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Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

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Original poster

18m waking at 5:20 no matter what

40 replies

HowIsThisOk · 17/04/2022 06:06

It doesn't matter if bedtime is 7, 7:30, 8:30 (its normally 7:30 but we have been trying later bedtimes to extend sleep). It doesn't matter how much she sleeps during the day. It doesn't matter when her dinner is. We have tried adjusting everything. 5:18am on the dot every morning she wakes screaming for us, waking the whole house (including her 3 year old sister). By 8am she is knackered again. I think she is tired getting up. We have tried going in to her and not picking her up. We have tried letting her cry it out. It all ends in blood curdling screams that sound like she is bring murdered. The poor neighbours. It's been like this for months, maybe 5.

Someone please tell me they had the same problem and fixed it.

OP posts:

THNG5 · 17/04/2022 06:41

I've had the same problem with 3 out of 4 of my kids. I hate to say it but I never found a solution (and we tried everything!). They just seem to grow out of it. Youngest is 20 months now and has recently started sleeping to 6. My kids do seem to be early birds generally though. They're up by 6 45 at the latest which isn't a bad thing in term time!

Arewethebadguys · 17/04/2022 06:43

This sounds tough! Not tried it myself but know of others who have tried wake to sleep, have you tried this? Basically you wake at another random point in the night, not fully just til drowsy and it can reset their body clock. Might be worth a try? Good luck

LapinR0se · 17/04/2022 06:44

What time is her nap?

Roses1221 · 17/04/2022 06:46

I think it’s a phase, both mine grew out of it after a few months. Channel 5 kids programmes start earlier than CBeebies

ukborn · 17/04/2022 06:47

My son rarely made it to 6am. He went down easily at about 7.30 and slept through the night fairly early on, but he was always awake and ready for the day about 5.30.
He's 18 now and is generally up before 7am on weekends, snd has no problem getting up at 6am to head to the gym before work during the week.
Your baby may just be an early riser. You'll just have to wake with him until he gets old enough to entertain himself for a bit in the mornings.

Original poster

HowIsThisOk · 17/04/2022 06:50

@THNG5 I have a feeling its just how she is too. But wishing its a habit that can be broken.

She has 2 naps still. One morning one, 9am ish for an 1.5 hours, and then she will sleep in the car in the afternoon if we are out for an hour or so around 2ish. Sometimes she will go for for afternoon nap I'm her cot. But, sitting beside me now, she is knackered. We had friends over last night and she didn't go to bed til 8:30 but was still up at 5:20 and she is tired. She needed more sleep. No idea why her body is waking her at such an early and precise time every morning.

OP posts:

bookish83 · 17/04/2022 06:53

It might be time to drop to 1 nap. We did at around 18m and we were the latest of the same age kids we knew!

Might be a rough week keeping up but i think you should look to try one nap at 11. Then play with that time until its about 12.

I also agree with other posters. Some babies rise early but sleeping through and a decent bedtime cushion the blow

bookish83 · 17/04/2022 06:55

Meant to add at that age we were having a 2-2:5 hour nap around 11 and bed at 7 or just before.

Original poster

HowIsThisOk · 17/04/2022 06:57

I have to admit she sleeps through the entire night without a peep from the minute she goes down so we are lucky that way. Mornings are just a killer.

OP posts:

twinkie100 · 17/04/2022 06:58

Drop to one nap and see if that helps? I dropped both mine to one nap around 12 months and it really really helped overall nighttime sleep. You might need to start with an early nap around 11am and bring bedtime earlier (6.30 / 7) and then can gradually push the nap later.

Good luck OP!

