15 months and still wakes at 5am.

[PavlovtheCat]

I had another thread, can't find it.

He naps between 45 mins and two hours in the day.

He goes to bed at 7pm. he sleeps til 5am ish, sometimes 4:30am.

he is still tired. he is NOT ready to start the day. he rubs his eyes a lot and fusses asking to go to dds room, or the kitchen or somewhere. He does not want cuddles, or to be put down, or to go back to bed. Then at 6am he is awake and happy and starts playing with his toys, being all cute .

I have tried:
Putting to bed later
Offering water
Offering him milk from a bottle/cup (used to be bf in the morning)and still asks for this, but does not put him back to sleep anyway).
CC
Feeding him as soon as he gets up
Refusing to feed him before 6am to let him know he has nothing to wake for
Ignoring him for 20 mins (not distressed just complaining that he wants to get up)
Having DH getting up with him
Soft music

Yesterday he drank 150ml of milk and a sandwich at 530am but not in one go, sips of milk and bits of sarnie, while also crumbling sanie and tipping milk.

This morning he has mostly been pointing out of the front room door going 'there? or periodically trying to my boobs (half heartedly).

A few weeks ago, can't even remember when, he slept 3 days in a row til 6-6:30am. And then started waking at 4:30am, now back to normal. and the odd night waking.

am i doomed to no life for the foreseeable future? all i do is work kids sleep.

I agree with Swan that's the sort of thing I've always done. However as mine started sprouting teeth from 4 months on whenever I first went in at night I always always slathered their gums with bonjela, so I could be doubly sure it wasn't teeth causing the issues when trying to re-settle them. Sometimes they'd shout for a moment but more often than not that seemed to help.

oh yes, it is definitely his teeth! I have not really seen much evidence before today, but he has been grizzly all day and woke from his nap after 15 mins, so had a quick look and he has red gums next to the front four bottom teeth. So I put some gel on, gave him some ibruprofen - And, as I did this he yelled and Lo and Behold there is a molar, right at the left top back about to burst through! He has lots of other teeth due before that one! odd order to come in but it is clearly there, large bulge of white about to pop, and two others on their way down, no wonder he is waking so early, poor little thing.

So, DH and I have said we are going to dose him up constantly for 24 hours with medicine and gel to give him a break and try to get him some decent sleep.

He is now asleep on me after using me as a human dummy and I feel bad for cursing him.

My two's teeth never came in the "right" order either. At least you know what the problem is for sure, as that helps me when my empathy reserves are getting low from lack of sleep

Hope things settle soon again.

oh poor boy. He has his fingers in his mouth for much of the evening and hardly ate tea. So I gave him ready brek. He always eats ready brek! I guess it is literally about to break through as he has become increasingly wingy as the day wore on and desperate for me to nurse him.

I don't think the 5am start is teeth related, but definitely the earlier than this time is. We shall wait til the teeth pop out and see what happens. He only has 8, so has another 12 to go!

I found with my two, the more teeth they had through the more they got used to it all and woke less when teething if you see what I mean? There wasn't half the drama for the final few. Hoping your boy is the same.

Good plan on the ready brek, mine preferred more milk etc when teething badly as well. It must be excruciating for them.

When DD's teeth came through she drank gallons of milk too but she was fine with a bottle (not for the first 8 months though oddly) and was quite a milk monster. When she had a growth spurt or teeth coming she drank more. Her teeth caused a lot of pain but we always knew she was teething, she always got a runny nose, slightly green poo and nappy rash just before they broke! and they came through very quickly, she had them all way before she was 2, they came through 4 at a time. DS shows little signs, other than grizzling/demanding more boob - and alas won't drink milk!

Am another one with an early riser - anytime from 5 at the moment but has been earlier. DD is 16 months, eats ok ish, naps well and is generally happy. Have tried everything to no avail and have now resigned myself to going to bed at 9.30pm to cope with the early starts. Could be worse - indeed has been much worse so am trying (and failing...) to be grateful.

So. It is 4:40am. I have a screaming baby. He is in his cot. I am going back in there in 7 mins. He is currently flinging himself back into his cot from standing, smacking his head against the bars each time. He is very angry.

I say it is teeth. But he grimbled a bit through the night, but settled himself without us needing to go in.

When I am in there this morning, he is like a little mole, eyes shut, mouth open desperately grabbing at me and pointing the door and bucking, crying, fighting.

But he is refusing to sleep. He will not lie down. He has been awake since 4:22am.

I have no fucking clue what to do except once I have gone in there and told him night night again, I am going to make myself a coffee and tidy the kitchen.

I AM NOT GOING TO ACCEPT A 4:30AM START. I am not going to accept that I will never get my life back.

Welcome to your annual leave pavlov. Same as last time. And the time before. You will mostly be dealing with an awake baby at night and a crabby baby in the day. fucking marvelous.

You know the worst thing is. out of ALL the time at night I dislike being up, it is the hours between 4-5am, they are so desolate. And my mind wonders and I cannot bear it.

I feel like I am being punished for something. Why? Why so long? he has always been such a terrible sleeper. He was 2 hourly feeding from birth, with 1 hourly when he was growing. The dreaded 4 month sleep regression - HA, not far to go back. He would not sleep in his moses basket/cot so slept ON me for the first 4 months, would not even settle in the bed with us much of time. Eventually he did. By 9 months, he was sleeping 3 hours at a time, and waking for several hours at 2am. He is 15 months old FFS. Why won't he just sleep now? I mean 6am is all I am asking for. Surely that is not unreasonable? Clearly it is.

ok. Now. There is silence. Now I am worried he has hit his head too hard. He was crying, screaming, crying, screaming, then, nothing.

