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Original poster

early mornigns sending me MAD

15 replies

mousie · 14/01/2006 16:09

help my almost three year old has never slept beyond 6am - it is driving me INSANE. I try everything - later bedtimes, no daytime naps, changing rooms, blackout blinds, no bottle - threats, rewards - i have been trying all these over a long period, obviously! He just seems to survive on ten hours sleep, eleven at most - in a twenty four hour period. Can this be changed, anyone? help

OP posts:
Blandmum · 14/01/2006 16:13

Sorry to tell you but our near 6 year old woke us at 6 this morning. at ;least we can now tell him 'too early' and he sometimes goes back. both of mine are early birds like their dad

lalaa · 14/01/2006 16:14

have you tried keeping him up really late to break the cycle? my mother reliably informs me that i was a nightmare and she ended up keeping me up until 10 at night in order to break the cycle.

Auntymandy · 14/01/2006 16:30

my 15 month gets up between 5 and 5.30 every morning! I just get used to it!! So 6 to me doesnt seem that early! Late night imo dont work. They seem to have a getting up time and thats it!

Original poster
mousie · 14/01/2006 16:47

i have tried keeping him up occasionally - til 9 say, with no luck - but not sustsainedly. i just give up after one night. he often wakes at 5.30 - it's just shameful to admit that and 6 is bad enough! I would do late nights to break the cycle if I thought it would work - so do you suggest that (what did your mother report back lalaa?) I am an early bird( well was before the kids!) so I am worried it is genetic.. oh god.

OP posts:
colditz · 14/01/2006 17:21

I think the trick is to keep them up late every night for as long as it takes, at least a week. I know if ds has a late night, he still gets up at the same time, but while we were on holiday we had a lot of late nights, and after a few days he started sleeping a lot later.

he was never a very early riser to start with though.

Good luck with this one, I regard being woken repeatedly before 7am as a form of torture!

jac34 · 14/01/2006 17:46

Our boys have always been early risers.It used to be about 5:30 ish when they were your sons age, now they are older(7yo)it's about 6:30,which is fine on a week day as we get up just before 7 anyway, but on a weekend they now play in their room and let us lay in till about 8ish.

I'm an early riser as well,it may be something you just have to get used to.DH and I just started going to bed much earlier to get our quota of sleep.

jac34 · 14/01/2006 17:48

Personally, would rather get up a bit earlier,than have a grumpy,tired child running around till 10pm.

poppiesinaline · 14/01/2006 18:26

Can you train him to play with toys in his own room until say 6.30 or 7 am. You can get those alarm clocks that the bunny 'wakes up' or something at a set time and teach him not to come and get mummy until the bunny wakes up.

geogteach · 14/01/2006 19:18

Get him a digital clock, teach him to recognise 'seven nought nought' (keep taking him back every time he gets up before that), worked for us and now DS1 is very keen to warn DD its not seven o'clock yet if she tries to get up earlier.

throckenholt · 14/01/2006 19:42

we did the digital clock thing with DS1 - it did work. Need to get one for twins DS2&3 now - they are killing me with sleep deprivation by bursting out of their room at 5.15 shouting do/done a poo and waking everyone up - and then no-one goes back to sleep before normal get up time of 6-6.30.

Problem is no-where seems to sell cheap and simple digital clocks - and I am too mean to buy a clock radio just because that is all that is in the shops

twirlaround · 14/01/2006 20:05

No tv before bed for at least 2 or 3 hours helps them sleep longer, as does lots of fresh air and exercise

Original poster
mousie · 15/01/2006 11:20

thanks for all these tips - interesting about the TV - i think mine watch too much definitely in the evening - much harder in the winter to keep them amused than the summer. also i am so knackered from my early starts that i don't have the stamina for reading and play in the early evenings.

cheap digital clocks anyone? i will try everything. do tend to go to bed about 9 most nights, though am about to start some evenings working now - first time back at work for five years, so the early mornings are scaring me, basically.

OP posts:
twirlaround · 15/01/2006 15:07

Mousie, you could turn the TV off at 5pm and then let them play on their own for a while if you are tired. Once they understand it is a new rule they wil stop making a fuss about it...and it might help your tiredness problem in the long run

The TV thing has helped some of my friends whose kids weren't good sleepers so might be worth a go

Seona1973 · 15/01/2006 19:58

Argos have got a digital clock for £2.99 - is that cheap enough?!!

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2550273.htm\LED Alarm clock

Seona1973 · 15/01/2006 19:59

LED Alarm clock

Sorry, got a bit carried away the last time

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