Early rising 15 mth old DS, 5.30am starts

[mumofshortie73]

This morning it was 4.14 which really is still the middle of the night.

He does go to bed reliably by 6.45, settling quickly, so I know that is still good going.

Down to one nap now, usually after lunch, ranging from an hour to two hours.

I also have a 5 year old DD who is getting woken by him, she is in primary one now and really does need her kip.

Have read that 18mths is a big milestone and often babies regress then- busy physically and mentally so need to process.

I know it is just a phase and will pass (as the mantra goes !) but it's killing me, trying to have early nights so we don't feel quite so wiped out once we are up.

Cheers for any comments, even if no advice just solidarity !!

oh god, no advice but sympathy. Both mine were/are early risers and I saw far too many 5.30 starts for my liking. I always napped when baby napped and had early nights, that was my coping strategy. The days just seem so looooong when they start at 5.30 don't they. It does stop though and I'm not sure there is much you can do about it till it does. Good luck. Mine sleep till the late hour of 6.30 some days now

we have this on-and-off with DS (20mths). I have recently tried the wake-to-sleep technique which seemed to work. He has still woken around 5am, but has been happy to resettle which he never used to do! The day now starts after 6.30am which is far more human

DS4 is also in the room, but he is quite good at putting his head back down if he is told it's not morning yet.

I am all for them going to bed early, but 6.45pm even seems early to me! DS2 is usually somewhere between 7pm and 7.30pm. It may well help that he naps later in the day. DS2 only recently dropped to 1 nap per day so I try to push this as near to 11am as possible - previously, he would happily go back for his nap at 9am!

Oh, and lots of exercise throughout the day and fresh air. It definitely makes a difference

Folks thanks for your words of wisdom, you are so right that the days are loooooooooong when they start so early, reikizen and what a breakthrough getting 6.30 wake-ups !

BigTeuchLittleTeuch I have heard about the 'wake-to-sleep' plan, glad it's worked for you cos the crucial point is that although they make wake early, they are happy to settle back down for a while- 6.30 seems to be the Holy Grail And YES to your suggestion of pushing back the nap, has been a bit of an inevitable cycle as he is so exhausted from not napping since the morning that by tea time he is begging to be put to bed. So is put to bed earlier than he probably should, and in turn wakes up early in the morning having slept sufficiently.

We know the theory, now to put in the hard graft ... will let you know !

Well, we had a 6am start the following morning so that was a fluke ! Have tried to push back his nap to as close to 11 as possible and keep him awake all afternoon, boy what a nightmare that has been, he is shattered and we are increasingly frustrated, nappy changes being the most challenging. You'd think I'd have this down to a fine art having done it with DD before

The last two mornings have been 5am ones incorporating DD waking too- bloody nora ! and that is with trying to get out lots during the day for walks in the fresh air (though it is I doing all the walking while he is enjoying sitting in his buggy as he is not yet walking) and a slightly later bedtime following a bath.

I am so tired and like a nasty fishwife as so irritable- need to get to my bed earlier so I feel some of the way to being human during the day.

Wake-to-sleep challenge tomorrow morning, wish me luck as I set the alarm for 4am