Clocks going back, anyone else sleep deprived and dreading it ?

[Tillysmummy]

DD woke at 5.40 this morning. The last few days its been around 6 but regression this morning (probably because I was out last night at my dad's 60th birthday party and didn't get back till half 12 with a drunken snoring husband!!). So I am tired. I know I shouldn't grumble I could have it a lot worse but when I am pg I am so tired anyway and the early waking is the icing on the cake ! So what is going to happen tomorrow, will dd wake at half 4 ??!! Anyone got any early wakers and secrets to dealing with the clocks ?
Hey ho, well at least it's saturday and the sun is shining.

Blu, that's really grim. We're persisting with the naps and the 7.30 bed time for now. Hope this changes sooner than spring.

And it's getting earlier....4.45a.m yesterday, and 5a.m today. If we leave him in his room, he will escape and cause havoc, and is also at a very dangerous stage re climbing experiments: his ambition and ability way outstrip his common sense and balance. (he's got on leg 25% shorter than the other a v small foot and no fibula...defined by our consultant as a mobility disability - HAH!) Stairgate is not an option, he has been launching himself headfirst over a stairgate since he was 20 months. We do make him stay in bed, and completely ignore him, but he sings, wriggles, kicks the wooden bedhead, talks loudly to bear and wrestles with the bedclothes. I am beginning to look very haggard. He is asleep by 8.30pm (and not noticeably overtired by then,) he has a nap of 1-2 hours in the day (but we have experimented with cutting that down: no effect), and he is full of beans and very cheerful all day, though I am trying to maintain a good balnce of outdoor activities for excercise and fresh air,and calm, tranquil things to wind him down. 2yrs, 3mths. Any suggestions, anyone?

Cbeebies for him and a blanket on the sofa for you?
Earplugs?
A bunny clock set progressively later (dd's room is pitch black, have just got a timer and a lamp in the hope that we can teach her that we aren't going to get her up until its light!)

Sorry, not v helpful!

Hmmm, I think timer and lamp sounds like a v good idea..let me know how you get on with it. I'll start that tonight....Thank you, Zerub.

Having spent the whole of last winter on sofa trying to ignore Hoobs, I have become irrationally phobic about any character who appears on TV before 7am!

Blu you have my sympathies. We have exactly the same thing and I am absoultely shattered. My ds2 (2.4years) has always been an early waker - usually around 6:00am, but since the clocks went back it has been around 5:00, and this morning it was 4:40. It's ridiculous. Although this morning he did fall back asleep in our bed at around 6:15. Unfortunately ds1 woke us all at 7:30 when he woke up and i'm sure ds2 would have slept on. But on a weekday when we have to be up at 6:30 this early waking is a nightmare. I am really hoping he goes back to 6:00am waking soon. It's odd how now it feels like 6:00 was a blessing !!!

Blu - my 2 year 3 month old has started to drop his day time nap. Sometimes he needs it, sometimes not - maybe you need to cut it out or at least make sure he gets some activity twice a day. We try to go outside twice a day, difficult with the nights getter darker.

Blimey, my problems seem insignificant now. Dd is still waking 6-6.30 tho 5.30 today, when used to be 7-7.30 so I know I did have it good, but having got used to that I am now knackered.

Was hoping someone would have the answer but most of you seem to be worse off. Help. Can't work out why she won't sleep later as she is so tired in eves now, going up normal time, you'd think her body would know it so obviously needs the sleep. I am really crap when tired, intolerant at the best of times, found it very hard to be civil to her this morning. she's 3.5 so no naps to adjust.

kayleigh - just to say you are not alone. you could be describing my DS. I have frequently said to DP "I just wish he'd lie in until 6.30"

oh and Blu, me and DP do exactly the same as you i.e. take it in turns to get up at vile time to do breakfast . It's horrible isn't it

Hi
I am new to this board - it is a relief to find that others are in the same boat (although not very useful to the rest of you) We are now waking at 5.30 (instead of 6.30) I have tried adjusting the rest of the day but to little avail - I have also tried later bed time (this just means that we have no time at all to ourselves!)
I have read (search on google) that an earlier bedtime may help. Has anyone tried this?

