I think I'm close to properly losing it

[NotSureWhatImDoing]

I feel like I've exhausted every possible solution but its possible I'm missing something glaringly obvious due to bring so exhausted.

I'm going to bullet point this, not to be blunt or rude but because I'm struggling to speak or write coherently

-DS is 4, has always slept badly, night waking etc as young toddler, never napped

• now generally sleeps through, occasional wakings 1/2 a week

wakes between 4.30-5.15 every day. Up for the day -have tried everything i can think of -gro clock -black out blinds -in my bed/not in my bed -earlier bed time for 4 weeks -later bed time for 4 weeks -rewards -reasoning -books/toys etc available -he cannot be quiet or play quietly, talks to himself, reads aloud, comes into me to ask me questions, goes to the loo etc etc

Now I'm getting cross. And I think a bit loopy. Ive had 2 years of this early waking. After 2 years of disturbed sleep anyway. I'm a single parent. I'm a Reception Teacher by day. I think I'm losing my mind.

Just to add, I'm restricted as to how early I can go to bed myself, due to sorting out house in the evening, then I have school work to complete most every night.

Sorry. No advice but didn't want to read and run. Feel your sleep deprived brain atm. 6 months of hourly wake ups but i don't have to function at work atm. Being a teacher already takes an awful lot of your energy. I'm sure there will be plenty along to advise. You sound like you are doing great and have calmly tried a lot of options.

Sorry no advice. i hope you get there though!

See GP? Isn't there a hormone missing in some people? They can give an artificial version

God

Tbh I would buy him a Nintendo or similar and see if you can get him hooked on it, on the understanding that he plays that till his Gro clock changes (and gets it taken away for a period if he doesn't).

Very obvious one but is one of your neighbours waking him? We went through similar with our youngest DD waking at 6am every weekday, and found out that our NDN was banging and crashing round in his van getting ready for work then leaving the f**king thing running for half an hour with him on his phone. We couldn't hear it from our room. He wasn't very impressed at my screaming out of the window at him and we ended up having to complain to EH and put DD in with her sister on school nights to solve the problem.

I'd try sleeping in with him and seeing if that's the cause?

I did consider melatonin might be an option, but he's actually great getting himself to sleep now (finally!)

I went through a stage of giving him his kindle when he woke up, but stopped doing that as I was worried I was sending the message that it was ok to be up at that hour.

I attended a sleep course a few weeks ago, and described my situation. The woman who was running the courses conclusion was "It sounds like that just his natural circadian rhythmn unfortunately".

I think he's a robot.

His room is at the back of the house and the outside wall so not sure it could be neighbours, but worth thinking about, thank you

Have you tried white noise? DS had a fan in his room a couple of nights during last summer's heatwave and he slept later as a result. It's still in his room now and goes on every night (he insists, if we switch it off when he is asleep he puts it back on at some point during the night).

It's accidentally cured him of his 5.30/6am wakings. He often sleeps until 7.30am now. It might be worth a try and doesn't have to be a fan. I think you can buy white noise CD's.

For your own sanity I would give him tv or a tablet.

I have something similar with my 5 year old. She was perfectly fine as a toddler sleep wise. Now the last year is a nightmare. She wakes up 2/3 times a night wining about nothing particular. Then gets up about 6am and that’s it she’s up for the day. During the week isn’t a problem as I’m up around then for work and so is my Nan (whom we also live with) so she watches over her. I generally can’t go to bed until around 11/12 because of slight insomnia caused by a health issue. I swear she senses when I’m just about to fall asleep and wakes whining. At the weekend I don’t work but she’s been getting up super early and I’ve just been giving her her iPad to play next to me in the bed whilst I go back to sleep. If it’s not the whining it’s the coughing. For 2 years now she has a cough for about 8 months out of the year. Every time I take her to the drs they tell me it’s a virus when it has all the tell tell signs of asthma. Taken her around 10 times and they won’t do anything. Literally at wits end. Some nights she goes to my Nan’s room who loves having her. It’s super exhausting 😕

Does your son have a lot to drink during the day. If He is fussy eater Always Give him supper. He needs drinks after every meal and every snack but don’t leave the cup where he can get it himself as sometimes some children fill up on liquids and they don’t finish the meal so they wake up early because they are hungry. Get a Clock and showing the hands on the face the time he is allowed to get out of bed. Don’t provide any iPads or encouraging to watch TV when he wakes up it will get worse and he Will condition his body to wake up to play on the iPad or watch TV

Our kids wake up at that time as they get cold. It's the shiveriest part of the night. We switched from synthetic to wool duvets and tweaked the central heating thermostat and now they sleep in til 5.40 ish. Which obv isn't wonderful but it feels like a lie in compared to 4.30!

My DS is like this and after trying unsuccessfully to get him to stay in bed longer in the mornings I've come to the conclusion it is just his natural sleep cycle.

I now let him get up and quietly watch TV or play on the tablet until a reasonable hour when he can wake the rest of us up.

He's 7 now and will sometimes manage to stay asleep until 6.30, but is usually up from around 5. He can't help what time he wakes up and once awake us wide awake and no way he can get back to sleep. We're all happier now we just let him get on with it.

My DS1 (5) was like this until about 6 months ago, probably coinciding with school starting. Is your DS in school?