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!

My DH has woken me, mucking about with the radiator (I like a cold room) so the thought of waking regularly at 5 or earlier makes me feel ill!
I'm not a morning person!
I’ve had jobs where I had to be up 5.45/6am…… I hated each and every single waking!

Solidarity! DD used to wake hourly AND get up at five. She now sleeps through (mostly, not last night) and has to be woken, and it’s the only thing getting me through 2yo DS who is miles better and generally wakes at six… but I’m 44 and apparently the amount of sleep I now need is “all of it. All the sleep”.

I go to bed at 9.30, asleep for 10, and I’m still permanently shattered! Even when they both sleep. My body wants to stay in bed til 9am, it just does.

I am up at 4.45am for work and have been for the last 20 years or so. I still get up at the crack of a sparrows fart at the weekend because my body clock thinks 5am is the perfect time to get up!

My body thinks the natural wake time is anything between 3:30-5:00am come rain or shine, weekend or weekday, working or annual leave. I envy those people who can get up for the loo then get back into bed and fall back to sleep (yes dp I'm looking at you...)

I get up at 5:15 everyday to either go for a run with the dog, or go to rhe gym for an hour. Lots of people are up at a similar time to get ready for work.

I had one who took ages to go to sleep but wojld wake at a normal time and another who slept well early but would wake early. He is now 9 amd still wakes at 6am.
It's brutal. Now though I just automatically wake at that time.

My 6yr old has always and still does always wake at 5/5:30. He is instructed to not disturb me until 6 but I can hear him from about 5:15... We have tried putting him to bed later and it didn't work. Just waiting for the teenage years!

Jealous of all of those 7am risers...

Hairy you do just kinda get use to it don't you?! Btw we have a thread in extra curricula for parents of competitive swimmers. It's a great thread for swim parents

I love being up and about at 5am, it's so peaceful and a good opportunity to get exercise or admin done before the grind starts

Me too. Those early hours are precious: you can get so much done. I wouldn’t miss that nowadays.

I am with you on this I love my early mornings before everyone else wakes up. My husband did the 1am feeds, as I married a night owl, as it was those that killed me. I hate having to stay awake late and it’s when I get cranky not early mornings.

wishing us all high quality sleep in 2025 as being exhausted is bloody awful, makes even the simplest things seem like a mountain to climb.

Mine plays ice hockey so we have pre school practice- I am jealous of swim mums as at least they are warm. Minus 5c at the ice rink and the cafe is not open for morning practice 😂😂😂

My now normally good sleeper woke up at 5 this morning for some unknown reason, she normally goes till about 6-6:30. The early wake this morning has def brought back the memory of when she woke up at 5am EVERY DAY so I feel you OP. I hated it, and pre-children I used to wake up at 5:30 for work a lot of the time, but I hated that too and ultimately left that job for one where I didn't have to get up as early!!

Sounds stupid, but I was prepared for night wakings, but I don’t think anyone warned me I might end up with a kid who then wakes at 5am every day for the day too!! So glad those days are largely behind me!

lol at all the wide eyed ‘5 am? Is that early?’

Yes. Yes, it fucking is!

(aside but how early were your kids waking that 5 ‘wasn’t that early’?)

@OrDis yes same … it’s miserable and makes the day so long.

Try having horses! 5am starts are normal here.

Surely 5.30am isn't that much earlier than the time you would have been getting up for work prior to children?

Haha, I had this with my DS1. It took until he was 3 years old and toilet trained to start sleeping until 7am. Thankfully, my other two DC never seem to have those kind of early mornings, even though they are still really little.

We just had our BIL’s family stay with us at Christmas, and their 18-month old is a terrible sleeper and woke every morning between 4:45-5am. I felt awful for them. They were just exhausted and grouchy the whole time.

Yes! How do they do it? DP will wake me getting up for his old man 2am wee, bumbling about, then he’ll be back to snoring before he’s even back under the covers. Meanwhile I’m wide awake for hours.

5am is my body’s sweet spot for going back to sleep after a night on the insomnia.

The only glimmer of hope is seeing how my parents, who had alarms for years at 6am and cursed how their bodies had adapted and still woke them early in retirement, now snooze til 9 or 10am. And enjoy an afternoon nap. Roll on my 80s!

Agree, permanent exhaustion then having to be your best parenting self ALL DAY. It kills me.

First day back at work today and before bed last night I said to DH “shall I set an alarm?” And we laughed and laughed. Never thought I’d miss the sound of my alarm clock that’s for sure.

It’s three hours earlier than I used to get up. Different jobs start at different times…

Depends. I actually found 530 wake ups more manageable on school (for me) days and nursery (for him) days (teacher.) On my days off it was pretty miserable to be honest. But I can honestly say I’ve never got up at 530 for work! And if I did I got ready in peace …

Waking up at 5 and enjoying some peace and getting a few bits done sounds lovely! Entertaining grumpy tired toddlers and trying to keep them quiet is torture though.

It’s the way a 5am start means an extra meal or snack, and extra entertainment, adding to the slog. I remember once getting up with DD at some godforsaken hour, running out of activities so we did some baking, went to the shop for sprinkles while the cake cooled, then we iced and decorated it. I thought, “great! That’s the morning nearly sorted, just lunch then nap, day’s practically done”. Looked at the time: 8.40am.

My dickhead cat woke me at 5am and I've not been able to get back to sleep - it's a horrible time!

My turd of a cat wakes me up at 5-5:15 every day for breakfast - I've been trying to train her for 5 years to wait till 6 but she's not having it and now I automatically wake up at that time.