Early waking revelation

[Raggedy]

My DS (19 months old) has had various stages of waking up at an unreasonable hour - 5.30am or so. I've tried all sorts of different methods - earlier bedtime, later bedtime, wake to sleep, etc without much success.

However, I recently read a report about trying to alter their circadian rhythym by taking them outside for a walk/play/etc later on in the evening. He usually goes to bed at 7pm so I have been taking him out for a walk/play about 6-6.30pm just before bath/bed. And it has had a fantastic effect - he is now waking routinely between about 6.15 and 7.00am which I find much more reasonable.

So I just wanted to let any mothers of early risers know in case they wanted to give it a try!

[lookout]

Ancient thread, I know, but I'm desperately trying to find ways to get ds2 to sleep longer in the mornings. Any idea how to do this in the winter?

[heidipi]

Just resurrecting this thread to say it seems to be working for us too!

7.5m DD's a good sleeper but over the last 3 wks her 5.30am start to the day had crept back to 5am and was getting earlier. For the last 2 nights we've taken her into the garden or a walk around the block (carried, not pram) from 6.30 - 7pm and she hasn't woken til after 6am on both mornings, 6.15 today - like a crazy dream come true! That's good enough for me. Her morning naps have been longer too - more than 90 mins each day. Am currently looking for things to eat do til she wakes up again!

Don't know if it will last but definitely worth a try I'd say.

[BobbieSox]

I meant to say, I came across this thread last week after what seemed like months of 5am waking- I'm 26 weeks with DC2 and couldn't bear it any more..

Anyway, tried making sure DD (21 months) had some outside time from 6 until about 20/half past, when we come in and start doing bath etc. And she has slept until 6.30 each night we've done it!

I didnt do it last night as I was knackered and just wanted to sit down, and she woke up a bit earlier, so I really do credit taking her outside for our later mornings.

Sympathy to all those suffering!

[MissRedIndie]

GoingLoopy, perhaps it's worth investing in a light box? The kind of thing that people suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) swear by - you can get them on Amazon for £40 upwards - this way the DCs could sit and play with their toys whilst being exposed to the right kind of light. I bought one for my friend a couple of days ago, when it arrives I might test it out on DD before passing it on to my friend (she has SAD rather than early waking children!!)

[Raggedy]

So glad that it is working for some of you!

[Krainy]

This has worked for us - gone from early 5am starts to 6.30am starts, overnight. We now do a walk 6 - 6.45pm. Hurray!

[practicallyimperfect]

Well we only did 15 mins last night and he woke at 5.45am. Need to do longer!

[GoingLoopyLou]

So last night was the first time I didn't do this in two weeks and this morning they woke at 6am, they hadn't woken before 7.15am in a fortnight. Even more convinced this works now!!!

Am also thinking I am destined to years of having to trudge outside every evening in order to get a decent sleep!

[GoingLoopyLou]

Tonight I haven't done this for the first time I'm two weeks. Will report back tomorrow, hope it's not an early one!

[practicallyimperfect]

Well I did it later- 6 to 6.30 and he slept til 6am! That is a lie in for me!

Will.be trying this every night!

[matana]

I've come to the conclusion that my DS will do exactly what he wants, regardless of what i do to 'encourage' him! Last weekend he slept till 8am and i was gobsmacked. Yesterday evening i took him into the garden until his bathtime and today it was a 5am waking!

[GoingLoopyLou]

BraveGirl I had success the very next day, which was now 12 days ago. I have taken them out to the garden from about 6.30-7pm then bath and in bed for 7.30 ish. They haven't woken before 7am any day and previously were waking around 5.30am.

The only thing is now I'm too scared to stop doing it

[BraveGirl]

I'll give this a go tonight - DS is currently waking earlier and earlier (this morning it was 04.30) so will give it a try!
For those that experienced success - was it immediate or did you have to persevere for a few days before seeing any effect?
After 2 weeks - did you revert to normal?

[Raggedy]

Hi...sorry for delay in replying. We did evening walks about 6.00pm ish - after tea and before bath at 6.30. We carried on with the walks for about 2 weeks - as we were afraid to stop before that - and he has generally tended to keep sleeping in until about 6.30am. Not to say we don't get the occassional wake-up with a 5 in it!

[GoingLoopyLou]

Mdavza This is still working for me and I have no other explanation as dc slept in till 7ish following the first morning I tried it and have done every day since, this was following 2-3 wks of 5.30ish starts.

[mdavza]

My DS (now 2.3) started waking between 5 and 6 for the past 5 months, sometimes better, sometimes worse. Will give this trick a go, can't do any harm to try?!
And then I had a colleague who told me that she severely scolds her 3yo if he dares to wake early, and sends him back to bed, and that I should be more strict. Aaarrrrrgggh - that's not helping?!!!

[practicallyimperfect]

I have to say it hasn't worked for us.

[GoingLoopyLou]

7am again here. 5 in a row after 2 wks of 5am's can't be coincidence can it?!

[SeaShellsHasSandInHerShoes]

This sounds really interesting given that 5.30am is a lie in to Ds!!

Off camping this weekend but will be interested to see how
It works on a normal night!

[Lotkinsgonecurly]

dd has always woken between 4.30 and 5.30 EVERY morning since she's been born. She's now 4. I have to say I have tried this when she was younger and it didn't work with her but it may do with some.

Would love to hear of any new thinking!

[lazzaroo]

Sadly it was a 5.45am wake up for us so I am back to resigning myself to the fact that she's just an early bird!

[Ktay]

Sorry, this fell out of my 'threads I'm on' so have only just come across these encouraging success stories. I haven't tried this in earnest yet but DD does get exposure to the great outdoors when I bring her back after tea at nursery - with no obvious benefit to her sleep. Have just bitten the bullet and hired a sleep consultant - sod's law this trick will start working for us as soon as I give them my credit card details!

[GoingLoopyLou]

Worked again for me! Nice lie in till 7.10 am!

[matana]

It all went wrong today, after such a good start! 5am.... i left DS babbling to see if he'd go back to sleep. He didn't.

[lazzaroo]

I have read this thread with interest as the original post describes my DD exactly! Decided to give it a go tonight. Went outside for little play at 6.30pm. Will see what the morning brings! Not being too optimistic. I think our little one is designed to survive on just 10 hours sleep a night. Which is why when the clocks changed we kept her bedtime at 8pm. She has black out blind etc etc. She's happy enough with whatever sleep she gets...it's us that struggle with the early wake ups!! :-)