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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Help needed! Re: Early mornings

15 replies

Buglove · 06/06/2012 07:27

I am at the end of tether! 18 month old has for the last few weeks been waking really early. He used to sleep until 7:30 no problem but now I have unbroken sleep from 4 onwards, every 1/2 hour I go in to him to resettle or give a dummy/ bottle. This morning was from 4:30am. And eventually I get up and feel really cross with ds which isn't fair. Please someone have a magic trick! I can't function during the day :-(

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redlac · 06/06/2012 07:30

No magic trick worked with DD I'm afraid. I resigned myself to a wee doze on the couch and Baby TV when she woke at half 4. You have my sympathies though, DD was always an early bird but lo and behold now she is at school I have to wake her at 8!

This too shall pass!

TanteRose · 06/06/2012 07:32

there is not much you can do, to be honest...sorry!

I was still co-sleeping and breastfeeding when DCs started to wake early, so I would just give them a boob and we would snuggle for 30 minutes or so (very occasionally they would go back to sleep for a bit), but they would usually be up and ready for the day whatever I did.

you could try bringing him to bed with you, and he MAY go back to sleep for a while...

you will just have to go to bed earlier

TanteRose · 06/06/2012 07:32

btw, my two are teenagers now, and you can't drag them out of bed for love nor money now!

SootySweepandSue · 06/06/2012 07:41

My DD is nearly 2 and doing the same. Am tempted to get the Gro clock but even on eBay they are @£20 which is a lot to pay if it doesn't work. Anyone found cheaper alternatives?

Iggly · 06/06/2012 07:42

Is all the light blocked out? Are the birds waking him? They're bloody noisy.

redlac · 06/06/2012 07:55

I tried a gloclock - didn't work. What did help was fairy lights on a timer - I set it for the time she was waking and gradually changed the time by 5 minutes later. Wasn't a great success but helped a bit

brightonbleach · 06/06/2012 08:31

blackout blind/curtains worked well for us, also having a couple of little books at the end of his cot so that he could sit up and 'read' for a bit and then go back to sleep - somehow this changed mornings from 5am to 7 for us at about this age, don't know why but he does love his books! my DS is now two and a half and wakes at 7.30 no night wakings, blisssss... :)

EdSillyBand · 06/06/2012 08:43

Yep - sleep clock worked for us. I have a princess go gro clock that I have for sale on fb - pm me if interested?

Both my dcs went through it and blackout blinds really helped. Also not treating it as morning... So dim lights/quiet/ no breakfast until 7am.

Original poster

Buglove · 06/06/2012 22:19

Thanks for the replies even if no magic cure! He has a blackout blind. I'm sure it's the birds! I will research gro clock.... I miss out on evenings with partner as going to bed so early.... Hope it passes soon 4:30am is no fun! X

OP posts:

Iggly · 07/06/2012 08:51

I used to have white noise on all night to cover the sound of birds. Worked really well!

Lindsay2 · 07/06/2012 17:21

I am in the same boat. I was just searching for a question like this. My 20 month old finally started sleeping through at 18 months but now gets up at 5:15am like clockwork.

We've got 2 daughters now (the eldest one is 3) and I want to live a little, not go to bed at 9 o'clock! The husband is already neglected!

Lindsay2 · 07/06/2012 17:46

From googling I found the baby whisperer "wake to sleep" method. This involves slightly disturbing your child an hour before they normally wake. The idea is that they start their sleep cycle again from that point. Apparently it takes 3-5 days to work. You never know..

Also if the day time nap is too early, the advise is to make it later so that its not an extension of the night time sleep.

Original poster

Buglove · 07/06/2012 22:25

I am willing to try anything right now. Although he slept until 8 this morning! No rhyme or reason... Didn't do anything different and I just know it was a fluke! White noise is a good idea. Bloody birds there is one that sound like his cry... So if he doesn't wake me that bird does! I've heard of sleep to wake, will try it I think. Do they then sleep ok after a few nights or do you need to do it each night? X

OP posts:

shoppingbagsundereyes · 08/06/2012 09:48

reduce day time sleep, ditch the dummy, definitely ditch the bottle (he doesn't need milk or water in the night). I wouldn't bother with a gro clock. We had one for ds, he just used to switch it off and get up anyway (or worse, chuck it across the room).

Lindsay2 · 08/06/2012 12:57

Funny mine slept till 6:20 this morning which I thought was a lie in. I feel terrific today.

I dont know any more about how the wake to sleep technique works Im afraid. But if its only been going on a couple of weeks it could be a phase or just that ds needs less sleep during the day now.

Hope today wasnt a fluke - for both of us!

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