To think that 2 extra hours of sleep changes EVERYTHING

[TheSheepofWallSt]

DS has been waking up at 4.30-5.30am for over a month. Every. Day. (except Christmas Day. That was 4am 😬)
He’s 3 and is clearly going through some sort of developmental leap- hes generally quite tricky at the moment (we cosleep and now isn’t the time to end that. He’s too emotional already.) The early mornings have been killing me- particularly as work is really hectic at this time of year, so I’ve been averaging 5 hours a night for weeks... I can manage but it’s not pretty.

Until this morning.

SEVEN AM. He woke up at SEVEN.
2 hours difference and oh my god. I’m not crabby. My eyes aren’t bloodshot. I can construct a coherent sentence. I think I might go to work without needing a caffeine IV....

Late for work now but TBH I’m the most senior person after the CEO, so a) not worried about a bollocking and b) my junior colleagues have been very about how bloodshot my eyes are and will be glad to see the whites of my eyes...

I have to say unfortunately mine are still early risers - 5.30am is standard, doesn't matter what time they go to bed. They are however now old enough to know they stay in their rooms and play until 7 on the weekends and then they can go and watch tv / get some breakfast / water before one of us goes down around 730.

Weekdays we're up at 615 anyway so it doesn't make much difference.

Shout out to all the other sleep deprived parents ✊🏻

So late for work (also forgot it was bin day and had last min bin drama...) Don’t give a shit. I’ll do everything I need to do in about 6 minutes now I’m superhuman.

To anyone with a very small baby who’s now terrified they’ll be THIS tired for 3 years.... mine has actually (once we stopped breastfeeding at 2) slept through 7.30- 6 mostly. It’s just every so often we get a month or two of torture, usually coninciding with a development leap (this time it seems he’s getting to grips with abstract concepts like “why are we humans?” “what’s dead?” “Why are there robots?” And “why are we alive?”

So you can look forward to unpacking metaphysical and philosophical conundrums that have puzzled great thinkers for time untold- in an age appropriate way- on 5 hours sleep- but you can also look forward to SOME better sleep nights too (unless you’re unlucky like some upthread, in which case, maybe consider bulk buying coffee and dairy milk- enough of these will at least keep you upright. Wine for evenings will bring you down ).

Also who clicked YABU?!?!
One of you did.
Incorrect answer!

My almost 5yo still often wakes before 6am even though lights out is at 8.30pm and he has very busy days. It sucks but some kids just need less sleep.

Sounds great!

I had early risers too. The good side is that you don't have problems getting them out of bed as teenagers .

It is life-changing. And who gives a toss about bin day?! You slept until 7am!
I am years ahead of the non-sleeping days but I'll never forget them, especially DC3 who I am certain was out to kill me. Stewie Griffin to my Lois.
My spine freezes if I hear any of the songs from shows we sleep-watched at 3:30am when DC3 would be up for the day. Yay! Fun times!
It's years later and I could collapse right now just remembering that horrible, pasty, ill feeling of just being awake at all the wrong times.
You really feel like shouting 'I believe! I believe!' when, by some sheer miracle, you wake up and see 7:16am on the clock. It's an unbelievably huge accomplishment... and the beginning... the beginning of you getting a full, undisturbed 6-7 hours of sleep, OP.

Has anyone seem the Babadook? There's one scene where the child has a good night's sleep after months of disturbed nights, and the depiction of the mum the morning after is amazingly accurate.

I’ve been awake since 5.30 with DS, YANBU😴

2 adults and a 3 year old child in one bed are bound to disturbe each other. Time for his own space.

My son was an early waker for his first 3 years. I tried everything apart from putting him to bed very late as that did not work with our life style (I wanted him in bed at around 7pm)
He was a great sleeper, never woke up in the night.... just up and ready to go at 5am!!. The days he made it to 6.30 am used to be amazing.....
We had to adapt and started going to bed early in order to get the sleep we needed! The thing to remember is that just because you got 2 hours extra today don't do anything silly like try to have a late night tonight!!!!. Chances are he will throw a 4.30am at you!

Now as a teenager, my son never sleeps in past 9am ish and I have never had the problems that some parents have trying to get him up...

My 13 month old wont go to bed before 10pm and certainly doesn't get up before 10am. I have tried waking him up early to get up earlier, putting him down at 7pm, sleep routine naps, no naps- but no dice, he will fall asleep for half an hour wake up and go to bed at 11pm or midnight. It makes getting anywhere impossible. I only get into the office at lunch time (most senior person so not a problem) but it means my day is topsy turvy late start, late end...he sleeps the perfect amount just would prefer it if he could sleep 7pm-7am or even 8pm to 8am.

Give me an early riser any day

These children up at 05:00 must surely be going to bed too early. Isn’t that the answer? I have 6 children. I would never allow a child to start the day at 05:00. It’s antisocial and clearly bad for mum’s health.

@lowlandLucky

Just the one adult ...

I get up at 5am for work three days week (545 on the other days) and by the third day I just feel so fucked. I really look forward to "lying in" until 545 after that as even that extra bit of time makes such a difference.

Hear you 17 months and I think we’re in the same here.

My 5am riser went to bed at 7:30pm.

Any earlier and he would pootle around until 7:40 and fall asleep.

Any later and he would still wake up at 5am, except he would be a tired, ratty, little git all day.

It had absolutely fuck all to do with when he went to bed.

My cousins are all the same, as is sil.

Me, my parents and one aunt are the opposite, and really struggle to fall asleep before 10pm, and struggle with early starts. It's been proven by various studies that being a night owl or a lark is built in genetically. It's literally part of your biology, like being left or right handed, or being tall or short. It does shift somewhat over the course of a lifetime but people do have a general predisposition to be early or late risers. That includes babies and young children.

@blubelle7 that's exactly what I was like as a child /baby, and even now I'm most definitely a night owl.

It definitely makes night shifts a bit easier (work in healthcare and night pay is good) but it made having an early riser very very difficult.

@TheSheepofWallSt - many happy returns! may i wish?