Caspianberg · 17/04/2022 07:02

Maybe she just needs less sleep?
Mine does maximum of 9-10 hours overnight. That’s roughly 8.30-9pm-6.30/7am. Some days he doesn’t nap at all, other days one short nap. He’s not quite 2, but has been the same at least 6 months.
Before that his sleep was even worse

Machina01 · 17/04/2022 07:03

As you’ve said it’s such a precise time, could there be something waking her? Heating going on, neighbours heating/shower, something outside perhaps?

dontknowhow2help · 17/04/2022 07:03

She's overtired. Try putting her down at 630

smooshraspberry · 17/04/2022 07:04

I was told by a sleep specialist that long morning nappers can encourage early morning walkers. I agree that it's time to probably drop to 1 nap. She's waking up early knowing that she'll be going down for a nice leisurely long nap in a few hours time.

Our routine (via the specialist) was to cap the morning nap to 20 mins (going down approx 9am) and then going down at lunchtime approx 12.30/1 for 90 mins max. Pretty soon they drop the 20 min nap.

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 17/04/2022 07:07

Definitely sounds like something waking her if it is within a few minutes every day. Neighbour going to work?

Would playing white noise in her room help her block out any noise from what may be waking her?

Original poster

HowIsThisOk · 17/04/2022 07:13

The only thing I can think that's waking her is the birds. There is 100% no other noise at that time of the morning. Dropping the nap is worth a shot. The only issue I see is a massive disruption to our day, especially for my 3 year old. A nap at 11 essentially means we can't go anywhere substantial. We are very "out most of the day" people. May have to be a sacrifice for a bit though. Will have to try find a way that works that doesn't mean my 3 year old is in the house til 1pm every day.

OP posts:

becca3210 · 17/04/2022 07:24

@twinkie100

Good luck OP!

This. You will be able to then push the nap later. Good luck.

Okeydoky · 17/04/2022 07:29

Based on the toddlers I know most had dropped to one nap long before 18 months. It is hard for the first week or two until they adjust.

You should quite quickly be able to move her to napping at 12/12.30. So for a while you'll have to get up and out and do stuff in the morning, home for the lunchtime nap, then out again later if you want to. But once she is settled on a noon nap you may well then find she can nap in the buggy on the go and you can go back out for the day.

areyoubeingserved1985 · 17/04/2022 07:32

My son is 6 and like you is awake between 5am and 6 am, he has a book that he looks through and then must go back to sleep as it goes quiet.

We tried changing bedtimes but nope didn't work.

User48751490 · 17/04/2022 07:37

Sorry to say but my 4yo (nearly 5yo) does this still. All of them have. Good job I am an early riser myself.

User48751490 · 17/04/2022 07:39

We definitely hear birdsong outside our property from 4am/5am.

TheOldLadyOfThreadneedleStreet · 17/04/2022 07:42

My DS was exactly like this. He did sleep a little later as he got older but never reliably after 6:30/6:45. He’s 19 now and an early riser. No problem here as the alarm goes off at 5:20 anyhow so waking at that time was useful, though it wasn’t great at weekends or on holidays! When he was older he often did homework before school as he was nice and alert first thing. He went down to 1 nap around that age but it didn’t really alter wake up time, he did have a lovely long after lunch nap though, for at least 2.5 hours.

CarryonCovid · 17/04/2022 07:42

*It might be time to drop to 1 nap. We did at around 18m and we were the latest of the same age kids we knew!

Might be a rough week keeping up but i think you should look to try one nap at 11. Then play with that time until its about 12*

This, if you can't make to 11 then wake her from the first nap after 30-45mins (school run nap)

KateTheEighth · 17/04/2022 07:46

She's probably waking up because she's coming out of a deep sleep and having a wee

Mine did exactly the same, I think it's fairly common

HariboBrenshnio · 17/04/2022 07:49

My son is 8 and has always been the same since 1 year olds. Between 5/5.30 no matter what time he goes to sleep or what I try change. To help when he was younger, I'd do 6pm bedtimes so I'd at least get a long evening, chance to relax AND get an early night. He'd still sleep through to 5.15!

It gets easier as they get older - my son from age 3/4 would just get his tablet on his own, climb into my bed and watch it until I got up at 7. Do whatever you need too to survive. Some kids are just early risers. At 8, he stays in bed and plays Pokémon until he hears me get up.

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