Early waking is killing me!!!

[Harriet11]

Hi

Has anyone got any advice on how to deal with a 10 month old who has been waking at 5.15am for the last 2 months?

Here's the situation:

He goes to bed 7-7.30pm every night after bath and milk (8oz)
I don't rock him to sleep
He has black out blinds in his room
He is at the top of the house so there's no noise that should wake him up at that time
He eats well in the day
When he wakes up at 5.30am he is really grumpy - he definately needs to go back to sleep.
Most mornings I can get him back to sleep (after about 45 mins), by which time my 2.5 year old is usually up (grrrr).
I have tried 'wake to sleep'for 5 nights running - all that happened is his waking got earlier!
I have tried baby whisperer 'pick-up put down' for a month and it doesn't seem to be making any difference.
I do not feed him at 5.30am because I don't think he needs it. If I manage to get him back to sleep, when he wakes again he is chirpy and seems happy to wait for his bottle at about 7am. I also don't want to send the message that it's OK to wake for milk at that time.

I am so BORED and tired of starting my day so early. I look after both my kids all day every day and the days seem VERY long at the moment.

It might not seem so bad to some, but I have to contend with waking toddlers/bad dreams/teething/illness in the night as well so my the time 5am comes round I am well and truly DEAD ON MY FEET.

Please tell me - are there any strategies that really work on early waking? I am prepared to try anything.

Thanks

Harriet

Hi

My sympathies on this one. I am past this stage now, but my older son went through a 3 month phase when he woke up at 5.31 every day. Bone shatteringly knackering...

Interestingly "Toddler taming" doesn't have any solutions for this - so even the experts are foxed!

I would say - it's a phase (or was for us) - and think about doing extra things to tire him out (not easy when you're tired)

• door frame baby bouncer in the evenings?
• lots of crawling before bed?

Also, this was kind of against my principles at the time, but wouldn't be now, consider installing a TV with teletubbies video next to his cot, and passing him a bottle to feed himself. Don't feel you have to get up and do entertainment (like I did)!

My dd was up at 5.30, most mornings its 6ish, she goes to be at 8 and just doesnt sleep in. On very very rare occasions she has made it to 7 - feels like heaven.

she still has a day time nap though, have tried cutting this back but it just makes her very irritable for the rest of the afternoon.

So reading the responses with interest.

Queenfee I know lots of parents who do this, so no need to whisper! Some children are larks some are owls!

I too am resigned to that fact that DD is a lark! So i go to bed early so I'm not all bleary eyed when she wants to be up and bouncing about the house! Means my social life is usually day time only unless I want to spend the evening apologizing to friends for yawning!!!!

oh and abid - nice thought that early risers are bright - there has to be a silver lining for every cloud!

God we're all in the same boat aren't we?

I gave him his tea at 5.30pm last night, and then a fruit pot with loads of extra baby rice in it at 6.00pm. I also put him to bed a bit later (8.00pm).

I tried WTS again but he woke up 5 min before i could 'rouse' him again. But you would think the end result would be the same if all you are trying to do is 'break the sleep cycle'. But no. What time did he wake up? 5.30am - AGAIN.

I gave him a bottle. I was determined to not get up with him so after 45 min of carrying on, he eventually dozed off. Then woke at 8.ooam!!! Horray!! But would rather not have to get up at 5.30 at all. Gonna stick with WTS, if he doesn't beat me to it again.

LibrasBiscuits - how has WTS gone for you?

Harriet

My LO did the same when he was 8/9 months, although it did coincide with me going back to work, so maybe not fair on him! He started between 5 and 5.30am and wanted to go downstairs and play; coming in to bed with us was a no-no, too much excitement and elbows and knees everywhere! He went on like this for about 2 months. I wish I'd known about WTS then, cos I would have tried it! He is now 21 months, and sleeps til 7 and beyond sometimes, so it did get better for us. I definitely agree with comments about sleep=more sleep; he always sleeps badly if he goes to bed overtired.

Silly question, but how near are trees outside his window? Could he be woken up by the dawn chorus? I'm only aware of it cos our dogs go bananas when the birds wake up and it's really loud in the trees in our garden. LO sometimes woken by dogs but persuadable to go back to sleep.

