19mo - am I doing it all wrong??

[sharond101]

My DS has been waking very early since just before Xmas. It's killing me as DH can't help as he has back issues so cannot reach into cot or lift him so it's always me, every morning between 5 and 6am. He doesn't seem ready to get up, more wanting attention from me. He sometimes will fall back to sleep if I take him to the spare room. i even tried leaving him to his own devices but he was upset for the best part of an hour so that did not work. I am beginning to wonder if our routine is all wrong? Is he in a bad habit and if so how do I break it? Is he teething - possible?? What do I do with him at 5am??
Hi routine is as follows,

Between 5-6am - wake and cry, Mummy comes in tucks in and leaves again. Repeats 2-3 times then gives in and takes me into spare room and we try to go back to sleep.
7.30am - get up and get breakfast
10am- go out for dog walk - DS in pram
11.45 - lunch
12.15 - 2.15 - nap
4.30 - dinner
7pm - bath, milk and bed for 7.30pm

Sounds exactly like my dd, same age, same routine and same wake up time. She only started doing it around Xmas and settles back in bed if I take her in with me.
It has coincided with some big back teeth coming in so I don't know if its that. Hope she gets over it pdq tho!

Mine is exactly the same age and has been doing this for 3-4 weeks. Have no idea why. Is he warm enough or waking cold?

Turned heating on earlier at 4am to see if that was it but no avail 5.55am and no going back to sleep either.

My two DCs both went through various phases of early waking, for no apparent reason. I would get up with them, get out some toys and pop on a DVD whilst I dozed on the sofa.

All I can advise, if the tiredness is getting to you, is to nap during the day with them and/or get an earlier night. Or, if it is really bad, find a crèche or nursery and start booking him in for some sessions to give you a break?

Would it be possible for your DH to get up and sit with your DS whilst you go back to bed for an hour?

Honestly, it won't last forever and it will pass.

It could be teething - have you tried some teething gel and/or Calpol if he seems in distress?

One other thing that springs to mind - could he be hungry? My DS has woken early and asked for food before (he is older) and then gone back off to sleep. A banana usually does the job.

BTW, if your DS is basically happy, healthy etc then you are not "doing it wrong" .

I'm sorry if this all sounds a bit flippant, but I have always been an early riser anyway and, honestly, I don't know many people who are lucky enough to have children who sleep in until 7.30am!

I'm joining in this one as I've got a very early riser. Anyhere between 4 an 5 is when we start our day. DD is bright eyed at that time so no going back to sleep!

She only naps for 1.5 hours in the day too. Our HV wasn't much help with advice but we're getting a referral to a sleep specialist. Is this something you could do OP?

Tbh he is probably hungry. Dinner at 4.30 then only milk? Gice him a bowl of porridge at 6.30/7 before bed.

I often give him Calpol if he wakes. I tried giving him a supper before and no improvement but will try this again, instead of milk or as well as??

Supper first then a little cup.of milk

Have you considered cutting his nap? My DD is a bit younger 14 months, but she recently started an early rising phase. She was napping for 2-2.5 hours after lunch, but I cut this back to 1.5 hours and she seems to have added it back on to the morning. She goes to bed at 7 and usually doesn't wake up before 6.45 now. 6.30 earliest, 7am latest! She is fine on a shorter nap, and we just start her bedtime routine at 6 and have her in bed by 6.50 to settle for 7pm. As he is a bit older than her, perhaps a 1-1.5 hour nap might be enough and he'll wake a little later?

DS woke early (4;45-5am) for weeks about 16-17mo. He always seemed grumpy and sleepy but I could never get him back to sleep. In recent weeks that has shifted slightly so now its closer to 6am. No explanation, no intervention from us, he just changed.

they always change.....keep the faith ;-)

He had a shorter nap two days running last week with no difference to wake time. Does it take a while at a shorter nap for a difference to be noticed?

To be perfectly honest if he sleeps from 7.30 to between 5am-6am I think you are very very lucky. Mine slept from 9.30pm to 5.30-6am. You could try putting him down later, say 8.30.

yes it took 4 or 5 days before she consistently woke up later. I think 7.30-5 is not enough really, it is only 9.5 hours and it's very hard to consider yourself lucky when you're being woken up regularly at 5, even if they have slept the rest of the night. If he sleeps till 6, plus a decent nap that's a good amount of sleep in 24 and perhaps what you should aim for for now until he adjust to a later waking phase again!

Thank you. he had 1.5hour nap today (woke up by doorbell ringing and dog barking - pretty convenient!), gave him weetabix before bed (he ate 2!!), then gave him paracetamol and rubbed anbesol on his gums. Fingers crossed.

Sorry but both mine have always been early risers! 5-6 am is wake up time here. I just go with it and get up and crack on with cbeebies and then milk and breakfast. He's probably just hungry and wanting to get up.

Dd is now 11 and only in the last year has she started to sleep till 7 am and even that's a lie in!

!

You have to try everything first before you can accept a very early riser in my opinion! 6 is the morning, if there is still a 5 on the clock it isn't! I hope some of your techniques hit the jackpot; if not you can't be that far away from the groclock I so often hear of can you?!

The groclock, yes my time will come.

Any later this morning?

6.36am, improvement. Have kept the same today so fingers crossed!

Sounds like quite an improvement.

I'm quite pleased with my 18 month old's sleep at the moment (although I know it will change again!). Bed soon after 6pm, sleeps till sometime around 5.30 when he wakes up crying. I go in and tell him it's too early, put a blanket on and he sleeps till around 6 am. Then he wakes happily and shouts for me. I turn his light on, give him some books, and get another 15-30 minutes before he wants to get up. At 6.30 I need to be up for work anyway.

Oh, he has 1-2 hours sleep in the day, but it's inconsistent and difficult to plan around!

6.30am this morning. 7.30 would be lovelyx

I shall never forget at 3.36am - about 2ish

Me "darling it's the middle of night - now go back to be
d"
DS "Birds up! my name up; mummy birds up!"

Seven sleeps later there was a black out blind in place.

I think 6.30 is pretty good. I don't know anyone with a little child who wakes much later than 7!

My two close friends slightly have darling children one of which can sleep through until 10am some days the other who goes down every night at 7pm and wakes at 9am - weird toddlers I think.