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Sleep

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Original poster

15 month old waking at 5.30am

17 replies

BMorelli · 07/08/2019 06:21

My little one has always been an early riser waking pre 6.30am, but lately it's moved to anywhere from 5am onwards. She is fully sleep trained and therefore able to self settle, sleeps in a quiet room with a blackout blind and white noise. She isn't cold either.

About 6 weeks ago we started transitioning to 1 nap, which begins between 11 and 12 and ends between 1 and 2. She goes to bed between 6.30 and 7pm depending on when she woke from her nap. On days when she waked closer to 5am, I let her have 2 naps, each for about 45 mins to an hour.

When she wakes at stupid o'clock, I sneak in and give her a bottle because on very rare occasions (like yesterday) she went back to sleep afterwards and slept until 7.30.

Ideally I would like for her to wake between 6.30 and 7.30...does anyone have any ideas? I literally have no idea why she wakes so early. I have tried leaving her but she just becomes more and more distressed x

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

dancemom · 07/08/2019 06:29

Is she tired if she wakes early or ready for the day?

If she's tired you could try wake to sleep method.

Otherwise a black out blind or a gro clock?

Lllot5 · 07/08/2019 06:30

If she goes to bed at half six / seven and wakes at half five I think you’re doing alright.
There are hundreds of parents on this site alone would give their right arm for that ( even ones with puppies).
It’ll be better in the winter when the mornings are darker.

Justme1981 · 07/08/2019 06:34

Hi
Sorry no practical advice, just to say Im one of those parents who would give their right arm for that much sleep! Ds is 2.5, bed 830ish wakes anywhere from 430-6 most days its 5am, always has since day 1, tried everything, pretty sure that child has an internal alarm clock set for 5am!

happydays00 · 07/08/2019 06:43

@BMorelli she goes down at 6:30/7pm and
You want her to wake between 6:30 and 7:30...? Not to sound harsh, whilst I know that waking pre 6am is not ideal, I think you may need to lower your expectations slightly.

I think the light mornings/bird song are probably encouraging an early wake up, which will hopefully improve come autumn. Otherwise, you could try pushing back bedtime to 7:30?

Original poster

BMorelli · 07/08/2019 06:48

Thanks for the replies. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, I know she is a good sleeper it's just that I am 8 months pregnant and not sleeping well myself. I would much rather she went to bed an hour later and woke an hour later as that would give me an extra bit of sleep...I have tried moving bedtime back but it doesn't work. She definitely wasnt always great at sleeping, months 8-11 were hell on earth hence the sleep training x

OP posts:

saywhatwhatnow · 07/08/2019 06:49

I could've written you're post! My 15month old is doing the same! He was sleep trained (don't hate) at 9months. Settles alone for all sleeps with a dummy and white noise but has been waking hysterical around 5.30 for about a week. He was going until 6/6.30 and waking happily chatting to himself. I think he's still tired to be honest and so have been going in every 5-10 mins to lay him down and reassure him. We don't get 'up' until after 6. He will go quiet for periods so I'm hoping it's just a phase and he will start going a bit longer and then waking happy again. He also wakes up grumpy from naps. He still has two of 30mins and 1-1.5 hour, always awake by 3.15pm and bed 6.30-7pm. I'm going to try dropping the morning nap soon (and having a longer afternoon one hopefully) but hoping he sleeps a bit later first. Don't have any advice just a 'we're in the same boat' back pat

Lofari · 07/08/2019 06:51

My 4 year old wakes at 5 30.
Sleeps shite in the night too.
I need coffee.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 07/08/2019 06:51

Hi OP my LO (2years old) does this- did this last year around summer time and again a month or so ago. Moving bedtime did nothing! Ultimately for us it seemed to be a seasonal phase, oh and I didn’t move breakfast earlier of up early

Magpiefeather · 07/08/2019 06:53

Mine’s an early riser too. (Currently wakes at 5.15am every single day without fail. But it used to be 4.45 so hoping it’s shifting in the right direction!!!) I’ve tried loads of things, they have t really made any difference. I have mostly accepted it now. You have my sympathy though!

You could try gradually shifting bedtime later?

Magpiefeather · 07/08/2019 06:55

Forgot to say my DD is 2.2 years. At least she sleeps through the night now!

HoneyWheeler · 07/08/2019 06:57

Sounds like you're mostly in a good pattern, but the early wakes can be hard because they throw off the day's naps in my experience!

Couple of things I'd suggest - sometimes we strip them down a bit too much in the warmer months and then around 5am it
Is quite cold, so that could be the reason? You could try sneaking in for a day or two ten mins before she usually wakes to put a blanket on? It means you have to wake up and do it, but if you're going to be awake soon anyway, it might be enough to send her through to a bit later?

Or you could try an early bedtime for a few days to see if that knocks it on the head? At that age 2-2.5hrs of day Sleep is good, so perhaps some overtiredness has crept in? Going to one nap was so hard for us, so an early bed for a few days may help!

The Little Z Sleep Podcast is really helpful - she has an episode on early wakes too, although I can't remember which one it is!

Hope it sorts itself out soon!

HoneyWheeler · 07/08/2019 06:58

Actually just realised you didn't say her age, but I assumed around 12-14m because of the one nap!

FactoryEmblem · 07/08/2019 07:05

My two always wake at 5.30 and they're 6 and 3. I think this is something you'll have to ride out OP.

PixieLumos · 07/08/2019 07:08

Put her in bed with you? My DS went through a phase of doing this, sometimes he would go back to sleep for a bit if I lied him down next to me. But if she’s going to sleep at 6.30 it makes sense for her to wake at that time - you need to try and shift her bed time somehow. (DS is 15 months too and wakes up anytime between 6.30 and 7.30 - goes to bed at half 7/8 o’clock).

1066vegan · 07/08/2019 07:15

My dd was an early riser as a toddler. She regularly woke at 5/5.30 and would be alert and ready to start the day.

No helpful advice. Sorry! The only thing that worked for us was school.

Going to nursery made no difference but school completely wore her out. She went to the opposite extreme and I struggled to wake her up in the mornings.

UserThenLotsOfNumbers · 07/08/2019 07:21

My daughter was the same albeit at around 9 months to a year. For a long time she slept through the night but could start her day anywhere from 04:30. Now she's nearly 3 and on average she wakes around 6am and goes to bed 7/7:30pm. Nothing worked including pushing back her bedtime. All you can do is go to sleep really early and ride it out.

Original poster

BMorelli · 07/08/2019 07:27

Thanks so much guys, I think it could be seasonal as quite a few people have said...may have to accept that while not ideal being so pregnant it's just something I have to ride out. I might try the wake to sleep thing if it continues, although I'm scared she will then be awake for the day at 4am! :') May also pop in and put on a blanket as she could be a little cold at that time.

She is fed through a tube as well and I dont think this helps because she is on over a litre of fluid a day so by 5 am her nappy is fully soaked!

Really appreciate all the help

OP posts:

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