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Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

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Original poster

I can't get my DS to sleep past 4:50am/5:20am. Please help!!!

45 replies

PavlovtheCat · 12/02/2011 06:10

He has been a terrible sleeper. Absolutely terrible. Up to recently has been waking between 2-5 times a night. He used to be breastfed back to sleep and this stopped about 3 months ago? But continued to wake up. 16 days ago I Had Enough and did controlled crying for one night and it worked for the most part. DS now generally sleeps from 7:15pm to either 4:50am or 5:20am, but mostly 4:50amgoes to sleep without a fuss, straight down, maybe he cries for 1-2 mins but generally that is it. Sometimes he will wake brielfy in the night, and gently cry, put himself back to sleep. Or DH/I will go in pick him up, kiss him, straight back down and he is asleep before we leave the room. On one occasion he woke at 4am and would not settle for 45 mins, and on this day he then slept til 7am.

But, I simply cannot get him to sleep properly past this time. I had to start with brought him in with me for a feed and he would sleep/fuss til 6-6:30am. This did not work for me as I could not sleep, and nor could DH.

So for 7 days I have been attempting to put him back to sleep with controlled crying method. 3/6/10/15 mins. Tend to get him back to sleep within this time, but only for 10-15 mins at a time. And this continues until he/i finally give up at 6am when he has woken DD up.

Today he slept il 5:17am. But he did not go to bed til late as we had a friend over with her little one and we got distracted. He slept straight away at 8:15pm and well, right through til 5:17am.

From then on he has slept 10 mins and 5 mins. He is tired, it is clear he is tired, but he just will not go back to sleep. He woke DD up at 5:40am.

He has been offered water, and milk, but no breastmilk. And he is not asking for milk from me either.

I am quite down about having no life any more due to starting my day at 4:50am so go to bed so early. DH just goes out most evenings now as I am in bed so early.

Suggestions/shoulder to cry on would be hugely appreciated.

OP posts:

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 13/02/2011 10:18

7:00pm-6:15am he did wake at 9pm suddenly and cried, sounded upset/in pain and Dh went running in thought he had a nightmare, and he belched as soon as he was lifted so was trapped wind. Back to sleep straight away and not a peep!!!

I would like to say YEY! but am cautious about it!

He is in a very happy mood today.

OP posts:

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 13/02/2011 10:19

canella the day time napping is DHs responsibility as I am at work, but he works at it every day, much stricter than me, he did nap, but it has stopped recently, i think due to him walking/being too busy.

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Blatherskite · 13/02/2011 19:02

Right Pavlov, something very strange is going on here. DD slept from 7:00pm till 6:04am this morning, cried for about 30 seconds and then went back to sleep until 6:30am!!

They're obviously on the same wavelength somehow :)

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 13/02/2011 20:03

blather wow! how strange is that! bet she didn't nap much today then...

long may it continue, this sleep wavelength of our babies (when was she born/what time?)

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Blatherskite · 13/02/2011 21:21

Nope. She had about 40 minutes from about half 1 this afternoon...

She was born on December 17th at 12.15pm. I just had a look at your profile and think we may be the same person - I am also 32 and DS will be 4 in a few weeks!

Good luck for tonights sleep. DD ate quite well at dinner time so I'm hoping that will help.

missymum · 13/02/2011 21:26

Pavlov, are you me? I am in such a similar situ and also at the end of my rope:-( . Am also back at work and am beyond exhausted most days. My dd2 also never sleeps past 5 and has been doing this for 4 months, the only thing I have yet to try is wake to sleep but she's such a light sleeper at 4am I just don't dare try it. One of the problems I find is that she naps at 9am at the latest and I can't push this nap back at all due to her being up at 5am or earlier, then I have a terrible battle to get her to take a 2nd short nap later, but without it she goes to bed overtired and this maintains the problem... It's so rubbish. It's really affecting my marriage as both so exhausted and poor dd1 suffers too . Will continue to watch thread and hope things improve for us both!

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 13/02/2011 21:44

blather OMG 40 mins here too at a push...and at 1:30pm!!! He did not eat so well though, or rather, he did, just not his tea. He ate carrot cake, a yoghurt, a bit of a friend's pasty and some bread he was offered home made toad in the hole and roast veg/potatoes.

