To dread winter with my toddler?

[Summermeadowflowers]

Since DS started sleeping through, which was around 18 months, he’s woken early and this is often around 530. Tweaking bedtimes and naps doesn’t seem to make any difference to this. Sometimes he’ll have a spate of 630-7 wakeups but then will start waking earlier and earlier until you’re back at 530, or earlier.

It was miserable enough last winter but now we have a baby as well. Last night I woke to express milk at 230. Then DD woke at 330, I got her settled again at 4, then bloody DS woke at half five.

DH does take him when he can but if he’s working away or even if he’s in the office he has to leave at just before 7. It’s the longest morning ever before we can go out then we go out somewhere then DS gets really tired and stroppy in the afternoons because he is so tired.

No point to this, just a moan. I do love DS very much but I hate this particular habit he has so much, and I worry about DD as it inevitably disturbs her and the last thing I want is her being in this awful pattern too.

The post above mine is a pisstake, surely?

@Summermeadowflowers I absolutely agree! My husband worked very long hours so starting the day at 5.30 was awful for me especially as I had to keep going until 7pm usually when DH came home. Such a long day. I often brought mine into bed with me and gave them some milk. Then sometimes they would go to sleep again for an hour if I was lucky. I could cope from 6.30 or 7.00 but 5.30 is a real killer!!!! I do sympathise!

OP honestly hadn't read the full thread... it may seem that way but no pisstake intended!
Just it really did work for us and was a life changer. Hope you get some sleep, and I'll be awake in solidarity anyway regardless!

Nobody is suggesting that a Gro clock is Magic solution. The number of things that you say you’ve tried over the last few months suggests that you may not have persevered with any of them. Our clock attempts took a couple of months to be properly effective but it was time well spent imo. I’d definitely prefer doing that than making sushi at 5.30am as another poster suggested!

OP!!!! GRO CLOCK!!!!

Last few months? Last year and a half! Bloody DD is finally bloody asleep. I wish Gro clocks worked on babies

@Summermeadowflowers I feel you. To add insult to injury mine only slept for 30 minutes in the day. 30 minutes!!!!!! They were on the go all the time until 7pm and were never grumpy and tired until bedtime. Unbelievable!! Thank god that they slept all night otherwise I think I might have gone completely bonkers. Kids are a form of torture aren’t they?? It’s a good thing we love them to bits. 💕

OP when you say he doesn't watch tv, do you mean he's not interested or he's not allowed?

Sympathies on the early starts, I’m not a morning person and the thought of being up that early makes me shudder. Let alone having to look after two young children too.

Just wanted to say how amazing you are to be exclusively pumping, that takes some dedication so very well done.

I'm still slightly baffled as to why people are dragging themselves out of bed, I have 5 kids and I have never got up before 7 with any of them. It is a hard boundary in this house and always will be, they were either settled back in their own beds, brought in to ours and settled or they had a phone/iPad until 7. It's very odd to me that people do this.

He could just be a naturally early riser (sorry!). My son is almost 7 and he’s been 530-6am his whole life. It doesn’t matter if we shift his bedtime. Doesn’t matter if he’s up until 10-11pm for whatever reason for a special evening, still wakes the same time, every time, without fail.

TBH I now love a 6am wake up as it makes getting up and ready for school and much calmer experience.

painful short term but you’ll figure it out.

can’t you bring him in bed for you and read books/watch TV until a normal hour? My son comes in 6am (he isn’t allowed in to wake us until 6am in his clock) and get in the middle of us with his books if we watch Cartoon Network whilst I’m still peeling my eyes open.

Currently in the middle of feeding my 12 week old with a DD the same age as your DS. I feel for you!

Our DD when through a spate of awful sleep when we moved house and DS arrived at a similar time. Significant life events usually will impact sleep but it sounds like this has been going on longer for you.

Your DS is most probably overtired. If it helps, we dropped the midday nap when nursery did, if he’s still napping at nursery he can/should nap at home. If it’s inconsistent I’d be tempted to drop it and move bedtime earlier. 7:30/8pm seems too late for a 5:30 rise - have you tired a consistent 7pm bedtime?

