20 month old getting up at 4-5.30 HELP!!

[monstrousmummy]

Ok so this is ds1's routine

7.30 brreakfast
10 snack
12 lunch
12.30-2 sleep
3 snack
5 dinner
6 bath
7.30 bed

What am I doing wrong that he is getting up so early? We are having a nightmare as ds2 (9 week) sometimes wakes me twice anyway!

I have wondered if it is hunger and maybe I should add a snack with his milk at bedtime...not sure HELPPPP!

[kat100]

what is it with these children who want to get up so early?! i will also watch his chat carefully because my just 2 year old is another 5am riser. every day. left him cyring for an hour this morning, even gave him a bottle in attempt to get him to stay in bed a bit longer. gave up in the end as an hour of crying is hard isn't it? do we really just have to wait for it to pass? i also have a good routine and just do not understand how he wakes so early and gets on with his day!

[monstrousmummy]

cutting the nap down to 1 and half hours has worked!! He was sleeping for 2 at lunchtime!

Drink also helps i think, we haven't remebered toys yet though. As they are all down stairs in the toyroom.

Anyway he's now waking at about 6.45-7....

[Trickorflum]

From what I hear, cutting nap times never works.

[TracyK]

Well I know I'm always thirsty in the morning - and if they've been all cosy in their bags all night - they may be thirsty too.

[monstrousmummy]

hmmmm yes tracyK

I haven't been gicing him water in bed and he seems to be gasping in the morning and drinks loads in the day. Maybe I'll start doing that too!!

[monstrousmummy]

thanks everyone-

He sleeps in a grobag and we have been using music as a 'trigger' since he was about 4 months old. Dh is current'y going back in when he wakes before 6 am and saying sush..bedtime and putting his cd on...which seems to help for 1/2 an hour!

I am going to put some toys where he can get them- good idea...but will put them in late at night when he is asleep or we'll never get him to go to bed!!

I think I'll try and get one of those clocks on ebay.

and I've also started giving him a snack with his beaker of milk at 7pm.

Going to try cutting his lunchtime nap by 1/2 an hour today!!

thanks everyone!

[TracyK]

We use a lullaby/night light thingy. It sets its self off for a couple of minutes when ds cries or coughs loudly. Enough to send him back to sleep when its dark in the mornings. Also when we go to bed I pop a bottle of water in his cot and he can drink it when he wakes - I think it soothes him if he needs it.

[Trickorflum]

get one of those clocks with the rabbit ears that come up when it is getting up time. 20 months is just about old enough to 'ge t' that.

[Dodsey]

I meant to explain, the music made me feel happier about leaving them alone in their room. At least there was something to bridge the gap between Mummy leaving & a silent,empty room.

[Dodsey]

i've had this with both my boys on & off. One of those cosy fleece sleep suits would ensure that they're always warm even without blankets, as he may be coming into light sleep and feeling cool. Also we have always had a musical pull toy hanging from their door handles, so as part of their routine they knew bed,kiss,lights off, music on & Mummy/Daddy away.So in the early hours it's a pat or place back down in bed, then "sleepy time" & v. quick exit with the music pulled on as the door closes. Of course you need soothing music!Doesn't always work but reinforces the sleep idea to them. I also set myself up with a blanket & comfy chair in the hall so when we were going through a tough time I had somewhere to sit more comfortably to doze as a waited to do the controlled crying bit.Just some ideas to ease it, but you may just have to sit this one out until his routine breaks again.

[stripey]

ds2 has always been an early riser and still is. He is now 3 and will sleep till 6.30-6.45 most days but was usually awake around 5am for the first 2 years. I found he was much worse when teething and started to sleep later when all of his teeth were through (you might nearly be there). He dropped his daytime nap completely at 2 and this seemed to help too.

It will pass but I know with a small baby that might not be too much consolation.

[Pomi]

ds 21 month does the same sometimes wakes up at night or early morning. I just give him his bottle and he goes back to sleep. I can't do any thing else with a 10 months old who aslo does the same(not every day though).

