To think my sons' room must be haunted because I am running out of another logical explanation!

[AnMum]

Two ds share a room. Ds1 nearly 4 ds2 nearly 1. Ds2 wakes up every single morning between 4.30 and 5 and will only go back to sleep with a bottle. Ds1 rarely wakes up but if he does, that's a whole other kind of hell that we won't go in to. Don't have an issue with controlled crying but it just isn't possible when they share a room. He's the odd thing, every single other place we go, my parents, inlaws, friends, hotels (you name it), ds2 sleeps through the night.

So what is the problem with their room??!! It is not light, it is not noisy, it's warm.

Any ideas before I permanently lose the plot would be much much much appreciated!!!!

If you hadn't guessed from the timing of my post, today is the 'other kind of hell' and they have both been awake since 4.45!

Are they staying up late everywhere else, or much more active? DD is always knackered at my Mum's because she's running around with them.

They are not staying up later, but I guess they might be more stimulated just due to the change of environment. They are both v active normally though and we are v strict on TV so they are not sitting around at home...

I think you've hit the nail on the head when you say they might be more stimulated just due to the change of environment - we've experienced the same!

I get the same with my 2mo. Home during the day, two naps that need to be 'encouraged'. Out and about in pram, will doze happily for hours. Sleeps longer after a day that involves me taking him out.

Next door neighbour's child used to wake screaming at certain times; turned out it was the pattern of car headlights filtering through gaps in the tops of the curtains and moving across the ceiling which terrified him. It could be an unexplained noise or movement which wakes him.

Hot water/heating clicking on at a vital point in the sleep cycle? We shifted ours by 10 minutes and the difference it make was amazing.

I had a friend who thought there was some problem with her house. She woke up 5.30am every morning with a feeling someone was watching her. This got to the point she wanted to move house.

Then, by chance, she stayed up all night talking to her partner. At 5.30 the reflection of headlights cam in to the room, appeared to move around the entire room and then they were gone.

Her neighbour driving to work had been waking her up for months and she didn't realise it.

Could it be something like that?

Or conversely something not happening. My mum lived near a train line as a child, she only woke up in the night if the train didn't run.

We love in the middle of nowhere, as do both our parents so I don't think it's headlights or anything but I have just rearranged their whole room to move ds2 further from the window. Only tonight will tell I guess! Thanks for the ideas!

My bed room radiator pops and I hear the boiler fire up for hot water/heating same time every morning (when heating is on).

I was wondering if there is some subtle environmental thing that wakes your son. Radiator pinging, animal noise, change in light levels, washing machine turning on, etc...

Are you on a flight path / near an airport? We are, and I often wake about 5 ish and realised it's the first flight out of (or into, not exactly sure) the airport. We're not that close, but close enough for engine noise to be noticeable.

it is just that they are more stimulated from being out and about and probably doing more. Example - my son rarely sleeps through night - but at the seaside! yep! In a hotel - yep. same as you.

Does no one else find that they can get into a habit of waking at a particular time?

I can go for weeks always waking at 2:33 (or whatever), however tired I am, and whatever I do.

Have you tried sleeping in the room yourself? There might be a gurgle or a creak or something that you don't know about

A real mystery! Do post if you work out the answer.

Well, I rearranged their room yesterday to put ds2 at a different angle in relation to the window and put a small radiator to come on at 4am in case a temp drop was the cause. They are only just stirring now! I am not going to count my chickens but this is the latest ds2 has woken at home ever I think!!!

DD (baby) sleeps very little at new places, and crashes when she gets back here. We don't do anything different really, it's just the newness and her being naturally curious about everything.