My little ones used gro clocks from extremely young (maybe age 1), 1 has SEN and still understood he gets up when sun comes up. The trick is, if he wakes at 5.30, set it for 5.30 the first day. Loads of praise, wow! You stated in bed until your sun came up. Move it back in small increments of 5-15 minutes every couple of days until you get to the time you want. Giving loads of praise e.g. let's tell nanny you were so clever you stayed in bed quietly until the Dun came up. Etc.

Also, early waking can be a sign of hunger. Try more protein at lunch (humous, falafel, Greek yoghurt, or meats/cheese).

The dark mornings may help your child sleep longer this year. Also, only use red night-lights if you can at night-time. White/blue light disturbs melatonin. If your child still wakes early, agree what they need to do before their sun comes up. E.g. 1 star left, they can look at a book. When sun comes up agree a routine. E.g. they run into your bedroom and say "I'm so clever, I stayed in bed until my sun is up". Or if they cannot leave their bed/room they can shout "mummy my sun is up, waking up time!". That kind of thing. I've done this fir my own children and a nephew who had never slept past 5am until I did this. It worked for all in a week.

@Muchtoomuchtodo lol, yes, sushi might seems like a random suggestion, but that's exactly what I did on Friday morning. Everyone was very happy to get sushi for lunch (or, erm, breakfast) and it made me feel accomplished!

Thanks @Worriedaboutpp . I don’t think anyone has made that suggestion yet

@Wittyusername1 its only yesterday he woke at 530 but I can ‘sense’ it happening again. He’s been sleeping until 630-7 for a while and then it starts sneaking earlier and earlier and then the 530 wake ups start and nothing you do helps. Today for instance he slept until 610, not great but better. I agree though. 730 is fine if waking up at 630 but not 530.

Well you asked for advice. My nephew came to stay for 2 weeks age 5 because this had gone on for years by then. In one week I had him sleeping 3 hours a night longer. He never suffered from sleeping problems again. Font be quick to dismiss advice. Lots of people start gro clocks at too late wake time, lots don't understand red lights or protein. I have worked in a sleep centre and find your response incredibly dismissive and rude. It works.

My DS was an early raiser did a stint of 4.30am in winter while I was heavily pregnant he learnt to turn his groclock on so the sun was up too. Was like yours would have a nap at nursery or in the car but stopped naps at home at 18mths. My DD 23 mths younger was the opposite never slept in the car but loved her sleep at home. I just used the early starts for time just with DS so a lot of sunrises walking the dog reading books. You will get there.

Can you take him into your bed and let him watch cartoons while you rest for an hour or so.

A few people have said their toddlers learned how to work the groclock... you know you can lock it, right?!

He sounds over tired if he’s waking early crying. I think the daytime sleeps are key here but if he won’t sleep then it does become a bit impossible.
Personally I would be out walking with them in the pram for long walks everyday, but I’m a bit of a fresh air nut. often it was the only way DD would sleep so I would have to stay out until she woke up.

Ha ha Gro Clocks! What an utter waste of time they were!!

Looks like it got missed a second time!
Absolutely bang on. OP is he around until nearly 7 most days? Surely that's exactly when you need him!

I'm slightly astounded tbh that in over 170 posts, is only me (and now you) that are wondering why the OP is dealing with this alone.

The OP earlier said:

"fifteen months of 530 get ups, nine of those when pregnant"

Obviously she may have been a SAHM after baby 1, but assuming that she'd gone back to work, it sounds like she's done all of the early mornings, irrespective of work, pregnancy, weekends, and new baby. Even if a SAHM it doesn't mean you do it all 24/7.

The Gro Clock thing is winding me up.

I tried one with my early riser. She understood it completely. But also ignored it completely. If she wanted to get up, that was that. There was no reasoning with her.

I remember the 5am starts well. They were brutal. Even now, the Frozen soundtrack makes me feel nauseous with remembered exhaustion.

It won't always be like this. You just need to grind this phase out until you're out the other side.

This thread 😂

well you asked for advice

No, I didn’t. I explicitly didn’t ask for advice.

He doesn’t watch TV, I have said that once or twice

DH has been very good about taking DS in the mornings. I’ll be honest and say that hasn’t always been the case but he’s going it now and that’s good. But it still wakes me and disturbs DD, so that’s not ideal. But it will change and we’ll come through it.