calling all fellow parents of early risers - i hardly dare say i, but i THINK this wake-to-sleep thing MAY work...! <<crosses fingers>>

[Tutter]

ds2 (1yo next week!) has always been an early riser - just as his brother was

generally it's between 4:50 and 5:10

we tried everything - blackouts, white noise, cc, milk, later bedtime, earlier bedtime, shorter naps in day, earlier naps in day

etc etc

the last two nights we have set the alarm for 4am and have gone in and gently roused him

he's gone straight back off each time

yday morning he woke at 5:25

this morning 5:45

so, not exactly miraculous, but a huge improvement

(but how sad that i should view 5:45 as a good time to start the day )

[RubySlippers]

good luck!

i actually recommended WTS as i had done it with my DS who was waking at 5.00 am when he was 1

we cracked it after 6 nights

it does seem wrong to wake a sleeping baby, but it does seem to do something to their sleep cycle

[fifitot]

Would it work with a 2 year old do you think?

Also - am I right, it's only a gently rouse so they grunt a bit?

Going to try tonight. Anything is better than 4.50 am!!!!!!!

[RubySlippers]

you wake them so they are almost fully but not quite awake but they need to be nearly conscious

a good sign with my DS was his eyes would half open, he would turn over and mutter so i knew he was awake enough to need to re-settle

i would try with a 2 year old = AFAIK there is no age limit

[solo]

I found I had to make my Dd open her eyes - albeit just groggily. She is by the time I do it in a deep sleep, so she doesn't wake up properly. fifitot, you have nothing to lose by giving it a go.
Thanks for your help in suggesting it initially RS, and thanks for the luck tonight! will report back with the results...

[Isabellasmam]

my dd is 6mo and just started to wake during the night after sleeping through from 2 months. She wakes from 2.00 onwards, all she needs is the dummy back in but we can do this up to 20 times a night! By 5.30 she is wide awake and crying. Do you think this technique will work on her and when would you wake her up?

[nolongerchunkybutstillapudding]

take it this doesn't work if they are waking a gazillion times a night? or would you just use it to tackle one waking at a time? they are fairly habitual, but there's lots of 'em, and i currently bf each time because it works...

[nolongerchunkybutstillapudding]

lots of wakings that is, just the one child!

[fifitot]

Wish me luck trying this for first time tonight - well tomorrow actually. have set alarm for 4 am. Gulp!

Will let you know how we get on.

[RubySlippers]

IM - don't know how it would work with a dummy dependent baby... you could try it

NLCBSAP = how old is your LO?? Not good for lots of wakings - usually one clockwork waking ... does your LO still feed at night?

fifi - good luck

[fifitot]

No it didn't work : (

Woke her at 4 and she woke then at 4.50 as normal. Thinking I maybe didn't rouse her enough. Will keep trying and report back.

[RubySlippers]

try again! The first night can be rubbish

you do 3 nights, see what happens on the 4th and if it still the old wake up you do WTS for 6 nights

[solo]

Hey hey! it worked!!! well it did last night anyway! hope that's it then. Mind you, what I've actually been working towards, is leaving her overnight at my parents on Saturday not looking forward to doing it, but if she sleeps through there...that'll be a HUGE acheivement! and a relief.

[nolongerchunkybutstillapudding]

rubyslippers - thanks for the reply, and sorry my nickname is exhausting! chunkypudding was dp's name for me when pg (charming man!) but after 6.5 months of breastfeeding and a very... umm... lets say 'spirited' baby i am now more twig than chunk so the nickname started to feel weird...

anyway, ds is 6.5 mo and yep, still feeds at night but i think its part habit. something like 11, 1, 3, 5, 6.... fairly clockworkish!

am working on cutting down 1am and 3am feeds, hoping to gradually get rid of them. also trying to soothe him back to sleep without feed when poss. he is confused to pieces by pu/pd and thinks shush patting is a game. have found sometimes one hand on him and staying calm and quiet works...

last night 1am and 3am feeds were 5 mins, i stayed a bit while he resettled went quite well!

and VERY excitingly he stayed in cot til 7 this am (usually in my bed by 5-6ish) i heard him wake a bit at 6.30 BUT HE DECIDED... by himself... to go back to sleep til 7!!!

yay! will prob all go tits up tonight.

good luck with your next go fifitot!!!

and big whoops for you solo!!!

wonder if its still working for the op???

[solo]

Hope so chunky. Good luck to you too!

[RubySlippers]

yay Solo and Hurrah Chunky ...

[Isabellasmam]

broke all the rules last night but actually got some sleep. DD woke at 3am and would not rest with the dummy, by 4am she was crying with the dummy in. As it was hot I gave her some juice, changed her nappy and then tried to settle her down. She wouldnt go down so put her in our bed where she slept till 7:30.

We've probably made a rod for our own backs but when your sleep deprived its whatever works.

[fifitot]

Well she woke at 5.15 which is better than 4.50 but she has done 5.15 before so not sure if this improvement or whether she may have woken then anyway.

The rousing at 4 was difficult as she actually woke and took a while to get back to sleep!

I am really knackered this morning but we will try again tonight to see what happens.

[TheGabster]

Hey FIfitot, snap!!

My DS wakes around 5 every morning and will self-settle but not for much longer past 6am. Plus moans and groans so much I am awake from 5 anyway.

So we tried WTS at 4am last night too. Was just considering post, asking whether we stuffed it up, as DS also did not settle afterwards so instead of being awake from 5am, I was awake from 4am .

Do you think we woke them too much? My DH put the little side light on in DS room and I wonder whether that was a mistake?

Just had a nice strong coffee and cake though, so feel more able to face the afternoon now. Can thoroughly recommend it.

G

[fifitot]

LOL Gabster! I am sitting here eating cake and coffee too! LO did go off at 4 but only with a bit of shushing from me but she woke again an hour later so not much progress.

Going to try again tonight and just a slight waking. I don't put a light on as I think I read even a dim light puts them into wake mode.

I am so tired this week as have been on leave from work with DD at home. We've had great fun, lots of days out but today I put her in her nursery for half a day and went back to bed for 3 hours! How bad am I?????

To be fair, I have noone I can ask to help me so nursery is my only option - all my relatives are miles away, DH at work and mates all at work too. I feel guilty but she loves nursery anyway and I've had a nice long sleep catch up!

[TheGabster]

oooohn - I'm so envious - nursery!! Good idea.

It's just me & dh (at least I have him) but no family or friends the same - I live in Germany and all F&F are in UK so not even nursery option at he mo. Am trying to find babysitter mind.

Of course DH is at work days so no respite today, although got 20 wink power nap lunchtime?!

Thnks for the info on the light - will have another go tonight.

[fifitot]

Well I roused her gently at 4 this morning and she woke at 4.30!!!!!! Then spent 90 mins trying to get her to sleep to no avail so we got up to start the day at 6.

To say I am tired is an understatement. Am knocking this on the head, there is no improvement. In fact I would rather sleep til 5 the have to wake at 4! I think it maybe works better with younger kids.

[fifitot]

Where is everyone who was trying this out????? I need your sucess stories and advice!!!!!

[RubySlippers]

fifi - did you "over wake" her?

how many nights did you do it for?

I know it is painful ...

[fifitot]

i may have overwoken her but thought the first night didn't rouse her enough!

Did it for 3 nights, last night didn't bother and she woke at 5am.

Not sure whether to persist or not. Thanks for your reply!

[RubySlippers]

oh, if it doesn't work after the first 3 nights and they go back to their old wake up on the 4th night you are meant to do WTS for 6 nights

this is what broke our DS's 5.00 am habit