CC for ridiculously early waking (complete with free rant)

[ledkr]

I know its been done before but I need fresh perspective here. DD is 17 months,always been a bit unpredictable sleepwise but not horrendous. She goes through phases of early waking then goes back to normal hours then reverts again. We are currently experiencing 4.30 am wake ups. She is crying, stood up and still very tired. We have tried pretty much everything then this morning i went in,lay her down and left her to cry for about 15 mins and she eventually went back to sleep but only till 5.15.
Im unsure as to whether to do it tomorrow.
Those of you who have experienced this will appreciate the profound effect it has on the family. I am so tired all the time its made me quite depressed and snappy with everyone,dh is great and does loads but he looks like a zombie as he also works shifts. We cant go out even for a meal or cinema because we have to go to bed so we have to go to bed so early its just stopped us in out tracks.
So shall I keep it up?
Thanks

We did that, but in general she wasn't screaming her head off. But nothing else was working. In the end what it came down to was being too tired to get out of bed!

Hey ledkr. Saw this topic and thought of you . No advice really but it must be awful. If she's tired does she sleep in your bed or just jump around sticking her fingers up you nose like alice does ? From what I remember Dilly didn't respond amazingly well to CC when she was little did she? It's just if you know it's not something that works for her I'm not sure how well it would work, but then, she may have changed and it may be the best thing you did. Sorry, not much help am I . Have you got one of those night lights that shine on the ceiling a light show and music? We used one with Alice when she was teeny but put it in the cupboard ages ago but she found it this week and really enjoys it now she's older too.....might be worth a try [clueless]

I have been hanging on out on the support threads for the early wakers. Early days for us, but I think that we have a breakthough.

Bought the Richard Ferber book: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0863181228/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00 a couple of weeks ago.

Having read the relevant bit it looks as though we'd conditioned DS to expect his milk at 5am. Book suggests giving them milk when you want them to wake up, which we started at 6:15am. Then moved it earlier and earlier. Also advocates leaving them for as long as humanly possible - up to half an hour . I was cynical about this, but we did start leaving him longer and longer.

Sooooo. We had our first 6:45am wake up on Sunday. Monday was rubbish, but that was in part DH crashing about at 5:50am to go to work. And he also had a late nap on Sunday. Tues 6:40am and this morning was 6:45am.

The new regime also includes no milk in the daytime (DS has been a milk fiend!) and so he just has a whole bottle first thing and last thing. Instead I am following his nursery day (Mon &Tues) which sees him having lunch at 11:30am/12, then sleep from midday for an hour and a bit, tea at 3:30pm then I give him supper at 6pm. Bath at 6:45pm, bottle and in bed and asleep (!!) by 7:30pm. Bedtime is a bit later than I would like...but I don't care so long as he goes straight off and then sleeps.

Sorry, long. But hope that might help. Forogot to say that DS is 14 mo.