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Original poster

Are children always up at the crack of dawn?

51 replies

ohnowhatdidido · 26/01/2024 07:01

I remember me and my siblings used to love our sleep and would love sleeping in on weekends. Or we would want to be up early for our favourite TV shows but would often prefer to sleep in instead of get up.

Just wondering as I've just read someone ask another poster about whether they might have young children who wake up at the crack of dawn. I am a new mum and assumed one day my baby will grow up and prefer to sleep rather than want to wake up so early.. OR were my parents just very lucky?

OP posts:
NancyJoan · 26/01/2024 07:03

My DS is 14, and still up before 7 every day. Some people are just early risers. Unfortunately.

NatMoz · 26/01/2024 07:06

I was up early as a child and still do now!

My little girl will sleep until 8am but will happily chill in her bed until 9am. (bedtime 6:30pm).

I think it depends on the child!

I'm usually always awake before my 2 year old 🤣. Right this second being a good example

Vettrianofan · 26/01/2024 07:07

Been up 6am for years. Small children to blame for this but used to it now 🤷🏻

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Families
SnowsFalling · 26/01/2024 07:08

Ive just finished breakfast with my Teen and Tween.
Still waiting for this stage where they sleep in.

DustyLee123 · 26/01/2024 07:08

I remember, as a child, being up at the weekend watching TV while waiting for mum to get up. I’ve always been an early riser, and struggled to work nights.

Swearwolf · 26/01/2024 07:09

My oldest was never still in bed later than 6, sometimes as early at 4.30. At 11 he occasionally sleeps in but usually he's up at 6. My youngest will sleep in sometimes.

Ambi · 26/01/2024 07:11

I have lazy sleepy kids even when they were little, not up before 7am. Now the teen is lucky to be seen before 1pm if not at school, the tween is getting up later, around 9am on a weekend.

Pepperama · 26/01/2024 07:15

Didn’t think we’d ever get there but then at about 10/11 the 5am/6am kid suddenly became a ‘I can’t possibly wake up yet’ preteen who struggles to get out of bed for school

AlltheFs · 26/01/2024 07:20

My DD (4 but has been like this always) hates mornings, on non nursery days she wakes about 9am.
She’s never been an early riser. We have to do 7am latest get up on work days and it’s so hard!
She’s a naturally 9-9 person. Which is both lovely and challenging!

InTheRainOnATrain · 26/01/2024 07:22

Mine didn’t start sleeping in at the weekends until she was 6, which is probably around the age you’re remembering as a toddler/pre schooler probably wouldn’t be making an advanced plan with a sibling centred around a favourite TV programme. During the week I need them up at about 6.30am as otherwise we’re in mass panic for the school/nursery run and as babies and toddlers they love a routine so stick to this wake up time even on weekends. DH and I take it in turns for a lie in!!

reluctantbrit · 26/01/2024 07:29

I can't remember exactly but I think I was an early riser as I clearly remember Sunday morning family breakfasts with a Sunday roast for lunch, so no lie in until 10am.

DD didn't had any concept of sleep late until she was around 8-9 and managed 8am on a weekend. No change in bedtime or nap routine made any differences to her waking up at 6am.

She is now a teen and would happily sleep the day away but she gets really hangry/cranky if she misses meals and routine (ASD) so we normally drag her out for some form of normal day routine and mealtimes.

A friend has 2 girls who nobody sees before 11am on a weekend, trips starting early are met with moans. In her case her husband is similar.

Mandarinaduck · 26/01/2024 07:37

My DC has always slept late, even as a baby. As soon as she started sleeping through the night, at about 6 months, we could go back to chilled slow mornings. I’ve been having plenty of sleep and nice lie-ins her whole life (she is now a teenager).

Always full of beans in the evening though (again, from a very young age). Just a natural night owl, like me.

This comes with its own issues however eg getting up and out for school has always been a struggle. Around 9 would be a natural wake-up time for us both.

HowToTeach · 26/01/2024 07:38

I have one who's up at 6-630 (pre-puberty closer to 5, now he sleeps in) and one who would happily sleep until 8 every day, 9 or 10 at the weekends.

They've both been very different sleepers from the day they were born!

Tinkeytonkoldfruit · 26/01/2024 07:45

Depends on the child - my DD8 will sleep in till 9am sometimes later at weekends often - in fact a couple of Christmas ago we had to wake her up at 9.45 to open presies from Santa! She is a naturally a night owl though and getting her to sleep can be hard work (she also didn't sleep through the night for the first 4 years!)
One of my best friends kids always wake up about 6am whatever time they go to sleep.
You won't know what kind of kid you are going to have until they arrive.

EggTheFirst · 26/01/2024 07:47

My 9 year old once slept in until 7.15…

PurBal · 26/01/2024 07:47

DS starts at 530-6. My niece (similar age) will sleep until 830 if given a chance.

judgedreadful · 26/01/2024 07:47

My kids sleep till 8-9 if I let them.

Lionbros · 26/01/2024 07:51

Mine wake around 7.30-8. They seem to go to bed later than most though (I’ve never done a 7pm bedtime, more like 8/9.I have friends that do 6.30/7 bedtime and then wonder why their children are up at 6!)

PuttingDownRoots · 26/01/2024 07:51

Mine like their lie ins! Sometimes they appear for breakfast and then go back to bed. But they are often reading

When little it was never beyond 7.

OrangeMarmaladeOnToast · 26/01/2024 07:51

It was unusual for mine to be up before 7 even as toddlers.

CissOff · 26/01/2024 07:54

Until they hit secondary school they would be up early-ish (7am), now I’m lucky if I see my tween before 10am and teen before lunchtime.

A long time to wait though!

Xmasbaby11 · 26/01/2024 07:56

My dd used to wake at 7 or so when tiny but never crack of dawn, never at 6 or anything like that. I definitely felt lucky! I’d say they were unusual though - downside is they were awake later!

Through primary, they slept in at weekends and certainly now at 10 and 12 they never get up earlier than needed. They are night owls, same as Dh and I!

Crunchingleaf · 26/01/2024 07:57

I am not a morning person and this seems to have passed on to my children. The baby and toddler wake up around 7.30. If they wake before 7 they always just went back to sleep. The teen was same when young but now would sleep in until about 11am if he could

PrincessHoneysuckle · 26/01/2024 07:58

It was school age that ds slept longer.
Newborn he was horrific.1-2 got up at 5am .3-5 around 6am now its 7.30am in the week and 8/9am on weekends.

Nctodayjan24 · 26/01/2024 07:58

Mine could sleep till 10/10: 30 at the weekends . They need a lot of sleep. On holidays not once did we make the breakfast that finished at 11. Even as babies they were the same and are 6 and 9 now. Go to bed at 8 during the week and 9 at weekends.
They are exact same as their father, I have a days work done by the time the 3 of them rise.