I sm scared to peek in case he has hurt himself, then scared to peek in case I wake him if he has not hurt himself.

I am guessing the ibruprofen has worked. In which case it must be teeth then.

I am not going to be able to go back to sleep now . I am scared he is going to wake up as soon as my head hits the pillow. that is pretty normal. And that is worse than not going back to bed at all.

Sorry for ranting. As I said, this horrid time of the night is just the pits. Not a soul to talk to.

Now a cough every 2 mins. Had a wail a second ago. I shall go make my now, as I expect he will be awake again fully any time soon.

It's really hard Pavlov, you have my sympathy.

DS was the same - an early waker, often up by 5 or 5.30am, always well before 6. It half killed me as I'm a night owl.

He started to sleep better instantly his teeth all came through. Now at 2 he usually wakes at 6.30, 7 or even 7.30 - far more civilised.

What I did to survive was co-sleep and left some toys and books by the bed for DS to play with if he did wake early. Now he understands that he can get up and play quietly but he's pretty good (though not perfect!) at not waking me until the alarm goes off at 7. Understand you might not want to co-sleep but would he sit quietly on your bed or your bedroom floor with a few toys, just to give you a few extra minutes? It sounds like it's just a phase, linked to teething, so I don't think you need to worry about rods and backs.

scroob what are you doing up? are you abroad? or up for work?

He won't settle in bed with us, have tried the co-sleeping. He won't play toys, he just fusses. DD used to wake early, and we would not get her up, she had some toys in her cot and would play for a little while. Sometimes that is how we knew she was up as we heard her playing/chatting away. I am not saying she was a great sleeper, we had our problems with her sleep too, they were just not early morning problems (til she was a bit older!) they were going to sleep in the first place problems.

DS has some toys in his cot - two fabric books a couple of little people and two bears. But he won't even look at them. He just wakes and is straight to the bars bouncing. If he is in with us, he just slides of the bed (low) bangs his head on the floor, and rolls around sobbing/tantrumming.

good to hear your little one sleeps later now. There is hope. My DD sleeps better now, aged 4

well he slept for another hour, not bad. Better than in the past. up at 6am as I wanted, but with half hour interlude...

I got him up at 5.55am with with a huge kiss and cuddle and 'morning!' after leaving him for a few mins so he us not used to me running in there (not that I ever do that these days)

He is now wide awake, happy and playing with his cars singing away to himself. Maybe he will eventually learn the difference between a grumpy 'no night night time' and back to bed and a chirpy 'morning!'. That and hopefully all his teeth come through in the next few days.

Sorry, yes, I'm in NZ so Friday night here.

Good to hear your DS managed a small 'lie in'. Hope you manage to get some rest today.

So tempting to say it's just a phase (which it is) but that doesn't make it easier in terms of the daily grind of sleep deprivation, I know.

Poor you - I know that feeling that you think they're asleep but you're too anxious to go back to sleep in case they wake again. It is torture.

My DS1 started the 5am trick from about 18 months to maybe 2.5years. Fucking awful. I don't know why and I don't know what stopped it, but it did gradually stop. I think it was after Christmas, and I racked my brains trying to work out what we'd done differently - I think we might've shifted his mealtimes a bit, been a bit lazier with his routine over the holidays. And sometimes we did put him to bed earlier, really early if he was beside himself with tiredness some days, like 5.30pm. He'd then sleep for 13 hours.

Karma has worked quickly on DS1 - 7mo DS2 has just started the 5am trick, and is waking DS1 who is not happy about it. What joy!

Oh you poor thing I find that time of the morning hard too. I'm glad he went back to sleep for a bit. Can your H make sure you catch up this weekend a little on sleep?

I'm sure if you keep being consistent he will get the message in the end. My boy did

I'm loathe to recommend books as I'm late to the thread and you may have read them all but this book was and is brilliant for my two, not easy reading but his advice is spot on imo: www.amazon.co.uk/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-Happy-Child/dp/009190255X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299267255&sr=8-1

no such thing as late to a sleep thread! I will take a look at the book thank you!

oh that was quick as had to go in and check on the Amazing Acrobatic Cot Flinging Boy. He woke at 4:35am. And it currently throwing himself around the cot in a fit of anger. He has spat about some ibruprofen at me and is now not happy.

I am settling him ha ha and then back to bed for DH to get up when he next wakes. No point DH doing this bit as I will only lie in bed thinking he is doing it wrong with my head pounding from the screaming, best to feel like I am doing something.

just going to have to accept this is my life for now and this annual leave with be mostly spent longing for sleep, as with all my other annual leave periods to date. DH and I were both in bed by 9pm last night.

Jeeeeeeeeeeeez that boy can scream. He is still going for it.

So. What happens if he does not go to sleep at all now? What if my theory of getting him up with a smile and all chirpy is blown out of the water due to him refusing to sleep in the first place? if he continues like this, DD will be awake soon and the day will be Over before it starts. Might sound melodramatic but she woke early yesterday and had a very full day with PE first week back at school, ballet and 30 mins later to bed, two tired children and a tired DH is going to be Hard Work.

and then silence.

How strange! Only took almost 45 mins of him screaming the place down, a couple of stirs not to 100% there...

nope. Here he blows again. just gathering strength it seems

You have my sympathy, you sound exhausted
My DS has always been an early riser- for a long time 5 o clock, always by 6. Only now, at 3.8 yrs does he 'often' stay in bed until after 6. I actually think my ds simply doesn't need 12 hours a night- he has never done it! That said, if he is up before 5.30, he always likes a nap
Oh and I have a dd too who likes to sleep until 7- so i know it's not all down to me!
Are you sharing the early mornings with someone? Do you get to go back to bed later (at the weekends)?