5am wakey wakey

[zaarin2003]

Hi,

I have twin boys of 18 mo. Both have the same routine so both eat, drink and go to sleep at the same time.

The typically sleep for an hour and a half at 1pm and the go to sleep for the night at 7pm.

One has, for a couple of months, been waking up crying at about 5am every morning. Usually it might take half an hour of soothing and he's fallen back to sleep until they both wake at 7am. But for about 3 weeks now I've just not been able to get the little... angel... to go back to sleep at all.

I in no way encourage him waking at 5 by getting up for the day. The lights stay off and I tell him it's still sleepy time. He will grumble or cry unless I place my hand on his back and rock him. But I need to change arms as they get tired and he moans as I do that.

It sounds ridiculous but between 5 and 7 I'm rocking him just to keep him quiet so as not to wake his bro.

We've tried leaving him but at 5am crying is not nice and after 10, 15, 20 mins all that is achieved is TWO awake babies!

Neither is talking so we can't exactly reason with him.

We can't go on like this. It's too exhausting!

Please help!
Matt

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but my 16 month DD did this & is still getting up at 6am nearly a year & a half later. There doesn't seem to be a cure! I prescribed large doses of 5am TV watching though I'm aware that it wasn't an ideal way to cope, but it was the only thing that calmed her when she was ready to get up hours before we were!

Have you tried going in with a beaker of milk, change his nappy while he's drinking that and then say night night and walk back out? I have an 18 month old DS too and he's always been an early riser but we've been having some success with that approach recently. He might be thirsty/dry especially if you've recently put central heating on. Good luck, it's a hideous time to start the day!

I can't just walk out unless he's asleep first as for his whole life he's cried if he wakes at night and cannot go back to sleep on his own (apart from at 7pm when we put them in bed and say goodnight. We've tried controlled crying and just leaving him to cry at 5am but an hour later and all that achieves is waking his brother too as both are in the same room.

We've tried changing him and feeding him. It makes no difference.

I could handle 6am starts but 5??

Would he play quietly if you gave him a few toys in his cot? He would hopefully either play until he drops to sleep or just be happy playing so not disturb others too much

Sorry - we get 5am starts here too and have done for the last two years. Through the summer it was often 4.45. Changing naps (duration, time), food - nothing made the slightest iota of difference. You just go to bed at 9.

You mean 9 at night? I suppose that's one solution. Bit rubbish though when I only get home from work at 8!

Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to leave him with toys to play quietly. Not only does he love banging and throwing things, he cries if he wakes and I'm not there. He needs to be weaned of that first, but its hard when he has a brother who would be disturbed by controlled crying etc.

If you do a search on MN you'll find loads of threads bemoaning the near-universal toddler habit of waking at 5 - 5.30.

take him into bed with you and pray that it passes, did that with dd at this age and she mostly can sleep till half 6 now (she does goto bed at 6.30pm, any later and she's awake by 5!!)

So the answer is that toddlers typically wake up at 5? Oh god. Why does no one tell you this? It sucks.

I believe there's been the odd comment over the years about how small children can equal less sleep.

Indeed. When I was a teen my dad would tell me off for 'wasting the day' by sleeping late. I can't wait for that phase. Bliss.

Yes, on the lack of sleep; waking up 3, 4, 5 times a night to settle a crying baby/babies I can handle. It's the regular as clockwork 5am starts I can't handle (particularly coupled with the wakings during the night).

It saps your enthusiasm for everything. I dread night and day.