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 )

[belindarose]

We do seem to end up in the same places, roslily! I didn't do it last night, as unfortunately she decided to go back to her previous pattern of 2 hourly waking all night anyway! I had been so happy with just two wakings for a few nights - I should learn not to get so complacent! Anyway, I stupidly assumed that as she'd woken up so often, she'd somehow sleep a bit longer. No, it was 5am, playing in her cot, insisting on me staying or scream scream scream. I'm going to start tonight (and set a LOUD alarm, so as not to make your mistake!).

[roslily]

right did it last night. He woke at 1.30, but settled (he is teething) Then got up at 3am disturbed his sleep, wasn't sure how much. He slept til 6am which is progress.

[belindarose]

Well done roslily! I didn't try it last night, as we had a 1.30 - 3.30am awake session (bleugh) and I couldn't face the thought of deliberately waking up again. She woke at 5am and I fed her back to sleep, then about 6.30, so was tired out by the horrible night as I was! I'm going to wait again now till she shows a pattern again!

[OneTwoBuckleMyShoe]

Well night one was a disaster as DD woke at 3:45 and refused to go back down .

We changed sleeping bags the second night and I slept through the alarm, thankfully so did she and woke at 6am! Although DH is in the bad books (Ros you know why from pink forum!).

Tonight she has not eaten well but had a later bedtime with the thicker sleeping bag so fingers crossed.

[roslily]

Well last night he woke up at 2am anyway, so didn't disturb him again. He slept til 6am. I have decided to introduce some routine into his day in terms of naps. See if that helps at all.

[FerminaUrbinoDaza]

Hello all.

I'v been trying WTC with my DC (2.10 and 16 months) and could do with a bit of advice. I've done 3 nights of WTS and today was the third day of not disturbing them. Thread here.

They were waking at +/- 5:45 so I was disturbing them at 4:45ish...

On the first morning after the 3 nights of disturbing their sleep DS woke at 6:40 and DD at 6:50.

On the second morning DS was up at 5:30 and DD at 6:00 (disturbed by DS I think).

This morning DS slept until 6:45 and DD to 6:15.

Should I now do 6 nights of WTC or wait and see how things progress? If I do need to do WTS, what time should I be disturbing them?

[floppops]

Just read trough the whole thread. Is anyone still giving WTS a go? I am going to start tonight. DD is 9 months and is a really random waker but never before 6.30 and they are very rare mornings. She also wakes at night sometimes once or twice but also has slept through a couple of times..so is hard to work out what to do. Still she mostly favours 4.45am to 5am as wake up time so I will start with the WTS at 4am. It seems reading the thread that it really matters if you wake them completely or just rouse them. My understanding is to wait till her eyes open and then get out quick? So will keep posting.

[dycey]

We too will be trying this tonight - had enough of 5.10 wakes. I don't think it will work for us because this morning m son walked at 4.50 and I got him back to sleep, only for him to wake twenty minutes later. Am so fed up with it tho!

Just spent a weekend with friends whose toddler and small baby sleep til beyond eight - really rubs in that routines work and my responsive parenting method means sleep deprivation in one form or other! Moan moan moan..

Will try it tho and watch / join thread!

[floppops]

Yep dycey I think routines do help but it isn't always easy to fit our lives into them. I tend to get a bit obsessive about our routine but lately have been trying to lighten up a bit as when DD had a cold it went all back to the beginning anyway!
Tried WTS last night at about 3.50am. Went in and stroked her head till her arms started to move and then left quickly. Wasn't sure whether it was enough to rouse her but she then didn't wake till 5.40am so not bad! She was chatting away-not crying so left her till 6.15am. All in all I am encouraged and will keep going.

[blue22]

Can I join too? I'm officially desperate. My DD is 13 months old and seems to think that the day begins somwhere between 4.30 and 5.30. Realising that this will become 3.30 - 4.30 when the clocks go back has spurred me into action! Not quite sure if I'll try CC or wake to sleep but just want to mark my place and say hello to all other parents of early risers! Now.....must go get coffee

[ginbob]

blue22, hows it going now with the 4.30 problem? i have just come across this thread, someone flagged it up and it was nice to see others with the same life-ruining problem. did you try the wake to sleep thingy and did it work

[MrsC09]

I thought I'd bring this thread back to life! My DS is 22 months & has always been an early riser (5:30-6:30) but has recently started waking at 5. I'm 8 months pregnant & dread to think what it will be like with night feeds and early starts so I've set my alarm to see if this works for us. Will keep you posted!

[Anothertoybroken]

Just stumbled across this. My 2yo has always been an early riser and when I was getting ready to go back to work after maternity leave, I decided to try the wake to sleep idea. Total failure. All that happened was that I made myself ill by being awake from 4am/worrying about being too tired for work/waking up ds1 ( they share a room).

It's a real eye opener because ds1 was a great sleeper. Sheesh....

[Solo]

I've noticed a number of sleep related threads recently, so thought I'd bump this old one as it has several success stories in it and it is explained quite well too.

[Angelico]

Great thread - have it on watch list for a few months down the line...! DD is only 9 weeks so probably a bit soon to try it.

[Slipslidingaway]

Hi solo and Angelico, think I'm going to give this a whirl (ds wakes 4.38 every morning and won't go back). Will let you know how it goes

[Angelico]

Oh please do :o Good luck!

[Slipslidingaway]

Woke him 338 and he slept until 525 (believe me, an improvement)

[Solo]

Keep going Slipsliding you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!!

[Slipslidingaway]

Thanks solo. 455 today but coughing a lot so I won't give up just yet.

[Solo]

Ah! now it's not a great thing to try if they aren't well! I gave up when Dd was unwell and then tried again once she was well! I've never looked back

[Slipslidingaway]

Did you do it then solo? Wasn't clear from your first post. If you did, could you tell me the details? Need the encouragement!

[Solo]

Yes I did it when Dd was 19 months and I was beyond crazy! she is now approaching her 6th birthday and is snoring away!
I would really recommend reading the whole thread; it's not too long, but it will show you several success stories ~ including mine! I'm Solo and SOLOisMeredithGrey. Don't give up; you have to go with it for a week or a little over and it is hard getting yourself up to do it, but it really, really does work. My Dd didn't sleep a single night through before I did this and after a week of training, she has always slept through...that's over 4 years!!
Good luck!

[Slipslidingaway]

Thanks solo. Ds is 19 months too and his sleep is killing us! Having to pause at mo as he's Ill.

[Solo]

Well, once he's better, get back on it! do it solidly for a week or it wont work. I tried doing it on about 3/4 nights the first time and it didn't do the job, but a full week and Dd was 'cured!!!'