To be horrified I used to wake at this time every day?

[iusedto]

At 18 months my previously crap sleeper started sleeping through (mostly) but swapped multiple night wakings for waking very, very early - 5-530 generally.

This lasted for around a year. Then he dropped his nap and sort of shifted that sleep to the morning. Gradually he’s been waking later and later and now sometimes I have to wake him. (Not often.)

I have a ‘new’ 18 month old who thankfully doesn’t seem as inclined to start the day when it’s still the middle of the night but she did just wake me about half an hour ago and I am waiting for her to go back to sleep.

But - AIBU to be horrified this was a habitual start time if you like for me once upon a time? I’ve given myself such a hard time about not properly enjoying ds as a toddler but I kind of think no wonder; I must have been sick with exhaustion!

Because they wake you up coming in. Ds3 is at the height of this. I prefer the nights out as he gets in at 5am rather than the work nights where he gets in at 2am.

i do find it a problem & I used to have a life like @SleeplessInWherever with ds1. 5am
was classed as fine. And I only really began to be unable to function at 2-3 hours of sleep for days on end. I don’t do many nights with ds1 now (he’s all
grown up & living in his own place with support) but I do find being woken by ds3 annoying.

I worked when ds1 was here but ran my own business so I could set the pace. Now I work full time outside the house and as someone else said upthread I find the brain stuff really hard on lack of sleep (menopause and noisy late arriving young adults).

I think the impact of poor sleep depends on so many factors. The amount of support around you is a big one. I was lucky to have family support around me and some good friends going through similar. That didn’t give me extra sleep but helped my mood - which can make things easier to bare.

But are they literally going out Monday to Sunday and waking you up coming in? Unless you gave birth to Paris Hilton I suppose.

No but ds3 works in hospitality so often finishes work at 1am or 2am & gets home an hour later.

I'm perfectly well rested, been sleeping great since my youngest child was reliably sleeping til 7/8 am, which was when he was about 2.5-3.

Not all children actually do get up at the break of dawn. This is not universal.

I have had various jobs with long commutes where I had to get up at 5:30-6am. Yes it was hellish, and now I have a short commute and don’t have to get up until 8, and it is bliss! 8-9am is my “natural” waking up time, and midnight is my “natural” bedtime.

I get that must be tiring but that’s more ‘a family member working anti social hours’ thing than a ‘teen thing.’

My point really is I did years of horrendous lack of sleep due to autism, and now have lack of sleep due to menopause and young adults working and going out (he goes out a lot as well). All are bad in their own way.

I wouldn’t want to go back to the autism years (do some nights with ds1 still and don’t plan anything difficult for the next day) - but I do find being woken at 3am by others in the house hard - especially now I work full time outside the home. Lack of sleep impacts on my work now more than it did when ds1 was here as then I ran my own business and could work around that. Also I’m twenty years older & don’t have the same energy as I had in my thirties.

i don’t think there’s a hierarchy of sleep difficulties. Not getting enough sleep is horrible whatever the reason and it’s particularly bad when it is night after night after night.

I don’t think there’s a hierarchy of sleep difficulties either, but others on this thread definitely do. The thread veered off course a bit when someone started insisting teens were more of a cause of exhaustion than toddlers and babies which, while I don’t wish to be dismissive about anyone’s struggles, is patently a bit daft.

Yes we live in Europe and school starts early. I am a “Smug” early riser so suits me.

Agreed. I have two teenagers and it's in no way more tiring than having two toddlers. Obviously, there will be exceptions and I certainly worry more (different worries from when they were tiny), but day to day it's so much easier.

Agree that it’s not universal. Waking up at 3am due to menopause and/or teenagers is not universal either. I’m 53 and fabulously well rested right now.

It’s a 5.10am wake up for me. Every single morning without fail!!