Gro clock users please help

[JacqueslePeacock]

We bought DS (just turned 2) a gro clock for his birthday to try to improve the horrendous early morning wakings. He loves it! But sadly it hasn't helped with sleep at all. We asked him not to call for mummy until the sun comes out, but he's still shrieking from about 4.30 on.

My question is this - if he wakes up before the sun shows, what is he supposed to do? He can't very well play quietly with the toys in his cot as it's pitch black in his room (we have a blackout blind - supposedly to improve sleep). Do we need to get rid of the blind so he can see what he's doing? I'm reluctant to do this because his sleep did seem to improve a bit after we put the blind up. What do other gro clock users do?? TIA.

Mine get told to lie quietly in bed at that time!
Sorry, not much help. Our clock has a light, which we set to come on at 6, and an alarm which sounds at 6.20 in the week.So once the light comes on, he could actually play?? So could you have a night light/soft lamp come on 30 mins before wake up time?

we had/have this. I started going in and putting his night light on when he called before the sun on the clock came up, so he could play, but have stopped that as think that meant there was zero chance of him going back to sleep, which is the ultimate aim.
I now just tell him he has to stay in his room and be quiet till the sun comes up on his clock.
But we have got the clock only about 20 mins after when he usually wakes up, so it's not so long for him to manage to go, so bit different.
If yours is waking so early I really would be loathe to put any kind of light on, as presumably you really want them to go back to sleep at that early a time. Sorry, not much help. We also bribe hugely, so if he does manage to stay in room relatively quiet, gets stickers, special biscuit etc.

But how do you actually persuade a toddler to lie quietly in bed? As soon as I leave the room he just howls desperately. Is he just too young for this to work? I'm a bit desperate through lack of sleep.

Have you tried setting the sun to come up at 4.30 for a few days and then gradually moving it forward, maybe even just 5min every couple of days.

We had to do this with DS, started at 4.45 and took us about 2 months to get to 6am. He's 3.5 now and will sleep to 6am routinely. He's off to school next September and I need to get him sleeping until 6.30 really, but I think that will take another few months.

Agree with Frightrider that 2 is probably too young. We also introduced one at age 4 and it's been great.
Sorry that's not much help, I know how awful it is.

I think he is too young. DS didn't get it until he was about 3. I used to leave a couple of biscuits and some milk and some books and toys by his bed before I went to bed, for him to play with when he woke up. Now he is 5 he climbs over the stair gate (also have a toddler) and goes downstairs to watch Star Wars.

I think your son is too young to be honest, I don't think at this age a child can understand the concept.
We have had one for DD for the last 6 months, she has just turned 4. She fully understands that before the clock goes yellow she is to stays in her room, she can turn the light on and play but not disturb us.
She has never shouted out though, she would just toddle into our room. If it was before the clock went yellow she was returned to her bed. A few minutes of years but after a week or so she got it.

Bloody spell checker, that should read "a few minutes of tears"

OP - does he still nap? Can you post his daytime routine including naptime, length & bedtime? Its quite likely his early waking is related to his routine. If no nap, overtiredness could be the issue, if he does nap but it starts too early, that can also be the problem. Both can be easily rectified. If routine is off, a gro clock is unlikely to have much effect.

Around age 2 there is also a huge developmental leap, so if routine is good & this is a recent change for him, it'll most likely settle back nown in a few weeks, provided you are consistent in telling him its night time.

I got DS a groclock at 2. He loved it lots and rapidly figured out how to make the sun come up whenever he got up.

Planning to try again how he's almost 4.

turkey you can lock it...

We introduced it at just over 2 and maybe we were lucky but DS "got it" straight away. We have blackout blinds but they don't make it totally pitch black especially in summer. He reads/plays with toys quietly until the sun comes up. (He is in a bed so can get out). He is 2y7m now.

Only issue now is that he often has a poo in his potty quite early & needs wiping/potty emptying so we end up getting up anyway... He still has to stay in his room though & does with no fuss.

Routine is ok, I think - he has a nap from 12 to 1.30 (he'd simply collapse with tiredness at about 1pm if he didn't). He seems to be going through a very, very clingy phase - as soon as he wakes up he wants mummy, and will just cry if I'm not there.

I'm relieved to know it might just be a developmental stage, but a bit sad that so many of you think he's too young. I'd read all these rave reviews from parents of 18 month olds on Amazon...

Op - at same age my ds' nap started at 1pm. Tbh I'd say his nap starts too early & I really would suggest pushing the nap later. Whatever you do, dont keep him up til 1pm straight away or he'll likely be overtired. The best thing is to go slowly, so do nap at 12.15pm for a week, then 12.30pm for a week & so on til nap starts at 1pm. Give it a week or so for him to adjust to the new routine & you should find his wakeup starts to get later. Do you think its worth a try?

I don't necessarily think groclock is a bad idea btw, because it is a way of demonstrating the different rules for night & day, & there will come a time where he listens & accepts that, but my gut feeling is he's overtired from an early nap meaning an early wake & therefore a long day. If you get that sorted I think his nights will extend, & only then if he continues to try getting up well before a reasonable wake time can you push the message of the clock. Hth.x