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 )

[fifitot]

6 nights of 4 am wakings. OMG. Will see how I feel tonight. Sheesh!

[TheGabster]

Oh go on Fifitot, you know it will be worth it in the end if you can get it to work. Just focus on the end result! It will only be a few more days and then you will have months of gorgeous lovely sleep!!

We are going to start trying again in a few days' time, as ds has a horrible sore throat at the moment so no point until that's gone. Just think, by the time we start, you should be getting somewhere.

Make you laugh. I fell over on Friday(no, was not drunk but too tired, honest)and have one arm in a sling! Can't lift or hold anything so poor fantastic DH is doing all nappy changing/feeding/putting down at moment. I get to do his jobs instead - walking the dog! Having a lovely break.

Set your alarm clock and let us know how you get on tomorrow.

[RubySlippers]

fifi - it is crappola!

i alternated the 4 am starts with DH

[fifitot]

Well this morning I didn't set alarm but woke at 4.40 and sort of roused her accidentally. She woke at 5.35 which isn't as bad as normal I guess so may persist tonight.

BTW Gabster - milk it for as long as you can. I would!

[RubySlippers]

i would go for it again

keep us posted

[TheGabster]

Hey Fifi

Glad to hear you had some success. Fingers crossed for tonight/tomorrow and stay positive.

DS got the healthy and all clear from the doctor today so going to have a go tonight. Am hardly sleeping anyway between DS waking, trying to find a comfy place to put my arm (no rude suggestions please !), and lying awake waiting for DS to start again. I don't know about changing his sleep pattern, but I've been woken by him at 5am so many times now, that I wake at 5am on the dot without him!!!!

[solo]

Well ladies! I have done it. Dd sleeps through now , so do keep trying. My Dd has been a sleep nightmare(for me)since birth, so at 19 months to have cracked it feels like such a victory. I hope you are all saying the same in a fortnights time.

[fifitot]

Sooooo jealous solo! Am trying again tonight. Coming up to 6 nights now!!!!!

[solo]

Tifi, I stopped after 3 nights the first time, but it failed miserably! Tried again and continued the waking for 6 maybe 7 days - et voila!!! Long may it continue too!
So...keep trying, keep trying, keep trying and let us know what happens. I was definitely a sceptic, so for me to be raving about it! well....

[solo]

*Nights, not days!

[TheGabster]

OOoohhhfff - I'm green - from both of you.

What time were you up this morning Fifi?

Did it for the 1st time last night + no dice. I know, will have another go tonight .

[solo]

Good luck TheGabster! keep at it. It is hard, but it is sooo wonderful when you wake up at 'normal' hour realising that your lo has slept through.

[fifitot]

Was up at 5 unf. I am not being consistent with the rousing times as i can't get up!!!! Gonna try again this weekend and will report back.

[girlsallaround]

our neighbour downstairs had an early riser, 5am. what i remember is that they took turns waking up. it seemed like they had learnt to deal with it. i think there was a lot of baby tv viewing going on at those hours ;-)

[solo]

Fifi, I had trouble with the alarm going off in the night too, but I pushed myself to do it because I felt like 'Well, she'll get me up anyway at some point, so I may as well make it on my terms, not hers'. I know how you feel having had 19 months of disturbed nights(sometimes every hour)myself, so I sympathise greatly, but do keep trying.(kind)

[TheGabster]

So how was it Fifi?

I was not sure woke DS enough last night but he definitely did not start rousing until 6am this morning, a whole hour later than for months!!!

Definitely doing it again tonight then. All I did was rub his arms and face/belly a bit and then when he moved and groaned, slunk out. Was not sure it was enough. Suppose could have been fluke.

Will let you know if it happens again tonight!!

[fifitot]

Oh Gabster - sounds great. Hope it works!

This morning she woke at 4 anyway, didn't even have to rouse her!!!!!! However she went back to sleep but woke at 5....

So am not bothering tonight but on Friday will start again and be very consistent.

Let us know what happens Gabster. Good luck.

[TheGabster]

Oh ... !

Got up at 4 as faithfully as ever but made no difference!! Maybe I didn't rouse him enough this time. Grrrrr

I know its not hunger because by 6.15 I couldn't listen to his winging anymore and got up and fed him. He only took half the feed AND was obviously still tired (rubbing eyes etc) so put him straight back to bed and he slept until 8am. It must just be habbit, damn it. He is SOOOO not getting up early tomorrow even if I have to involve a sledge hammer!!!

And that was night 3 so looks like I am in for the 6 nighter too. Just my luck.

Please somebody, I need to hear about your success stories!!!

[2Happy]

Ooooohkaaaaaay. Either you're all completely barking, or this is something I need to do too.

ds2 (18m) is slowly killing us. He has always been an early riser (5.30) but in the last couple of weeks has been nearer 4, screaming his head of, waking us and ds1, and aslo refusing to go down for afternoon nap too (despite being clearly exhausted).

We've tried everything. I think it's a separation anxiety thing, but maybe the WTS thing would work nonetheless. My mum's offered to take him tonight so we can all have a night off, but I know she's half deaf and will just let him scream for hours (she's not normally up before 8...).

(I should add, BTW, that after trying for 3/4 of an hour to get him back to sleep this am, I brought him downstairs and he has now fallen asleep on the floor )

[aberdeenhiker]

I saw this thread a while ago and wanted to post and say it's working for us for my DS1 who's 25 months. It's easy to get up and wake him though as we're up with DS2, who's 2 months old. Actually the first day was accidental as I made too much noise after feeding DS2.

[fifitot]

I had planned to do the 4 am rouse last night but DD woke me instead at 3 asking for a potty!!!! And she went back to sleep but still woke at 5.30. Grrrrrrrrrr.

So.........will try again tonight.

[TheGabster]

LOL - our lO's must be tuned into each other.

My DS woke at 3.30 last night too, although self settled so I then wondered whether to do it or not. Decided to get up anyway at 4 and russell him a bit. Got back into nice warm bed and decided I probably hadn't woken him enough so got up and did it a bit more.

Bonzai - was then woken at 6am (instead of 5)!! Infact he was "chatting" instead of crying so too much red wine and not enough sleep persuaded me to leave him and he eventually self-settled AGAIN (wohoo) and did not wake again until nearly 8am!

OOooh, was the nicest Sunday lay and first for 6 months!! Sorry Fifi, did not mean to rub it in. But of 6 nights, only 2 got this later result so not sure whether it is the WTS or not.

Think going to try it for a few more nights to see where I am - have done it for this long 2 more nights won't make much difference. Then am definitely calling it a day as too sleep deprived.

Are you going to have a go tonight?

[fifitot]

Well......I haven't been able to get up and do the rousing for a few nights as too tired but this morning she woke at 6.15! Think it might have been due to a very dark morning as raining heavily but we will see.....If it's a one off I'll be livid!

How did you get on on Sunday and Monday Gabster?

[solo]

Well, I think my Dd is cured. She has slept through now since I stopped waking her(almost 2 weeks). Don't give up now ladies. After 18+ months of broken sleep, it is wonderful to sleep through the night. I'm totally impressed by the WTS technique, but I'd never have believed it before now and I'm sorry if it seems like I'm gloating, I'm not, I am trying to encourage you all to keep trying. Fingers are crossed for you all.

[fifitot]

Solo that is brilliant. Still haven't got back on track with it though. Might start tonight if I can manage to wake up at 4!