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Original poster

Early Riser 😩

27 replies

KirstyB87 · 14/12/2016 07:25

Morning! This is my first time posting...

My 19 month old is a super early riser.... The last week it's been 4-4:30.... I'm asking for any help / suggestions to get him to sleep a bit longer... Now I feel bad for complaining when he used to wake at 5:30!! Seems like a lay in now!

It feels like DH and I have tried EVERYTHING... later bed time, earlier bedtime, cut down nap length, kept him busy, let him nap for 2 hours.... I don't know if there's anything else we can try.... Or whether to just count our lucky starts he sleeps through from 7:30.

If we leave him, he screams and gets hysterical, if we go in and try to lay him back down or tell him it's bedtime, he gets hysterical... He won't lay back down, just cries and gets worse and worse. All he seems to want is a cuddle.... So we bring him into our bed, he's fallen back to sleep for an hour twice in the last week but that's it....

I know it won't last forever but it kills me some mornings and other mornings I'm fine??

Any help would be appreciated and well done if you've read this far 😀 xx

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TheNaze73 · 14/12/2016 07:30

Can only offer support through words & to tell you it well get better.

My 4:30-5am early riser is now 14 & however tempted I am to retaliate, I don't Wink It's a struggle to get her up before 11 now at the weekends.
Good luck Op, it's tough, we also tried everything but, it will get better, I promise. My youngest (now 12) never woke before 7. Same routine, everything. Just one of those things Flowers

Cinnamon2013 · 14/12/2016 07:35

No advice I'm afraid but sympathy - it's really hard. Going to bed earlier myself is the only thing I've found that works. Many people swear by gro-clocks but you might need to wait a little bit for that. Our son (3now) also screams etc. The well-meaning advice to encourage him to stay in bed or play independently till 7... well, just no basically! I wish you luck and hopefully someone with better advice will be along soon.

Etak15 · 14/12/2016 07:38

My 2 yr old is doing this recently too not everyday though thankfully! We've been up since 4 this morning thoughShock why??
He wakes up and is wide awake and was saying hungry and dressing gown! Which basically means get up and take me downstairs!!

Original poster
KirstyB87 · 14/12/2016 07:40

Thanks guys... I try now to just cherish the cuddles as I know he won't want them forever and I count my lucky stars he's healthy and know there's women who would give their right arm to be woken up by a little one at 4am for a cuddle, need to keep reminding myself how lucky we actually are xx

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Shedoesntgetthatfromme · 14/12/2016 07:40

We started putting the heating on much earlier (4am) and my DD is now waking a bit later than previously - it's probably not going to be your magic cure but it might help a bit? 4am is the coldest part of the night so being a bit chilly may be part of what's rousing him so early.

Original poster
KirstyB87 · 14/12/2016 07:41

Haha, oh my... Yep we get up up up! X

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Original poster
KirstyB87 · 14/12/2016 07:43

Thanks shedoesntgetthatfromme, our heating stays on all night... 😳 xx

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2ndbabymama · 14/12/2016 07:44

Big hugs OP. My son is four and has never slept past 7. He still has days where he wants up at 5.30 but we normally see 6. It's so hard after a really early day but ive found if you have an early bird you can't really force them not to be. If it's really early I make it as boring as possible. Quiet books, toys not tv. When he was little there's no real alternative but to play with them, go to bed early yourself and try to take turns at the weekend. If I meet one more parent telling me they would just put their child back to bed I still might scream. Xmas Grin and yes we do have a groclock that he can read and ignore..

CanIGoToBedNow · 14/12/2016 07:44

DD 18 months old - Awake since 5am and watching Ben and Holly since 5:30... I feel your pain.

Some days it's nearly 7 Shock but not often. DD is teething so that maybe an issue.

It will get better, DS 3 was an early riser too and he now sleeps to 7ish.

shinynewusername · 14/12/2016 07:52

Ask your parents and ILs - you'll probably find one of you did this as a LO. It seems to run in families. Not much help to you, but they might have some survival tips Smile.

Lots of people swear by a Gro-Clock. 19 months is probably too young but might be an option if it doesn't improve soon.

ElphabaTheGreen · 14/12/2016 07:54

You haven't said what time his nap starts...?

If it starts any time before 11am, that's probably the issue. You should be aiming for a nap between 12 and 2. Any earlier, and it's part of his night sleep, hence the early wakings, as he knows he can make up the rest later in the morning.

pklme · 14/12/2016 07:55

Mine were early birds until late on in their teens now it's the basatrd dog waking me up at 5am. It gets better when they are old enough to stick telly on/ play Lego. At his age it's ok for him to get back into your bed for a snooze...

Original poster
KirstyB87 · 14/12/2016 08:01

Thanks again ladies 😊 His nap varies tbh... The earliest he falls asleep is about 10:30-11ish so will try and keep him awake a bit longer in the morning... Trouble is why we go to groups They usually finish anytime between 10:30-11:30 and he falls asleep afterwards... He's such a happy little soul and as the day goes on I forget about how tired I was that morning but as you've all said, it's still tough. X

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rachyconks · 14/12/2016 08:08

My DS was always an early riser, sometimes 2/3am with a nap at 7 Hmm

He is now almost three and still gets up between 5 and 6:30, we can sometimes get him back to sleep for a while, but I think 7:30 is the latest he's ever got up, and that's rare. I've accepted now he is an early riser, and DH and I take it in turns to get up.