[Stilltrue]

Mine does this too! I'm a wreck! Greatest sympathies to you.
I don't have a new baby but I've 3 older ones; however years ago my ds1 was the age of yours when ds2 was born. He was also an early riser, but gradually grew out of it. I can't wait for ds3 to do the same...
Seriously, it's very tough. Like you I have tried everything; for the moment I'm persevering with maxing up his calories during the day and addind a small snack at about 6pm (tea is 5pm and bath is 6.30 -7pm). Maybe that will "kick in" soon and be enough to get him to sleep longer. Or maybe not... aaaarghhhh

[mummynobones]

I started having this problem a few weeks ago and followed the advice given on MN. I set the limit at 6am. DD somestimes wakes between 5-6am and I go in and lay her down and say shhh, night night (nothing else!) and she gets straight up and crys but I continue to leave and she usually(!) settles again after a few minutes. Sometimes she goes off to sleep again for a short while but other times she plays with her animals and books (always leave stuff within reach!) I NEVER get her up before 6am, even if I have to go in 6 times! Today she woke at 6.47 (bliss!)

[TracyK]

Is he wide awake when he wakes so early in the morning - or is he grumpy and tired?
What would he be like if you cut his lunchtime nap to an hour and have him bed earlier at night?

[allhallows]

Yes, and it's still dark at 4-5:30 so he can be told it's still sleepytime.

[noimagination]

Sorry to repeat you buffy - typing very slowly this morning!

[noimagination]

Have you tried treating it exactly as you would if he woke at midnight? We had a problem with dd waking early and yes, I read a book about sleep problems....This method does seem to work. We set a limit of 6.30am and any waking prior to that we treated as though it was the middle of the night eg totally ignored it (because we are heartless beasts)- result is dd dleeps from 7.30pm to 6.45 am sometimes a bit later and very rarely wakes up.
Good luck with it though - not getting enough sleep makes everything so much harder to deal with

[buffytheharpsichordcarrier]

I don't think you are necessarily doing anything wrong - it's not always about the routine, more likely to do with his prsonality and body clock. My dd wakes at 5-5.30am at the moment, and I am 36 weeks pregnant so you have my sympathies... you could try controlled crying and be firm that he cannot get out of bed until (say) 6am.

or (more realistically) just go with the flow until things change again as they are almost sure to do!

sorry it's not more helpful

[allhallows]

Maybe try to switch his bath/dinner time? My 2 yr old dd has his bath at 5 & eats at 6 with his 5 yr old sister. Then a bit of play time, stories, teeth & bed at 7:30.

[allhallows]

Doesn't look like he needs more feeding! He eats more than I do!

[Kelly1978]

It sounds as if he is just a early riser. How old is he? Any chance you can persuadehim to paly quietly and not leave his room until a more reasonable time? My ds and dd have been early risers since ds as born, and once he got to about a year, they jsut either played or watched tv til bfast time. Mummy stayed in bed!!!

[anchovies]

Hmmm exactly the same routine and exactly the same problem! Ds is now nearly 21 months and used to sleep until 7 without fail. Past few weeks he's started waking up at about 4 (last night 3.30) and it is nearly impossible to get him to go back to sleep. Last night we went in about 3 times (we ony go in if we have to - if he is crying) and he went back to sleep in the end at about 4.30. Some night when he wakes up at 5 he doesn't go back to sleep at all.

Our only thoughts are maybe he is teething or poorly (he has had several colds recently) or that he is waking up because he's cold? Also looking for a solution so will be watching this thread!

(Poor you with a 9 week old as well!)

[yowlingmonster]

I will watch with baited breath, my ds has always been a pretty terrible sleeper, he us now finally sleeping through from 6.30-3/4 am has a feed and ready to get up at 5, I am going insane so hope someone has great ideas, currently just hoping he will grow out of it or at least get enough understanding to play until it is a decent hour so maybe another 3ish years!