controlled crying - it's been a while - can you remind me of soemthing please???

[Tutter]

scenario:

ds (just turned 2) wakes at 5:19 crying

i go in, do the whole shh-shh-it's-nighttime-go-to-sleep thing and he settles

at 5:25 he starts to cry again

do i wait another whole 10 mins before going in again, or do i go in 10 minutes after the last time (so 5:29)?

also - at the designated OK To Get Up time (6:00) do i go in straight away, or wait until the first time he cries after 6:00?

tia

How about a bedside lamp, you can get ones where you just have to touch the base for them to come on, maybe he doesn't like it cos it's dark?

Or one of those alarms that come on with gradual light?

mean't to say, he might be afraid of all te darkness and if he could put a little light on to see, it might help.

Can't you just encourage him to come into you if he wakes up?

He can snuggle down for the last hour and probably won't even disturb you.

Tutter, go in 10 minutes after the last time (5:29), i.e. just take it as one cc period.

It looks like quite a few people (cruise, Mala, amijee - dw and I!) are grappling with lo
waking up around 5 instead of at the Official OK To Get Up Time (great expression ).

Let us know whether your answer - cc - works because we have not worked out yet!

phew, thanks all

first off, franny, i should say that cc doesn't sit comfortably with me either. it's somethign we turned to in desperation when ds was younger and it worked (when i say it worked, he leanred to settle himself after 2 nights of cc at bedtime)

i don't like it but we are all exhausted and i can't think of another way

to take your points (and those of other posters)...

• staying and cuddling doesn't work - he doesn't want to be comforted, he wants to be up and out of his room and starting the day

• he's a sociable animal and is rarely happy to play/read on his own - even at the best of times, let alone 5:somethign when he's just woken

• def not hungry - i have to lure him out of his playroom to breakfast at 7:30 - that's over 2 hours after he's woken (with no milk in between!)

• he will come into bed with us, but doesn't snuggle (oh that he would) - instead he wants to play with cars (on mummy's head) or be read to, etc.

i do appreciate all your replies but can't see any of the suggestions helping right now

my parents arrive tonight for the weekend - not sure i can subject them to the noise generated by cc between 5:20ish and 6:00

Right it sounds a total bugger

You have my full and vast sympathy

sorry all suggestions a bit naff (did we mention black out blinds? )

what will leaving him to cry do, then? How does that get them back to sleep when they are ready to get up? What a way to start the day....

one last annoying suggestion for you to crush between your fingers like a biting insect -

have you tried making him completely fkn exhausted by wearing him out all day?

ah yes, you probably have

AH

another annoying suggestion

white noise machine?

at TT reference

indeed, so far our attempts at letting him cry have done nothing more than cause soggy sheets (tears i should add), a snotty nose and one very unhappy ds

white noise worked when he was a very young baby but am that it would have same womb-like effect on a boisterous toddler

i forgot to respond to mentions of the nap thing... unsurprisingly, he's knackered when he naps and would go for well over 2 hours if allowed to. i've been waking him after 1.5 hours (working on the theory that i can only blame myself if he wakes at 5:20 if he's slept half the day) but again, it appears to make very little difference how much/little sleep he's had in the day

today he crashed out in the car at 10:55

i'm exhausted so have decided he shall sleep as long as he likes today

Oh I think EVERYONE responds well to white noise, honestly, it is meant to be good stuff

and rules out the possibility that it might be birds etc waking him?

so what time does he go to bed? (no i promise I'll not say "make it later")

interesting - had only heard of its use with newborns

when ds was tiny we used to leave an untuned radio by his cot - def worked then

we tend to put him down at 7:30ish but he'll often chunter to himself for 20 or 30 mins

NQC uses it with her 2 and swears by it

dp keeps wanting to get one, it drowns out external noises (I am light sleeper)

when you think of it our ancestors would have been used to sleeping out under the stars with lots of ambient noise - wind, rustling, hooting, growling

kind of makes sense

so he sleeps say 8 till 5.20?

and is knackered in the day and has a long sleep? What time?

has he always been an early riser?

arf at "wind, rustling, hooting, growling"

(i could but it would be far too obvious)

usually he doesn't go down til 12:30/1ish - so then sleeps til 2/2:30

has been tired earlier the last week or so - cumulative effect of waking so early for several weeks i think (plus today, the heat)

yes, diva, and am resigned to that

but not 5:15 or 5:20

6:00 acceptable i think

I would try the nap earlier, and only for 1.5 hours

bugger it, that means waking him in 5 mins

any longer today due to heat???

oh fk it Tutter, what do I know? I had the worst sleeping child in Christendom

do what you think is best and we will listen to you moan tomorrow when he wakes at 5.17 and you can say it was my fault

we will pat your head and say "have you thought of a black out?"

until tomorrow then...

oh, Tutter, are you still there?

yes?

Oh.

You spoilt my punchline.

well franny, would you believe it? he woke after 1 hr 35 anyway

so - up and about before the time he'd normally go down for his nap - will be intersesting to see if this makes any difference tonight...

fwiw - whenever I take dd swimming it wears her out sooooo much we are guaranteed a good nights sleep! Combine that with a very big meal tonight and a milky drink before bed - worth a try!!

Tutter it may take a few days to have an effect

I agree swimming plus huge amounts carbs can help, excellent tips there