I always mean to go to bed earlier too, but it never happens...

ElphabaTheGreen · 14/12/2016 08:11

OK - by hook or by crook, keep him awake past 11:30. Definitely don't let him fall asleep at 10:30. He'll want to, because he's been up so early, but if you can put up with a few tough days, that may nudge him past 5am.

ElphabaTheGreen · 14/12/2016 08:16

PS Mine are both early risers (6am and they're up for the day, if they're not shouting at me before that that their GroClocks must be broken Hmm), and I consider anything from 5am an 'oh, well, they're larks' wake-up time. But 4-4:30 is definitely a nap being too early, so do give it a go.

Original poster
KirstyB87 · 14/12/2016 08:27

Wow, thanks so much I'll definitely give that a go for a few days. Wonder how I can keep him awake in the buggy / car though!? He loves them and falls asleep loads in them 😂

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waitingforsomething · 14/12/2016 08:32

I also have early risers although not 4 anything. DD got up at 5.45 every day until I bought her a groclock just before she was 2 then she would turn over and go back to sleep. She's 4 now and wakes around 6.45 then waits for her clock at 7.
DS went through a loong phase of 5am. He's 17 months now and He wakes up anytime between 6 and 6.45 IF he is in bed and asleep no later than 6.45. If he's in bed past 7 he will wake up at 5.30ish which is weird but true. So for him a consistent early bed time works. About twice a month he gets up at 5.30 anyway so I just take these ones on the chin and throw books/toys in his cot.

ElphabaTheGreen · 14/12/2016 08:38

Easy - don't put him in the buggy or the car!

I have a no buggy/car/sling rule with both of mine to this day if there's any chance of inducing a nap at an inappropriate time, or the passenger parent has to effectively ride backwards and keep them awake if we have to make an essential journey at an awkward time. Even if it means staying in for a few days, you need to try and re-set that nap time or he'll keep waking up at 4am. Our days are planned around either the facilitation or avoidance of naps in our 4 and 2 year olds - it's a total PITA but absolutely essential for an easy bedtime and full night of sleep! (Plus I know it won't last forever.)

Original poster
KirstyB87 · 14/12/2016 08:54

OK great thanks.... It's the only way I can get to the groups though.... 😳 Luckily Christmas is coming and the groups are closed over the holidays so I can stay in and try and reset him 😊👍 xx

Great advice about the gro clock ladies and I'll definitely be investing in one when my little one is a tad older 😀 xx

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theothersideoftheworld · 14/12/2016 13:30

I could have written your post. Mine is 20 months. Up at 4.50 on the dot. He falls asleep on the school run at 9 so I wake him up when we get home! He naps 12-2 but still we have this early wake up. If I let him cry he will be sick, if I bring him in with me he just fidgets and won't go back to sleep.
I have a 4 year old too and a husband that works overseas. I work part time too. I'm permenantly knackered!

Original poster
KirstyB87 · 14/12/2016 13:49

Oh God theothersideoftheworld! Luckily atm we've just got the one... Mine fidgets like crazy too! Today I kept him awake until 12:15, he's just woken up so fingers crossed ir starts to work lol!

I am lucky enough that I don't need to work but for the few months I did go back to work I was shattered so I feel your pain!

Can I just say I love this board.... People are so friendly and supportive xx

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ElphabaTheGreen · 14/12/2016 15:39

Good job OP - it may take a few days to re-set it, but keep going. If it hasn't changed after a good week, you may just have a horribly early riser but it's definitely worth a try.

otherside I'm guessing your DS gets a good half an hour if it's part of a school run? That's definitely him making up his night sleep and isn't going to help an early waking! If you go on foot, are you able to carry him or get him walking for part of the way so he stays awake? Put him in something slightly uncomfortable like a wagon rather than a cosy buggy? If it's in the car can you open a window and blast loud music? Get your older DC to pull faces and prod him for the journey?

For both of you, once you've re-set the nap and they're lying in (I use that term very loosely) a little longer, these awkward keep-awake arrangements shouldn't need to be a permanent fixture as they won't find short journeys quite so soporific if they haven't been up since crack of sparrow's fart.

theothersideoftheworld · 14/12/2016 18:43

I drive to school then have to put him in the pram to walk my older ds in. It's on the walk back to the car he falls asleep. When I get home I have to put the dog in the car to take him for his walk so my little ds stays asleep. I do try and take a snack with us to keep him awake. It's exhausting. I intend to work very hard on this over the xmas holidays. No school run and husband home. 😴

Original poster
KirstyB87 · 15/12/2016 07:27

5am.... At least it wasn't 4:30!! Staying a little hopeful but today will be a struggle... Baby group finishes at 10:45... Will take bits for lunch with me and feed him in the buggy...as I've got a few errands I need to do.... Will also take his reins... Oh God I'm dreading it already 😂 x

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