DS waking to be changed *every* morning very early after pooing, won't go back to sleep, what can i do...?

[JustAQuickNap]

I've posted this in Potty Training too in case that's more appropriate, but thought I'd give Sleep a go too in case anyone here can help.

DS1 (2.7) wakes every night, anytime from about 5am onwards, asking to be changed as he's done a poo in his nappy. Inevitably he won't go back to sleep afterwards, which isn't so bad if it's nearer 6.30, but when it's 5am it's a real struggle for all of us.

He usually poos on the potty one or two other times during the day as well, often once before bedtime, but this doesn't seem to make any difference. I pretty sure that if he didn't poo at this time in the morning, he would stay in bed longer, but I'm absolutely clueless as to how I might encourage this to stop happening...or whether there's nothing at all I can do & we just have to live with these bonkers early morning.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I haven't experienced it but have sympathy, 5am is too early!

At 2.7 he should be old enough to understand that it's not time to get up. Inhale a Gro Clock for DD (2.4) and told her that if she woke and the star was still shining, it wasn't time to get up, she has to wait for the sun. It's worked a treat and if she waked before the allotted wake up time, she'll eother go back to sleep til the sun comes up, or sings and chats quietly to her toys.

Just wondering if u could get him one and set it for, say 6.30am to start with, and if you have to change him before then, do it quietly and without communicating other than to say 'back to bed until the sun comes up'
Obviously he will complain, but after a few mornings when he knows you mean business, it may work. Worth a try?

I have, not inhale. I do not suggest you inhale a Gro clock

I forgot to say, he has a gro clock! It helps sometimes to encourage him to stay in his room until the sun comes up if it's not too early, but he pretty much never goes back to sleep. If it's really early the clock's not much help as there's so long until sun up time. I've tried keeping it really quiet, but he's just one of those children who once he's up, he's up.

Hmm it's really tough. Does he still nap in the day? What time does he go to bed?

Has he always pooed at this time of day? I think it's pretty unlikely to expect him to lie in his poo - would you?

Just wondered what he was having for tea and whether his diet needs tweaking eg no fruit or poo inducing foods after 4?

I wouldn't expect any child to lay in it's poo, nor would the OP, the problem is getting him to go back to sleep after the nappy change isn't it?

Sorry - I misread the OP! Talk of gro clocks threw me.

I think it's nigh impossible to get them back to sleep at that time so would see if the pooing itself could be stopped at that time.

That's what I'd been thinking too. I've been trying to figure out if there are any foods that might be not helping, and I haven't been able to identify anything that seems to make him go more or less often. Iggly, I'm interested that you mention fruit - do you think that could be making a difference?

DaydreamDolly he doesn't nap anymore, and goes to sleep at about 7pm.

Fruit high in certain sugars can trigger it apparently. I think sweeter fruits. Not sure how much is in it but I don't give DS fruit after tea and he has carbs like rice etc.

OR it could be that he wakes early in the morning, all relaxed, then poos. So the reason for the early waking itself might need tackling - eg is his room cold, does the heating come on waking him or does his bedtime need changing (he could be a bit overtired without a day nap or proper down time so need earlier bedtime - counter intuitive but can work, or is he teething?)?

I know, I can't figure out whether it's the waking or the pooing. There is also the possibility that he stirs early, and rather than roll over & doze off again he knows that if he needs changing someone will come in, which is always a good thing in DS's book.

I had wondered whether he should go to bed earlier. He is incredibly tired by the time he gets to bed. There have been a few nights recently where we've managed to get him to bed earlier but it doesn't seem to have made much difference. I think it might be a good idea to have a go at doing that consistently for a while & see what happens.

There's also the added complication of his 11-month old brother, who can be really noisy at that time of the morning (depending on what's going on with him, whether it's a cold, teething, etc). Even though DS2 is in our room, the house is small and DS1 can hear even the tiniest of noise. Sod's law on the morning's he's still asleep at 6am, DS2 stirs not long after & I'm sure that wakes DS1 up. Pretty much nothing we can do about that, I don't think.