15 month old waking at 5am

[Andbabymadefour]

I suspect everyone is going to tell me that there's nothing you can do about this and it's a phase, but I just have to check that there are no more ideas...

I am 8 weeks pregnant and knackered. At this stage with DD, I was sleeping 8-9 hours a night.

Unfortunately, DD has never been a good sleeper. It took her to 11 months to go through the night and, shortly after that, she started waking at 5 or 5:30am. She wakes up, if it's closer to 5 we try and put her back down, but eventually she comes into bed with us and breastfeeds whilst I lie half asleep. She then bounces around the bed until one of us gives up and gets up with her.

I can't think of anything that might help her sleep longer. Things that don't work:

• moving bed time (earlier or later);
• black out blinds (if one more person suggests these as a magic solution, I may scream!);

-bringing her in with us (maybe 1 day in 20 she goes back to sleep); -'treating it as a night waking' - yes, one that lasts for an hour or two until eventually it actually is morning and you've gone back and forth 20 times; -changing nap times/length

So, am I just going to have to continue coping (bed as early as I can, naps when she does when I'm not working,etc) or have I missed anything?

Urgh I'm right there with you - 6 weeks preggo and have 13 month old getting up anywhere between 5 and 6! When it's 6 we think that's sort of reasonable as it's 11 hours straight; if it's 5, he gets a drink of water, (he's v thirsty in this hot weather at the mo) a quick cuddle and then back. This morning he went back to sleep til 7.30 (winner!) but when he doesn't, we leave him til 6 - 6.30ish when we start the day. (usually he plays with his toys until then if he doesn't go back off - we don't leave him there screaming!!)

Just the two of us then.... At least I'm not alone.

We tried a book in DD's cot this morning. Twas a disaster. She was up 'reading' at 4:45. Don't know whether that was conincidence, or seeing it when she rolled over was too exciting!

No, not alone!

Our 12 month old DS is waking at 5-5.30am every morning. Im 14 wks pg, knackered and worried what will happen when the new baby comes and we move him in to share with his sister.

I agree that there doesnt seem to be a trigger - darkness/naps lengths/bed time/hunger. 6am is ok but I just hate 5.

Any suggestions would be very gratefully received!

Ok, there's three in the boat now (feeling vaguely nauseous as we bob up and down)

Definitely not pregnant again but my 15 month old wakes at 5am too. I managed to get him back off to sleep this morning but he was wide awake by 6.15am when his 3 year old brother starting shouting for him.

6.15am is a relatively late start for us. I've tried everything over the years and the only thing that keeps us sane is to alternate the early starts and try and go to bed ourselves earlier. Sorry!

Sigh, we do alternate and try to go to bed early. Coping strategies do help a bit. Best to be realistic.

I guess the worst bit is that she's knackered again by 9am and wants to go back to sleep. Sadly, three days a week I am by then off to work!

Yeah we've got early naps here too when he doesn't go back off for an hour or two. Part of me is thinking well, I don't want to get used to being well-rested (ish) again what with the new baby coming, so maybe I can just accept this is how I'll feel for the next, um, 5 years?! (then hopefully school will wear them out?!)

TIredness has hit me LIKE A BRICK today, I put DS in the cot this arvo for a kip (he only usually has half an hour in the afternoons) and I lay on my bed, next thing I knew he was crying to get up again!

Zzzzzzzzzzz only thing getting me through so far is probably over the recommended supply of tea....

Checking in.. We're exactly the same. 14 months old, wakes around 5am, aka before 5am, and that's it. She's been doing it for several months. We've tried everything but it seems her bodyclock is stuck.

That said, the latest desperate Google search yielded a new theory: that she might be ready to go down to one nap. I can't remember the exact equations behind it, but the idea is you encourage them to go as long as possible without the morning nap, then eventually blend the am with the pm, at 1-3pm.

We're not "gradual introduction" type people (ok, will qualify: except weaning, etc) so four days ago we decided to keep her going til 1pm (thank you Kelvingrove Museum) and we've been doing it "ever" since. I can report she has slept incrementally later - she managed until 4.50am this morning.

