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Original poster

Wake to sleep method- disastrous first night! Anyone done this?

27 replies

MrsJaffaCakeAddict · 02/09/2014 05:43

I decided to attempt the Wake to Sleep method last night having read brilliant reviews of its success from old threads on here. Set alarm for 4.30 and 'roused' 10month DS slightly. The problem is that he's cried on and off ever since! I've been comforting him every now and then so haven't just left him crying all this time. What did I do wrong? Probably roused him too much I guess? Has anyone else had this issue? So disappointed as I was convinced this would solve our early waking issues.

OP posts:
Devilforasideboard · 02/09/2014 12:19

Hello! I'm about to do this properly with 14mo DS. I've done it a bit but only for a couple of nights which I suspect isn't long enough to get him out of the habit. What time does your DS normally wake in the morning? I've had more luck waking mine at 3.30, 3.45 ish as anything after that and he takes longer to get back to sleep. He was waking at 5 but has now pushed that back to 5.30-5.50.

Original poster
MrsJaffaCakeAddict · 02/09/2014 13:35

Hello! Mine usually wakes about 5.30 so I just need to get it to about 6/6.30 for it to seem like a normal time to start the day! Are you doing it tonight? I am pressing on with night. 2 but will try to rouse him a bit less as I think I overdid it last night! Have you done it a few times then?

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PinkAndBlueBedtimeBears · 02/09/2014 13:37

I think you must have read the same old thread as me!!
Tried it towards the end of last week with some success for 20mo dd, but she's now got tonsillitis and is sleeping all day and all night..
So no doubt will have to start with the 4am alarm when she's better!

Original poster
MrsJaffaCakeAddict · 02/09/2014 14:22

Your poor DD Pinkandblue. I hope she's better very soon. Great to hear that you had some success with the method. Did you do it by the book- ie three nights of setting an alarm then seeing how long she slept on the fourth?

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Devilforasideboard · 02/09/2014 20:15

I'm letting him have one more night to see what happens without it I think. Then DH is on leave for a couple of days then I'm on leave for two weeks so seems like a good opportunity to try properly without having to get up for work. I'm going to go for a full week this time, a couple of nights doesn't seem to be long enough to reset his body clock. Remind me of this madness when he's a teenager and having to be removed from his bed with a crowbar in the morning Grin Good luck tonight everyone!

Writerwannabe83 · 02/09/2014 20:55

I've never heard of this method - I'm off to Google it Smile

Iggly · 02/09/2014 20:58

5.30am isn't that early....

LoveBeingAwakeInTheNight · 02/09/2014 21:01

It is a fine line. You need to disturb them but not wake them. Enough to make them change breathing or move.

Original poster
MrsJaffaCakeAddict · 02/09/2014 21:14

Iggly yes I know if could be far worse but with neighbours knocking on the wall when he wakes, a school aged child who needs his sleep and me studying in the evenings which means going to bed early is tricky it would be great if I could just get it to 6/ 6.30! I am very aware that he's a good sleeper compared to many and very grateful!

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Iggly · 02/09/2014 22:40

Well I don't think you'll get far trying to increase by half an hour. I do feel your pain, I do! Nothing worked really for us and ds - he'd only sleep in longer if he had plenty of fresh air and exercise. Dd on the other hand naturally sleeps later.

I think they're like me/DH - I'm a morning person and DH is a night owl.

I assume you've ruled out early bedtime (for you), the cold waking him up or any traffic noise? Can you move him to another part of the house as not to disturb the neighbours? Does he want feeding - would that help?

youwish · 02/09/2014 22:48

Second what love said,you only need to disturb him,worked with mine,I just adjusted his cover or something so that he moved /changed position,nothing more.

jynxx · 02/09/2014 23:15

I did this for 6 nights with my 21month old last week. I posted on some really old thread here about it actually, I am new to mumsnet & didnt realise it wouldn't get much traffic.

My guy sleeps through from 7.30pm but was waking between 5.15am and 6am but with some horrific days where he was up for the day at 4.45am. I resolved to do this for a full week to see. First 2 nights were good (6.10am and 6.15!!). 3rd night a disaster (up at 4.40am), then gradually a bit better. He is now consistenly waking at anything from 5.50am to 6.05am. It's an improvement but not the success story I had hoped for. Good luck to all trying it, they are all different so it may work better for some. Thinking of a gro-clock now but I don't know if he is ready..

