and have a nap yourself (we found the better rested he was during the day the better he slept at night, sounds counterproductive but it worked)
-keep things as quiet as you can when he does wake early so I would have a drink and snack ready by the side oof our bed, peppa pig on standby, he'd get in with us and I'd just lie with my eyes closed. Even though you're awake you're still resting
-take turns with OH
-if he falls asleep in the car keep a pillow in the car and catch a little nap when you park up.

Good luck with it, I know its difficult but try and not get stressed about it, just try and go with the flow and he will eventually sleep in longer. If he doesn't he'll reach an age where he can get up and sort himself out in the mornings without you having to supervise!

I heard that early waking is actually due to being over-tired. Although it's not intuitive, putting them to bed earlier helps. The brain becomes more relaxed and they sleep longer. Mine used to wake before 5am each day so I started putting them to bed earlier and they slept more. Worked like magic.

My 2 year old does this sometimes. I change her nappy and give her a bottle of warm milk and leave her in bed. Does kind of give another hour and sometimes she goes back to sleep. My eldest had a phase of this and sometimes it was because she was hungry so I put her to bed with drinks and snacks like bananas so she could wake and eat and drink in the night and the morning. This didn’t sure it but it did help. Not sleeping is utter torture and the day is then wasted. I know a few people who have spent years being zombies with children close in age and really no other way to describe it.