Other than that, I remind myself that Michelle Obama gets up at 5am through choice. And that if everything is a phase then this must be too. And if I was offered the f/t job of my dreams I could take it with no guilt as I'd have spent so much time with the small one before even getting to the office. And that if anything is going to justify buying Chanel foundation, it's this. Weep.

Haven't had a problem with consistent early waking (although DD has woken at 6am instead of 7am past few mornings - if she continues I might do something about it) but I know it's a common problem.

I read somewhere about the 'wake to sleep' method - have cut and paste from elsewhere on MN:

"The theory is that if you rouse your toddler slightly from their deep sleep an hour before their usual waking-up time and then leave them to resettle, you might disrupt their sleep pattern so they won't wake at the usual time.

So if they normally wake at 5am, you'll need to set your alarm for 4am (yes, we know it's horrific) and then go in and rouse them ? just enough so they're nearly awake but will settle back to sleep again.

After three days you can let them sleep through and see if they will naturally wake at a more respectable hour. "

Sounds totally counter-intuitive but have read good things about it and I will definitely give it a try if DD continues as I need that extra hour.

Good luck, hope something works for you soon!

another one here - 17 months and been waking at 5am through the summer - 4.45 this morning... Black outs worked for about a month.

Agree with the poster that non of those things seem to do the trick. He is so AWAKE that I can't leave him - he'll just call 'ummy' for ages and cry til he gest up. Might try Wake to Sleep method...

Wonder when they will decide they need more sleep?

what will happen when the clocks change?

Last night he decided he wasn't tired and I couldn't get him to sleep at all - til I took him out in the pushchair. UGH. I am told these episodes are normal for toddlers (occasionally fighting sleep, getting up ultra early, wanting to learn all the time!) but it does make you feel like a failure, doesn't it?

Wonder when I will be brave enough to start the second? Well done those of you who are!

I'm the OP. Turns out mother nature had a fix. Just not the one I wanted. I lost the baby. I think I will always wonder whether my knackered body just wasn't up to it .

Still, the good news is that DD slept to 6:30 the last two nights, so maybe if I get pregnant again I will get to sleep more!

can i join the club

ds is 20 months and sleeps 9 hrs a night but because he wants to go to bed at 8pm (can't keep him up any later) he is then up at 5am which is killing me. don't now if i should try to keep him up til 9pm and hope he sleeps til 6am.

he generally naps at about 11am until between 12.30 to 1pm which i think is ok

OP - really sorry to hear that, hope you are doing OK. Glad DD has slept later the last couple of nights, she must know you need some rest! Good luck for the future.

Thanks. I'm feeling quite a lot better now. The good news is that I got pregnant very easily the last two times, so I am hoping it won't be too long before we can try again.

... and the 6:30 wake up time is still holding. four days out of five this week.

I have a 15 month old and she also only sleeps for roughly 9 hours a night (and is always wide awake by about 5am) - it doesn't matter what time I put her to bed.

Saw the HV visitor today and made me scream when she said bb needed to sleep for 11 hours at night and has to be in bed at 7pm. Also told me bb's day time nap is too long (bb is on one nap a day, which is 3 hours long), and told me to wake bb up after 1.5 hours. Day time nap doesn't affect night time sleep though.

Still looking for the magic solution for the early wakening!

Ah, HVs can sometimes be so all-knowing.

DD (now 2.5) always woke at about 5am and had a 2 hour daytime nap, which we tried to shorten. I woke her after 1 hour for about a month - the result: she still woke at 5 am and was grumpy for the rest of the afternoon.

Then she suddenly slept in till 6am (fine with us) but 1 hour nap seemed too short so I let her sleep again. For quite some time she slept till 5.30 - 6am and had a 2 hour nap.

The last week has been horrendous! She woke at 4am every day! I shortened the daytime sleep to 1/2 hour and for a week now she seems to be coping with it and still wakes at 4am, is ready to play and will do so until about midday, has a short sleep and then go to bed at 7-7.30.

I am exhausted!!!

If any of you are still around on here, can you give me some hope of improvement??? 😴