Also, loads of exercise and fresh air worked a treat for us - crawling around the garden after tea? Cazzzz suggested door bouncer - v good idea, I'd say.

Good luck!

Morning.

Yesterday I again lightly roused him at 4am (Still not sure I am doing it enough) and he woke at 4:40am!!!

This morning when I went in at 4am HE WAS ALREADY AWAKE. I put the dummy in (judge away I don't care, he's not dependent on it as he doesn't have it usually to sleep) and sushed him for a couple of minutes and he slept until 4:40am again. This time I went in, sushed him and stroked his tummy, turning him onto his back whenever he got onto his hands and knees and it took 30minutes but he went back to sleep at 5:10am and slept until 5:40am, at which point he definitely wanted to start the day.

I only have one DC and because he wakes so early he has a 2 hour nap at about 8:30amish at which point I can also go back to bed so it's painful but doable. The problem is I am going on holiday in 2 weeks and my DH is on sole childcare duty whilst also doing 10hour work days so I want to get DS sleeping until 6am if possible.

We have blackout blinds for his bedroom but bringing him in with us just makes him more excited and therefore won't sleep. We still give him a dream feed and have tried giving that later but it still does't make any difference. HE crawls round the house for about 30minutes after his supper but I am going to try and push that back to 6pm instead of 5pm to see if that helps.

Harriet what happened this morning? Hope you are still in bed

I am in the same boat and have just posted on the sleep section. My son wakes at 4.15. I think the dawn chorus idea is very interesting as he started off waking at 6, then it went to 5 and is now 4.15. This has all happened as the sun has started rising earlier (and therefore the birds singing earlier). It's not the light as he has blackout blinds. Perhaps i'll just have to saw down all local trees or get a cat with sharp teeth

We had the same (5am), and I think the dawn chorus is a factor - and a difficult one to control!

We used to take it in turns to go into her room and shush her to sleep (could take up to 45 minutes!!) - by which time we only had 30 minutes or so until we had to be up for work anyway!

DD did grow out of it - although she can still be an early riser now at 2.5. Now it is because she is dry at nights and her bladder wakes her. She takes herslef to the toilet and then goes back to bed. We have a rabbit alarm clock, and can't recommend it enough for older kids. She always obeys the rabbit (encouraged by a sticker every successful morning in the beginning) and goes back to bed until the rabbit wakes up. She doesn't always go back to sleep, but knows that she has to play quietly in her room (looks at books and plays with soft toys) until 6 45.

What age did your DS start obeying the rabbit clock, notyummy?

We used one for our DS of 20 months for the first time last night because he's started waking early the last couple of weeks. I was woken by him shouting for me at 4.30am and when I came in he was pointing to the clock saying 'mama, whatsiss?'!

He didn't really go back to sleep either - he just shouted from his cot until I gave up and got him up at 6

Hopefully the clock will be less of a novelty by tonight!

drjane - quite a bit older 2.2 I think was when we introduced it. That doesn't mean that it wouldn't work with younger kids - however their understanding may be more limited, and also their memory retention of the exciting reward they have promised (stickers!) not as clear perhaps?

my DS 2,8 is a great sleeper in general but, hate to say, every summer wakes up early. As soon as the nights start drawing in and the mornings are darker, he wakes up later and later. I really think the seasons are responsible..

Well this morning I properly roused him at 4am (I even got a squark) but he only slept until 4:50am. I then spent an hour trying to get him back to sleep which involved turning him onto his back everytime he got onto his hands and knees (lots) and shusshing and rubbing tummy. After an hour I realised it wasn't going to happen so I left the room for 5 minutes and then went back in turning the light on and saying good morning etc in some vague hope that he might realise I am the one in charge.

All I want him to do is sleep until 6am. Tonight I am Sellotaping the blackout blinds to the window. Not ONE OUNCE of light is going to come in.

Harriet - hopefully you are not updating because you are tucked up in bed.

Am watching this thread with interest as I think my DS is heading the same way. He is 5 months.

