Early risers.......

[Sparrowlegs248]

Ds is always up early, 5usually. Sometimes a bit later.twice ever past 7. Never needed the suggested amount of sleep. He's got a cold which I know affects things awake at but awake at 4.24 am today. I bf him, put his mobile/light thing on. Gave milk. Cuddled. Was almost asleep four times then fought it off. Gave up at 6. I'm now out with the pram hoping for a nap. I'm fucking knackered. 30 weeks pregnant. I can't sleep when he sleeps as he won't nap in the cot, I've been trying and mostly failing in that respect.

I don't know what I'm.hopng to achieve by this post, I just feel hopeless, and on a countdown to a whole world of crap when the next one arrives.

Dog walkers think.im mad. Hobbling along snuffling to myself.

You poor thing op. It'll get better. Next one will be a sleeper for sure

Thanks ooh I'm pinning my hopes om it. Ds is immensely cheerful so I'll probably get one that sleeps but is grumpy.

I think you should definitely set an exact nap time and aim for it to be for 1hr 15 mins or 1hr 30 mins at 12.15, say just after lunch. Then put him down at 7pm or 7.15, never before that. He will sleep later if you do that every day, and it might mean bearing with him for a couple of days where he won't nap/is really grumpy and hard work etc. We have 4 young children, one of whom is a terrible sleeper, and a firm routine is the only way of managing his sleep. Be confident and consistent with it. It won't always work but hopefully it will help.

How long do I persist with the nap? I mean, he wont cot nap easily, should I take him.in the pram to establish the habit and time?

Because I've spent 2.5 hrs over two tries on one day with him bouncing round his cot not napping.

Between the ages of 1 and 2 my ds barely slept. In the last month he suddenly seems to have improved (a bit). He goes to bed around 7pm (I've tried later and he still wakes early). He wakes for the day around 5am. BUT in the last few weeks we have been heading out straight after school drop off and having a busy couple of hours. Home for lunch around 1130 and then aim to get him in bed for 1230. I bought him 'the elephant who wanted to fall asleep' audio book which sometimes sends him to sleep but does seem to relax him. He then naps for an hour and a half to 2 hours. When he wakes we have a snack (biscuit or fruit and milk) and then go to school pick up. When home at around 4 we aim to do an hour of craft - playdough or baking or drawing or painting - in the kitchen while I make tea. Then tea around 5.15, straight up to bath around 6 then pj's, stories and into bed.

With my first I was quite laissez faire but he seems to need the structure and is happier as a result. 4 or 5 nights a week he has been sleeping through to 4am, which magic compared to before.

I think you need to spend time working on naps and a plan for your days before the new baby gets here. A bit of structure might at least help.you feel in control. Failing all that, stick cbeebies on and have an hour sat down on the settee while he amuses himself.

Omg How I wish he'd watch telly. He won't. I have tried. Just not interested yet. We are really active. And outdoors every day for walks and we have two ponies so he comes there with me daily.

The last few months I've been trying really hard, and managed to stop bf overnight a few weeks ago, until last night. He also goes to bed really well now so am wary of messing with bedtime

Had about an hours nap, woken up by a Barking dog. Will aim for another this afternoon and try to 7pm asleep time. Tbf it was past 7 by the time he slept yesterday.

I'll probably get one that sleeps but is grumpy.

I have one of those. Sleeps 6-6.30 with one feed at 4, 2x naps of 1 hour and 2 hours and he's still miserable as sin haha.

Can you try waking him in the evening with a walk? It's chilly now and dark, but a short walk 20 mins outside with a little torch around block at 6.30-7pm would keep him awake that bit longer, but also tire him out for when home. Then back for glass warm milk, pjs, story and aim for bed more like 7.45-8pm

Should I try a set time?

Yes.

With a new baby imminent, routine will help no end.

As others have said, a later bedtime is what you need. That will mean setting a lunchtime nap time which is conducive to a later bedtime.

I'd aim for a wake-up time from afternoon nap as 2pm-3pm. Work backwards from that to work out a nap time, based on how long he normally sleeps for. That would allow a bedtime somewhere around 7.30pm-8.30pm.

Thanks all. He's refused to nap until just now, fell asleep in the car after 30 minutes, and now I'm where I need to be waiting. Hope he sleeps for a decent stretch and we can bedtime a bit later.

So..... A plan. I'm off work this week but he will go to Mil a couple of days, she will do what I ask re sleep.
Wake up 5-6 usually.
Breakfast 7.30.
Go out, Park or somewhere.
Lunch 11.30
Nap! Will try for around 12.30.

Will try in the cot, and then pram if that fails. I've just parked and now some arse with a bloody leaf blower is hovering about. Wibu to just run him over?

Oh and asleep at 7-7.30. I have to leave the house at 7.30 am on work days so a 6am wake up is OK.

You know if this is a recent and new change, he might just be poorly and thats the cause of it.

Good luck though!

Thanks Fate, it's not really a change, just a bit worse due to the cold.

How about introducing white noise for naps? Less likely to wake up then from external noises.

My DS (9 months) has always been an early riser. I can count the 7am wake ups on one hand. 4.01 am is his usual time to wake up. I have tried absolutely everything. Early bedtime, later bedtime, pushing the first nap of the day later, co-sleeping from 4 am, plus a million more things. Nothing makes a difference he's happy and giggling in his cot at 4.01am ready to start the day. I've kind of just accepted it by this point, he more or less sleeps through most nights and naps pretty well, so, I guess you can't have it all.

Well bedtime was later, he was tired as only got about half an hour this afternoon. Only managed to stretch it out til 6.45 (putting him in the cot) but he was having none of it, ended up cuddling to sleep and wasn't properly asleep til 7.45.

I am absolutely shattered as have been on the go with him all day apart from sitting in the car while he slept this afternoon.

Re white noise, IF he goes to sleep in his cot he seems to sleep well and wouldnt need it (though I'm not averse it) can't really use it out on a walk in the pram I don't think.

Indeed little if he slept through and napped well it wouldn't be such an issue. He doesn't.

A bedtime of 6.30- 7.00 is very early for a toddler who naps at all. I would put his whole schedule later. Try bed at 8.00, you will find that when he gets used to it he will start sleeping much later in the morning. He should only need 1 nap a day at that age too but you want to make it late as you can, if possible after lunch so hes not hungry. Even if you have to give a really early lunch. Once he gets used to it it will work much more smoothly, should take around 4 days or so for him to get used to it and change his body clock accordingly.

I sound a bit particular, but I can't have him sleeping MUCH later as we get up for work.but later than 4.24-5am would be grand.

I'm really not sure how to move things, without totally fucking bedtime up. It's the one sleep thing that is (usually) syraightforward

Gah, another night of having to cuddle back to sleep and a screamy wake up an hour later. Slept through til 5.15 though so better but took til 7.45 ish to get him to sleep.

No chance of keeping awake til lunchtime today either. Will revisit when he's feeling better.