HELP 18 month old waking at 4.30 every night

[Nellynoo182]

Extremely sleep deprived and exhausted mum here 😔

Our 18 month old used to sleep pretty much 7-6 every night. He goes to bed brilliantly (can be put down awake) and sleeps in his own cot.

10 weeks ago his new baby brother arrived and since then he has woken up at 5am which has now crept to anywhere between 4-4.50 every morning. We cannot settle him back to sleep no matter what. We are exhausted! Does anyone have anything that might help? Our 10 week old is sleeping through from 10pm - 6am too so I know his little brother isn’t waking him (he’s in with us).

What we have tried:

. earlier bedtime
. later bedtime (this worked for about 5 days then started waking up at 4.30 again and we all ended up with even less sleep)
. dropped to 1 nap (has 2 hours a day from 11am-1pm). He definitely isn’t ready for no naps yet
. giving him milk to go back to sleep (wakes up 10 mins later if he does go back to sleep)
. Giving him a snack just before bed
. temperature- warmer and colder
. he has black out blinds and it is very quiet where we are. He’s also had a few sleepovers at my mums and woken up the same time so we know it is habitual rather than environmental
. we have just tried this week wake to sleep, no effect whatsoever 😔
. sleep training (just screams the entire time)

We do something every day, playgroup, nursery, long walks, soft play etc. I am exhausted trying to tire him out but it isn’t changing the early morning wake ups!

please help we are exhausted and my lovely little boy is so grumpy because he’s over tired! We haven’t had 1 morning where he has woken up before 5am in over 3 months…

[olympicsrock]

Try putting his nap back to after lunch 12:30 to 2:30. ( perhaps do it in half hour increments ) . Then he can have a later bed time.
I’m sad to tell you that more toddlers than not wake around 5/ 5:30.

[inquisitiveinga]

I think the most reassuring thing I can say is in my experience this is totally normal 😔 it's incredibly frustrating and exhausting though, I completely understand. Our 6 year old has only just stopped waking up at 4:30am... he would occasionally wake up between 5-6:30 (and now thankfully FINALLY is).

18 months is a common sleep regression period too, so hold out for some "normality" to return naturally, soon. On the whole it sounds like you've got 2 fantastic sleepers (I'm very jealous, haha). We're due our second any day and I'm really hoping she's like your 10 week old baby 😅

[inquisitiveinga]

P.S - FWIW myself and DP go to sleep at around 8-9pm every night... if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

[TerfTalking]

^ I spent Years with a baby then toddler that never slept, he didn’t sleep in until he was 13.

I have been going to bed no later than nine for 29 years 😂

[BCBird]

I would be tempted to go.to bed earlier myself.

[Nellynoo182]

Honestly a 5am start is classed as a success right now! But more often than not it is 4.30 which is just ridiculous. The only reason anyone should be awake that time is to be going on holiday to the airport.

I go to bed as early as possible but in order for the 10 week old to sleep through he cluster feeds from 8-10.15pm every night. My husband goes to bed at 8 so he can wake up with the toddler.

[GoodnightAdeline]

Following, my 12 month old has woken at 4.30 for weeks and weeks now. We’ve tinkered about with naps and bedtime, nothing really makes a difference. His bedtime is 7pm so I don’t really want to make it any later as I rely on him and his sister being asleep simultaneously so I can get work and other things done. I’m shattered!

[Nellynoo182]

Ok update for @GoodnightAdeline & any other future mumma searching old threads.

We have done a week of wake to sleep now, I have been going in between 3.30-3.50 and ever so slightly disturbing him, just enough to make him move or sigh. The last 2 nights he has woken up at 5.30 (heaven!) and 5:05. Not massive but an improvement from 4.30. Hoping it’s not a fluke but will keep you updated especially with the clocks changing!