I mustn't grumble too much as he has pretty much slept through since 5 weeks (8pm - 5.30am). But the killer for me is that he wakes up at 5.35 on the dot, and I give him a bottle but he won't go back to sleep in his cot. So, I bring him downstairs and an hour later, he'll fall asleep next to me on the sofa - by then I am too awake to sleep which is just as well as am also paranoid about him rolling off sofa/getting stuck in a corner aka: first time mum syndrome Just wish he would sleep in a bit longer in the mornings. I could go to bed at 9pm but then DH and I wouldn't get an evening together. My neice - same age - sleeps 7pm-7am. Arrrgh.

Put him to bed later.

Only read OP but I would try putting to bed earlier. My DD has also slept better if asleep by 645pm, otherwise it was 530am waking.

Am with Pamelat on this one, like I said before. Seriously, it really worked for us. In bed by 7pm at latest, usually 6-6.30pm, but if naps during day haven't been good and they are grizzly will put to bed as early as 5.30pm. This all gets them through until 7am most mornings

Yep agreed (sorry hadn't read all of the responses before). Last night DD was in bed by 6pm and slept until 6am (not great but would have been earlier if I had kept her up). Strange I know.

HI there - sorry, haven't read all thread, but wanted to say that our baby did this too at about the same age, and it was VERY tiring - and we didn't even have a toddler too - so my sympathies. I am another vote for the putting him to bed earlier thing. It worked for us - a few times.

I don't know why it worked but I think it might be something to do with the fact that between about 5am and 6am is a classic time for babies to wake up - maybe humans are kind of "wired" to wake up at dawn - so they are in really light sleep at that time - therefore, if they're overtired (from having gone to bed later than they'd like), they're more likely to be restless and wake up from their light sleep. This light sleep also means, of course, that sounds that wouldn't usually bother then WOULD wake them up (e.g. loo flushing, door opening, that kind of thing).

Not sure if that makes sense.

PS also, ours is 14 months now and usually wakes between 7 and 8, which is fine - goes to bed about 8.30 and has 2-3 hr nap in the day. Has been doing that for the last couple of months so there is hope! haha as I write this I know I am jinxing myself and he'll wake up at 5am tomorrow....

MY DD is 3 and has always been an early riser. Have tried everything but she wakes any time from 5am and I too think she is tuned into the seaons. Nature girl! It was 4.50 this morning.

Nothing works IMO - just go to bed early!

Well despite the fact we had black out blinds light still got round the edges so tonight I have added masking tape!! There is NO light know coming from the window.

LOL starkadder - my DD2 woke at 4.45am this morning

Still had a 4:50am wakeup call this morning *sobs. However there is daylight coming in around the door edge so think I will try and do something about that tonight. By the time I finish not even air will be able to get in!!!
Put him to bed at 6:30pm last night which is earlier than usual, he is at nursery today so won't get back till 6pm but will try 5:30pm tomorrow.

Let us know how it goes, Libra!

Also (and I know this is annoying because this whole thread - in fact this whole subject - is all so contradictory) - but I used to be obsessed with black out blinds etc. until recently, when our DS started waking in the night again (which he had not done for AGES) and my mum told me that I had needed a nightlight when a little baby. So I started leaving his blind a little bit open and he seems happier with it - I think it means that in the morning, when he wakes up, he isn't in pitch blackness so can kind of chill out by himself for a bit without panicking, and crying for us, if you see what I mean.

My DD has been getting up at 5ish recently but slept til around 6.30 this morning. I don't think it was a coincidence that it was very dark and overcast and so her bedroom was much darker than normal.

I of course was awake at 5 anyway and couldn't get back to sleep!

my sympathies to the lot of you - we had months of this. the only thing i can suggest is (although it sounds utterly mad) try putting them to bed earlier. it's exactly the opposite of what you think would work but for some weird reason it worked for us. somehow the more overtired ds got (and he was knackered waking up at 5am just as i was) the less he was able to sleep well. putting him down an hour ealier somehow helped the clock reset itself, when he was reguarlly sleeping in to a more humane time (by which i only mean 6.30-7) we moved bedtime back again.
other than that second mrs mcluskey - get used to going to bed while it's still light...