Early Riser....

[pointyearedpixie]

Hello!

My 19th month old has always woken early (530 ish) but recently it's getting even worse....4.20 the last two mornings, and he's properly awake, sitting up chatting and telling me that he wants to get up.

He always goes to bed at the same time (by 730) no problem and putting him down later/earlier makes no difference. He has one nap a day across lunch time, but after this mornings wake up call, he had passed out by 8am (he was really whiny this morning so obviously very tired and wanting to be asleep V soon after waking). He's quite skinny, so we top him up with porridge before bed so it's not hunger.

He does lots of exercise so is nice and tried at bed time and the room is very dark, there's nothing noisy I can think of that wakes him (other than the odd very wet nappy) etc etc

Any ideas (gratefully received!!)??

xxx

Hi, I'm browsing this topic because my 10 month old has started doing the same thing:(

Have you tried putting books or toys near/in his cot? This worked with my 4 year old around the same age as your DS. She cried for a bit but then I could hear her getting distracted by some toys I'd left on the windowsill that she could reach from her cot. This has worked out really well long-term as she will happily play in her bed now every morning until she hears me getting up.

Unfortunately, my 10 month old is still too young to be fooled by this so I'll continue my browsing....

My dd (nearly 2) does this too and it's driving us mad! She wakes up ds (nearly 4) and they're both knackered by 10.

I'm at a total loss what to do, but we can't go on for much longer like this!

Hi, I'm too browsing as my 10month old is also waking at 430am (530am pre clocks changing last weekend) he gulps down 6oz of milk then will not go back to sleep so I end up bringing him downstairs so he doesn't wake my 3yr old. Not sure if I should be feeding or not?! Cannot leave him to cry, plus ends up falling over in cot and even more upset. Any welcome advice Please!

I am no expert, came.on here as ddi (5)has no adjusted to the clock change and is.waking at 530-545. However at least its not 430!.Having had a previous early rise, what I understand is that the morning sleep is actually part.of the night , that has become.uncoupled somehow. Pushing the morning sleep back towards lunch usually sorts it out.This.can be very boring as anytime.in the buggy usually meant falling asleep for my dcs. I would suggest a 10 month old should not "be allowed "to go back to sleep before 9-930am, then for no more than 1.5 hrs. A 20 month old should get through the morning ,even if it means.lunch at 11am.Hope.this helps !

It's the clocks going back, it properly buggers little children about. And unfortunately some people (like me, and DS) are just early risers. DS had no day time naps at all by the time he was 2, this made for some crankiness as he was tired but if he slept during the day the night/early morning got even worse.

The Millpond book has some good advice on nap times. As naughty says if they can't get through the morning it's nighttime uncoupled. Unfortunately it also says early waking is the hardest problem to solve. DS is just 2 and wakes just before 6am now rather than 4.30 since I pushed his nap time forward from 11 to 1.30 and cut it from over 3 hours (unwoken) to 1.5 hours - although waking him is awful.

I'm hoping that if I keep it up he'll settle into it.

We have a disorganised lifestyle though, so if we're out at friends he doesn't have a nap and doesn't mind too much. I think maybe he has to have a nap every other day.

Hadn't thought about morning sleep actually being part of the night but it's so true. DS usually sleeps from 830am and I wake him at 10am but he could sleep forever. This morning wasn't as bad, still woke at 420 but was only awake for 1/2 an hour then went back to sleep till 630. Will try pushing morning sleep to late morning. Thanks all for advice, the sleep lark is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together!

It's definitely trial and error, but I've found you also you have to keep going with one idea for long enough to decide if it works or not.

I was very very lax with DS as a baby and never established a routine which was the way I wanted to do it at the time, but I now wish i'd worked it out sooner because now he's 2 he hops out of his cot in a second.