I think he is teething. As he woke about 1 hour ago and struggled to settle and I have just heard a sudden high pitched squeal from his room. I have calpol ready to thrust down him if he wakes.

I am just going to go check on him..

OP posts:

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 13/02/2011 21:45

missymum this non-sleeping stuff is the absolute pits isn't it? yet I still feel llucky that he sleeps this long at all as up to a couple of months ago he was waking 2-5 times a night. At one point he was waking for two hours at midnight then again at 4am, so this is better at least!

Keep posting here, see if you can get some advice too.

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fostering · 13/02/2011 21:49

I would suggest actually putting him to bed earlier not later. I know it sounds backwards but you run the risk of him getting even less sleep.

At 14 months he should be in bed between 6.30 7pm for 12 hours.

Now it's a little warmer outside get him running around in the fresh air. Also, eating plenty with less milk in his diet to make sure he's not hungry.

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 13/02/2011 21:58

fostering yes i probably agree with early to bed, as DD gets up at the same time in the morning regardless of a late night. DS goes to bed at 7pm-7:15pm, and he is normally pretty good at going to sleep straight away. He is just walking, been walking for about 2-3 weeks so is constantly on the move (combined with a 4yo lively sister to keep up with!) we live near the sea so get lots of air. And he does not do milk! He was a boob monster but gradually stopped day time feeding for the most part, he has it occasionally, but other than that only before bed and first thing and he does not take a bottle, occasionally stuff 1oz or so of milk here and there from a sippy cup but he mostly eats bread at the moment

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dycey · 13/02/2011 22:20

I tried early to bed once but my ds got up at 4.30! I find there honestly are children who need less sleep. My ds (2) is happy on between 9 and 10 hours with a decent nap in the middle of the day. Been like this since 18 months.

Was a night waker all his 1st year. It's depressing isn't it?

uggmum · 13/02/2011 22:26

My ds was always a really early riser. He also loved going to bed and whatever time I put him to bed he would always get up early (usually 5ish). Therefore, if I put him to bed later with the hope that he would sleep in later it never worked. He was then just bad tempered.

The good news is that he did grow out of it. When he was about six he started sleeping later. He now sleeps until 6.00 - 6.30. when he gets up he goes downstairs gets his own cereal and watches iplayer until 7.00. He waits until this time and then comes up to say morning.

Bless him

missymum · 14/02/2011 02:35

I still have the nightwaking as well but it's because we've been plagued with not stop colds, bugs etc and I therefore caved in and started feeding her again at night after weaning her off of sorts at 12m. She too often stays awake for 2 hrs at night, co sleeping impossible as she just wants to play. I know I have to night wean again but she seems snot free for only a few days before the next bout of illness starts!
Despite the terrible sleeping she is full of beans and pretty happy by day, I am afraid she is gonna be one of these kids that always rises early, she has Never managed to sleep more than 10 hrs no matter what naps etc.

missymum · 14/02/2011 02:37

Ps: she is also 14.5 months this week!

Blatherskite · 14/02/2011 09:16

She did the squeak at 6am again this morning and then she woke up properly at 6.15am. How about you Pavlov?

Is it daft that I'm actualy getting excited about the resettling? It feels like a step forward even though she's still waking early.

Orissiah · 14/02/2011 09:42

My DD's early morning wakings ended when she stopped teething. At 14 months my DD's teething never seemed to bother her during the day or the night (she slept through and rarely work at night) BUT she always work between 5 and 6. Same thing when she had a prolonged bout of low grade ear infection. I kept the bedtime the same (7-7.30pm) throughout and the early waking passed.

Orissiah · 14/02/2011 09:50

"woke" not "work" !!

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 14/02/2011 13:57

blather not quite so good as you...5:45am so still reasonable...did i just that when did i start thinking that 5:45 was a reasonable time to be awake !

OP posts:

Blatherskite · 14/02/2011 14:27

Oh no! Let's hope they get on the same - sleepy - wavelength soon!

Blatherskite · 15/02/2011 20:18

How were things last night Pavlov?

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