The Bunny Sleep trainer clock.

[BambinoBoo]

Good morning everyone.

DS is 2.4 and has always been an early riser - between 5 and 5.30am. The latest he's ever slept is 7am (twice), but did get into a habit of going till 6am for a couple of months which was bliss. He's now back to 5.15 and we are utterly exhausted again. He will catch up on his sleep during the day which is the main thing, but whether he has a short nap, no nap, long nap or we put him to bed later, he always wakes at the same time.

DH and I take turns to have a lie in at the weekends but we now have such a huge sleep debt that it doesn't seem to take the edge off. I wondered if anyone has successfully used the trainer clock, and at 2.4, do you think it might be too early to introduce it, or a good time to? Grateful for any advice. Many thanks.

My ds was like this, he's 8 now and although he's still the first one up it's more likely to be 7.30 and is of course old enough to put the tv on and not disturb us - your time will come.

I looked into the bunny clock, but being a skinflint did my own version using a light in his room and a timer (the sort you use when going on holiday). It had the same effect in that the light came on at a certain time and we told ds not to get up until it came on.

I don't think it worked tbh, but it was a while ago so I can't really remember. Might be worth trying the same thing then you don't have to shell out.

The bunny clock is not toddler proof. dd1 broke hers by throwing it across the room when she was told the bunny was asleep and to go back to bed. Also she went to bed at 7 and we wanted to set it for 7 am which meant we had to sneak in and set it when she was asleep.

Anyway, this is a long winded way of saying we did what lovelydaffs did and that seemed to work quite well.

We've got the kidsleep travel one which is great but you could just use a timer and fairy lights or something dim (you don't want it to wake them up if by some stroke of luck they are actually asleep). We found it very successful but started it (around the same age, maybe a bit older) with a sticker/reward chart to reinforce the idea.

You have to start gradually as well. It's unrealistic to expect them to go from 5.15 to 7.30, so do it in increments. Good luck, and many sympathies :)

Many thanks all. Excellent idea re the lamp. Actually, we have a string of car lights hanging over a mirror in his room and he loves cars so we will try with those I think. I never even thought of setting a timer to be honest. We will go easy though, as much as I'd love him to wake up at 7am, I was going to start at a more realistic 0530 and if that works, extend by 10 minutes every few nights till we get to 6am. Wow, if you'd asked me 3 years ago, I wouldn't have even considered 8am as a lie in and here I am hoping for 6.

Thanks again.

Am watching with interest as we bought one of the night and day clocks for our 3 year old who used to be a good sleeper and now tells us its light therefore its morning. Maybe will offer some kind of reward if he stays in bed until the sun comes up.

On the clock and not in reality.

We had the bunny clock. Ds would wake up and if the alarm hadn't gone off he'd alter the time to make the ears go up and then come and show me it was time to get up. Complete and utter waste of money imo!

DD2 does this with hers. We bought the In The Night Garden one and she quickly figured out how to change the time alarm setting on it to make Upsy Daisy get up when she wanted and not us.

We still use it as it's part of her bedtime routine and quite good for her going to bed but not great for getting up.

I've been put right off the bunny clock now and will definitely try the light timer approach. My DS is an engineer in the making and will no doubt want to take it to pieces as soon as he sees it. Just one very silly question - and most definitely a PFB moment - my only worry is that if I tell DS not to call us until the light comes on (he's still in a cot - long story), what if he's been sick or something and needs me, but takes me quite literally about not waking up till the light comes on.