We're just the same - always been 6-6.30 now well before 6. DS is 2.2 and we have tried earlier bedtimes, later bedtimes, cutting naps, extra playing, longer/shorter wind down periods for bed. He also wakes during the night most nights. We're both exhausted constantly. All I can say is that we have tried everything that we can think of. He has black out blinds, we have timed the heating not to come on until later, he is well covered up etc. We take it in turns at weekends butit is horrible

WEll, I tried the timer thing. Explained it clearly before we went to bed "if the light is off, and it's dark, we stay in our beds, under the duvet, with our heads on the pillow. When the light comes on, we can get up, go into Mummy's bed etc etc" and set timer for 7a.m
First night, he was wide awake from 3-4 am, probably longer, endless trips to sort out duvet, find bear, milk etc. He then slept til 6.30, as exhausted. I went in and said "the light is not on, so it's still night". He stayed in bed and explained to bear, word for word, what I had said the night before, so it must have sunk in. I lay down on the mattress alongside his bed to prevent him succumbing to temptation.
Last night / this a.m, DP's turn. DS woke at 6.30, and DP, feeling tired, let him get in bed with him. DAMN! but at least it was 6.30.

Have been restricting naps a bit, and we do always get lots of outdoor activity.

Feel the timer light has potential, it's less abstract than a pop-up bunny, and has a logic about night and day.How is everyone else getting on?

Issymum, good to know it is worth persisting! DP put DS to bed last night and didn't set the timer as he says he doesn't know how to work it!!!!
Anyway, DS didn't wake til 7, but that's again because he was wide awake 3-4 a.m with stuffy nose. But our nanny tells me that yesterday he explained the whole system to her, word for word, even tho' that morning was the one DP took him into bed. He obviously thinks the whole thing is a fictional story, as this a.m he came into our room even tho the light was not on....I obviously have to train DP before starting on DS. Sigh. Yawn.

much sympathy to all of you. We have temporarily got back to a sane waking hour but for how long who knows. I don't know if it will help at all but one thing I have found with dd is that just when im desperate and ready to give up on trying to make her sleep later she then sleeps later !!! BTW, I have never found a later bedtime useful with dd. As has already been said, it limits our evening and just means that she still wakes up early and we loose more time ! Often it may be just coincidence but if she is in bed by 7 she sleeps a bit better than if she is in bed after. It sounds bizarre but it seems that it is a phase and she has now reverted back to anywhere between 6 and 6.30. She will also now come into our bed at 6 and go back to sleep for a while. Now i've said that of course tomorrow she'll be awake at the crack of dawn and won't go back to sleep !!!! Good luck and thinking of you all.

T'mum: I have come to the same conclusion about later bedtimes. However, DS boucing off walls with energy and excitement til 9pm last night, woke at 5, went into bed with DP, back to sleep at 6 until 8. Until I can get DP to implement the timer light thing as I am prepared to do, or to do every night in a row myself, I think we're stuck with it.

aaaargh cannot do sodding timer light as dd1 afraid of dark....

We had 5:30 this morning. Whilst not as good as 6:00am (I can't believe i just said that!)it's a damn sight better than 5:00. I'm hoping he is beginning to sort himself out. He is still going to bed the same time as he is absolutely shattered. Well who wouldn't be getting up at that time of the morning. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The light timer has worked brilliantly for us. Its a fibre optic lamp and so not that bright and doesn't actually wake him up if he is still asleep.

Blu our timer just stays set and doesn't need resetting every night. It comes on for an hour every morning - 7 til 8. Actually its a posh 7 day timer and DH has optimistically set it for 7.15 - 8.30 on weekends. Do you need to use the lamp for other things. Fortunately we remembered to reset in when the clocks changed but otherwise no need.

Bozza, thank you, fibre-optic light seems good idea, and more sophisticated timer. Problem ATM is that DS fiddles with our rather basic timer and so it needs re-setting. I need to get all my factors in place: DP trained up and committed, good timer, good light. Hearing that it works is motivation enough, thank you! Zzzzz, too, Kayleigh!