Why is my 3.5year old waking so effing early

[ninenicknames]

3:30. Yep 3:30 and he wants to her up.

I have a full days work ahead of me and he wants to get up.

I am ASHAMED that I've just lost my shit.

Help, I can't take another night like this.

Total lone parent

*get up

So fucking tires I can't type

*tired

I sympathise. We have a 3.5yo early riser up by 5 most mornings. And now I have pregnancy insomnia so I'm awake even before she is.

This too shall pass. Next year they will be in school and hopefully so knackered it will improve!?

Has he an iPad or any electric device you can send him back to bed with?

It's probably the opposite of official advice but I've done it with DD (4now) in the past and she's fell back asleep within 10 minutes every time.

Does he have a gro clock? Can he see its not time to get up? Is it cos he needs a wee? I wouldn't be giving electrical devices, I'd keep on with the message that it's sleep time. My ds is an early riser but at 5 am. He plays quietly in his room. 3.30 is still night time.

Argh I don't know. Mine does it too and always have. Then he's tired by 10am.

I tell him it's night time and he's got to either go back to sleep or play quietly. About twice in his life he's gone back to sleep at about 4am but usually he's awake all bloody day. Stopped trying to fix it now.

Wouldn't do the iPad/device thing. He will get into the habit. Nothing more annoying than a child nagging for an iPad at a stupid early hour.

Oh God how awful!

Second the Gro Clock suggestion but you are also going to have to stand firm with this.

Does he nap in the day?

Actually Mols got a point. We've done it a few times (out of desperation) but she's never been a consistent early riser and she doesn't tend to obsess over things.

She's more interested in breakfast on a morning then the telly or iPad.

I couldn't do it with my niece as she'd expect it all the time.

That isn't an early rising, that's a night waking. You need to take him for a wee, offer a sip of water then back to bed telling him it's still night time.

He uses the iPad around 6pm for 45mins. I'm actually wondering if this is why he is waking.

I dropped the nap in the day a month ago in the hope it would help.

I could cry I am so tired and in such a bad mood!!!!! 😓

He's actually still not potty trained (I know that's my next task!)

I tell him it's night time, middle of the night and he needs to go back to sleep.

I just get hysterical screaming and "I don't like you, I don't want you" scream scream shout shout ....

I'm exhausted by his rude behaviour & a 3:30am I'm seriously not happy to be spoken to like that.

Tried the gro clock, he just turns it off when I've put him to bed.

I would get him a groclock set to 7am. Any waking before that just return him to bed with no comment, however many times you have to do it.

is he wet when he wakes up? Try waking him at 10pm and making him go for a wee or changing his nappy - but wake him up properly then let him go back to sleep - the waking up disturbs the sleep pattern and breaks the cycle

Are you locking the gro clock? If he knows how to unlock it can you put it on top of a wardrobe?

My DD used to wake in the night and then get arsey and scream if we got cross with her (she used to call us in for the most inane reasons I used to get really mad!) and what eventually solved it was just having to get really tough with her - refusing to do the things she was asking ('find' her teddy that was right next to her etc) and just then saying goodnight and leaving the room.

Once she realised we weren't playing her game anymore she stopped and sleeps through all the time now a year later - it didn't take a year to stop BTW! Took about 2 weeks tops!

It couldn't be related to the potty training could it?

Could the nappy be making him uncomfortable enough to wake up if it's wet?

He's showing zero signs of being out of nappies. Doesn't care if he's soaking wet, refuses nappy changes, I have to wrestle him to get a nappy off.

He turns the gro clock off at the wall, just switches the power off.

I think it's a matter of getting tough, ignoring him & leaving him to it.

I think at 3.5, barring additional needs, you just need to get on with potty training. He's unlikely to train himself.

Is it possible he's cold? I know I've woken up the last few might because I've been cold.

I think biting the bullet with potty training needs to be done.

Where do I start? Just let him wet himself, with a potty in the room?

Carry lots of spare clothes and potty in bag if he's scared of the toilet. Put him on the toilet lots. Give him lots to drink when at home. I think they do have to feel wet pants for it to click sometimes. Give it one week, if it's not happening have a 2/3 week break and try again. It is frustrating but carry on.

Yes, do get tough, back to his room, lights off, 3:30 is middle of the night, might as well get up at midnight. Might take a few days of complete non-engagement.

From around 3.5-4 years old, I put 5 am risers who wake me to work. Oh, you are up, darling, at 5 on a Sunday, marvellous! Get dressed properly, sit up straight, let's quickly eat breakfast, use your spoon please. No, it is too early for TV, you can tidy your room/ sort the Lego/ fold some socks/ do some spellings/ other age appropriate chore.

No? Maybe you can grab a banana and a glass of milk and play quietly in your room until I get you at 7.

I had one of these too! Gro clock etc didn't work for us. My only suggestion is to maybe look at what time he's going to bed. I found early waking got worse when mine were overtired. I know it sounds counter productive but pulling bed time earlier really helped. Not sure if he still has a nap but if not may be worth trying that too. It's an absolute killer so you have my sympathies!