Original poster
MrsJaffaCakeAddict · 03/09/2014 06:41

Well... Roused him slightly at 4.30 and he slept on til 6.05! Hurrah. Could be coincidence obviously but hopefully it's the method working. Will do once more tonight then see what happens without the 4.30 wake up call on Friday.

Iggly yes we've ruled out those things. Thanks for suggestions though! There's nowhere to move him to permanently- I'm sleeping downstairs with him in a travel cot while we do this in case he wakes for the day at 4.30, but can't do that permanently.

jynxx great that you had some success with the method. The gro clock worked well with my older DS at 26 mths so good luck!

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PinkAndBlueBedtimeBears · 03/09/2014 07:06

Oh my goodness, your the one with the neighbours?! did you take them chocolates? Wink

First night I roused her at 4am, she slept till 6, which was a major success, second night do did it and completely ignored everything I'd said did it slightly differently by giving her milk, she was up at 4am.. Third night I did it again, slept until 5.50, then the tonsillitis struck and she's been completely off pattern since :/ so not much to go on.. But I think it had the right idea and will Deff try it again once she's better!
although if anyone wants to try my new sleep method, just get your child to share a beaker with mine.. Tonsillitis= still asleep now!

mewkins · 03/09/2014 07:43

When did you do it? Needs to be an hour before the normal wake up. If you did it 40/45 mins before then you would have disturbed him when he was coming into light sleep so it would have properly woken him .

RoganJosh · 03/09/2014 07:53

I would probably try and push all naps and bedtime back a bit too, making them 30 minutes later.

mewkins · 03/09/2014 09:43

Apparently getting your child to sleep by 7pm is all important. ..something to do with sleep cycles and it being too light when they transition between cycles if they go to bed any later than 7pm... worth a try?

bettybyebye · 04/09/2014 21:37

Wish me luck ladies...going to try this tonight for the first time! 21 month old DS has been waking around 5.40 lately so alarm set for 4.30...

PinkAndBlueBedtimeBears · 05/09/2014 06:50

So.. How did it go? This tonsillitis thing is still working well for us.. She's just woken up!!

bettybyebye · 05/09/2014 09:07

I'm calling it a success! Roused him at 4.30, he stirred a LOT at 5.45 which has been his usual get up time for the last week, but he didn't seem to wake up. I think he woke up around 6.20 or so but he didn't scream or cry (which in itself is a result!) and DH went through to him at 6.40 when he started to shout.

Of course I barely slept from 4.30 but luckily DH and I are both off work today so I've just woken up after a lie in Smile

Will definitely repeat tonight - anyone else try it last night?

Shame about the tonsillitis pink, but nice for you to get a few lie ins

PinkAndBlueBedtimeBears · 05/09/2014 09:13

Wow, good going !! Hopefully this is the start of a better nights sleep for all invoed!!

bettybyebye · 06/09/2014 07:39

Second night report: remarkably similar to night 1. He stirred loads again at 5.40 (properly banging on the sides of the cot etc) BUT didn't wake up. He woke about 6.10 but lay chatting to himself for 20 mins so I didn't have to go through to him till 6.30 when he started shouting for me.

One thing that was different was that I found it a lot harder to rouse him at 4.30 this morning, he seemed to be in a much deeper sleep. I'm not sure I roused him enough, because I'm terrified I'll properly wake him and that'll be it! How do others do it?

Definitely going to carry on for a few more nights, although we're away for a couple of days next week so that might be problematic. Although it doesn't seem like he's sleeping lots longer he's definitely happier when he wakes (and getting out of bed is much easier for me when the clock says 6 instead of 5!)

Original poster
MrsJaffaCakeAddict · 06/09/2014 08:07

Hello! I'm calling this a success too as after doing the 3 nights of rounding my DS woke at 6 yesterday and 6.30 today!! Unheard of!! Betty I wasn't sure how much to rouse either... The first night I did it too much and he woke up completely! So based on the earlier advice on this thread I literally just touched his tummy til he moved his arms a bit then left him. So that seemed to work better for the second and third nights. Good luck!

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bettybyebye · 06/09/2014 13:40

Ooh glad it's working for you too mrsjaffa! So are you planning to not rouse him tonight if you've already done 3 nights? Someone on an earlier thread said they reckon you need to do it for a week at first. I may try to do more than 3 nights because as painful as it is to set that 4.30 alarm I am hoping for a long term solution!

bigkidsdidit · 06/09/2014 13:46

I've just done this for three nights and we've gone from 4.45 wake ups to 6.15 :) it's amazing how much better it is! I feel far more rested.

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