04:50am!

[rosekirk]

Ladies...can anyone help?! My DS is 17months old and wakes at 04:50 on the dot everyday 😣 What can he do?!
He sleeps through from about 07:30 which is great but the 5am start is killing me. It's also spoiling our days as by 10:30 he's an overtired crying mess and is back in bed by 11am ; which is no fun as most of the toddler groups or when friends want to meet for play dates etc is 10am so we can never go. I'm feeling so lonely as then he wakes about 1pm and everyone else's children are having their lunchtime nap and not free to meet up 🙁
His bedroom is dark, I've got white noise and I think he's warm enough. Doesn't seem to be obviously hungry as he will often wait until 7am for breakfast with my older DD (5)
It's as if his body clock needs re-set! I've tried to give him milk and lie with him etc but goes crazy 😂

I'm sorry, OP, you are already doing everything that I could have suggested. Others will be along soon hopefully with more suggestions.

You must be worn out but keep going.

Hi
I would say that he is overtired and probably needs a morning nap as well for a it - I would out him down at 9 and see what happens, give him an hour and then another hour and a half ish at about 1.
I feel your pain, early wake ups are horrible.

Agree with above. Try a 30 min or 45 min nap at 9ish - wake him if necessary. Then try a longer nap at 1 and bedtime at 7pm. Let us know x

I'm afraid some of them are just made like that. DTs, now age 9 always have been and apparently I was too and still am to an extent. My alarm goes off at 6 during the week and DTs are always up before it goes off.

Adjusting bedtime / nap times /activity never made any difference. I remember going back to work when they were 1 and being absolutely broken with 430am wake ups.

I would try and make him stay awake longer than 11am though, try and keep him going for an early lunch and then let him sleep. It'll probably be horrible for a few days but may help reset the lunchtime sleep.

Is something waking him him up? My eldest son was waking every day at 0545. Once I'd realised it was the milkman - truck pulling up/clattering of bottles etc, we put a white noise machine in his bedroom and it stopped the problem.

I am having the exact same problem at the moment with my 12mo - 5am wake ups and crashing out for sleep at about 10:30. I try and put him down for a short nap at 9am but he won’t sleep. Would love to know how you resolve this!

Following...2 year old does 6/6.30 until around 5am...

Have tried changing bedtime til later, giving him supper, exercise... he no longer naps in the day but if he does it doesn't make a difference.

Am wrecked!

We took the side off the cot of my 22m old. Previously he had to fall asleep in my arms and be transferred to the cot when asleep, he'd then wake at 6ish and be up for the day. With the sides off we've managed to implement a "lie down for story, now it's time to turn the light off while mummy sits in the chair till you fall asleep" type bedtime and as a result he now sleeps till 7.30am or later (often i have to wake him for nursery).

I can't really explain it other than maybe he wakes up where he expects to be and doesn't feel trapped, so he doesn't fully wake up in panic and can go back to sleep. Also I watch him on the camera and sometimes he wakes at 7 but then stays in his bed playing with his toys (he NEVER did this in his cot, he'd be yelling to get out immediately).

Around the time we took the sides off, he seemed to have a sudden leap forward in his communication and understanding so I think he actually GETS sleep now, he doesn't think he being abandoned at bedtime and naptime. So your little one might not quite be ready for this yet but it's not far off.

The other day he was up at 6.30 as a one off, I went into his room, told him it was bedtime and to lie down. I sat in the chair and he was off to sleep again in 5 mins. If I said that would happen to myself last Summer, I wouldn't have believed it.

I think you're doing what you can and the suggestions to put him down for an earlier nap is good. I guess you need to go to bed earlier too so you get enough sleep.
My son always woke by 5.30 and it was hard and he didn't make it to 6am until a few years old. He's 16 now and still an early riser.

I'd assume it's because his long sleep is happening too early in the evening. Have you tried keeping him up until 8pm for a couple of weeks? My kids adjust their wake up based in their bedtime after a while.

I would actually bring his bedtime forward to 7pm or even 18.45. I am currently doing a sleep programme with my little one and early waking is a sign of being over tired. The first thing they suggest is an earlier bedtime. I was worried that it may mean my LO would wake earlier but it didnt. Took a couple of days but he is now waking at 6.45am!

@stopchewingeverything just out of interest when does your LO nap and how long for? We’ve tried putting our LO to bed at 18:30 and it seemed to work for the past couple of nights but today we have gone back to the 5am wake ups 😭

I could have written this OP, my 17 month old DS wakes at 4:50 every day!

Goes to bed at 7 sleeps straight through but up at same time every morning! He naps anywhere between 11 and 1 for about 1.5 hours usually.

I'm at a loss on what else to try so I just put up with it!

Nearly 10 children free hours in 24is AMAZING. I would be jubilant if tgat was my life.
It does change, the inconvenient nap will get later in the day and you will get oyt again.
My dc started sleeping later in the morning after they'd stopped needing naps at about 3 years.

No advice just sympathy I'm afraid.

My daughter was 2 in October, she wakes between 5-5:30am every morning and has done since newborn - and we have tried everything. Parents will look at you like you're an alien as if you're doing something wrong - you're not some kids just seem to be wired that way x

My first woke at 5am for aaages. He is 2.5yo now and wakes between 6.30-7am now typically. Didn't really do anything to change it - it just happened naturally. Sounds like you have a good sleeper if he sleeps through until then. Maybe have a look at later clubs to go to - I know there is a music club, library rhyme time and baby sensory class all in the afternoons near me so there may well be something. Then perhaps your friends could meet you afterwards for a coffee.

My 3 yr old wakes at 4.50 on dot each day too. Drives me mad.

@Sideshowjen my baby is 9 months old so timings would be slightly different but if he wakes at 6.30, he would nap at 8.45 for 1.5-2hrs. He will then be awake for about 2hrs45mins and then have 1.5hr nap. He is then awake for 3 hours or so before bedtime. For a 12 month old i think the recommendation is generally a nap 3 hours after first waking and then 3.5 hours after 1st nap etc. So if your little one wakes at 4.50, I'd be trying a nap at 7.50. Seems early but on the occasions my DS wakes at silly o'clock, this does work.

@rosekirk Hi did you find a way to improve this at all? My son is doing exactly the same and it’s really wearing me down x