Early riser! What can I do?

[zuzkah]

My ds is 17 months old. He is sleeping in his own room through the night with no prob. He goes down between 7.30 - 7.45 and used to wake up at 7. Unfortunately, something happened and for the last month or so he was waking up at 6 and now at 5.45.
His room is dark and quiet. I usually don't go in till 6.15. He cries for about 5min then lies down and keeps down for another 10-20min. Then I go in as soon as I here him getting up again.
He naps well after lunch for about 1.30 - 2h.
Is there anything I can do to encourage longer sleep again? Im thinking about some kind of a clue for him to know it's time to get up like a lamp turning on on a timer or something? Any advice or experience welcome please!

I'm bumping sadly not because I have any answers but because I have the same problem. My DS (2) wakes anywhere from 4.30am (!) to 6.30. Any suggestions please?

Some people have tried waking an hour before they normally wake (just gently rousing rather than actual waking up iyswim) so that they start another sleep cycle and don't wake early.

I never dared to do this but ds did just stop doing it of his own accord after a few very knackering months.

are you sure no light is coming in? maybe try black out fabric stuck on the windows? also at 17 months try leaving him for 15/20 mins each morning befoe you go in (longer if he's playing happily, hopefully he'll move wake up time a few mins later, and you can keep leaving him an extra few mins till he hits getting up at 6.30 and then give lots of praise and go get him every morning at 6.30 even if he sleeps in to set his body clock. worked for us.

spicemonster - ouch! 4.30! thanks for the bump and wish you good luck

Humphrey - I've heard of that, thanks. I'll see how we go as Im not sure if I dare to try it! If worst comes to worst...

naomi83 - Im pretty sure the room is dark, the only light comes through a vent. Maybe I'll cover that with some fabric too. The problem is that when he wakes up he doesn't play. He stands up and starts crying for us. When no one comes he lies down and than up again within 10-20min.

Well I don't know then. Hope that it'll pass soon?
Has anyone tried any kind of cues like radio alarm, light coming on or something similar? Thanks

There's a bunny clock here that I have heard of but never tried. I too have an early riser (5am) combined with night wakings too so watching this thread with interest!

I have used the Bunny Clock in the past with my older kids, but one of them was really scared of the bunny face. I have just seen an ad for the Gro-Clock in Bump to 3. It has stars and a moon at night and a sun when its time to get up. I'm going to try it and will post how I get on. Its certainly got harder now that the mornings are lighter. My 3 year old hasn't a clue what time it is, and my 5 year old isn't much better!!! Here's hoping!

My DS is just two so not sure the bunny clock would work but would be interested to know how you get on with the gro-clock Debbs. My problem is the same as zuzkah's - he stands up in his cot screaming until he's rescued. I would do the early waking thing but his waking is so random that I'd worry that if I woke him at 3.30 he might decide 4.30 is a completely brilliant time of day to get up every day!

This week we have had:

Saturday: woke at 4.30, didn't go back to sleep
Sunday: woke at 6, went back to sleep till 8.15
Monday: woke at 7.15
Tuesday: woke at 6.15

I can't see any pattern at all in terms of what he's doing, where we are, what he's eating etc but I might start keeping a diary to see if there is one. I am so envious of my friends who have children that sleep till 7.30 every day

Hi Spicemonster. I don't think that the Gro clock's available yet, as the site says coming soon. Here is the link

www.bumpto3.com/product.aspx?DISPLAYCAT=search&CAT=Products&PID=HJ001&searchKEY=gro%20clock&PG=1&ST= 0&ASC1=1&ASC2=0

I think I am going to get one, coz I will do anything to get some sleep in the mornings, especially now its lighter, and will watch this thread and let you all know how I get on! Until then, good luck. Its such a nightmare when they start to sleep at night and then wake you up early in the morning instead.... I doesn't last for ever - my 10 year old is now a nightmare in the other direction, specially on school days!

Debbs - That's a great idea. Thanks for the link! I guess my ds (17mnths) is still too young for that but will use the idea later. Even though I hope we might not need it! Post us abot how it's going.

Hillbilly - that's a good idea too. I think when the kids are a bit older it can work really well. Thanks

spicemonster - we got a bit better and now and my ds wakes at 6 - 6.15 so I can live with that for now. I just don't go in till 6.15 and he usually cries a bit (more of a winge) and that lies down again. I think he got the idea and the winge lasts just about two minutes now. Than I go in as soon as he's up before he cries. Well good luck with your little one.

I have 3 early risers [tired emoticon]

In 7 years, I have never found a way of sorting it I'm afraid so will watch this thread with interest

search the archives for wake to sleep

i think 17 months is too young for a bunny clock - DS had one at 2.5 years

I have to say my ds is finally getting the idea and sleeps till 6.30 - 6.45 which is great! I guess my consistency in not going in till at least 6.15 and letting him cry for a bit paid off. He is well rested now, not as grumpy and tired as before. So are we! Hope this will last for some time now. Good luck with your little angels!

Pleased for you zuzkah. I have the same problem. DD wakes anytime from 5.15. I have tried everything. She is nearly 3 now so have resigned myself to early starts and I make sure I am in bed by 9! I have no life!

5.30 am on the dot !!! although i sometimes get an extra hour after a quick bfeed!

I'm glad to find that I'm not the only one who has "early riser" problems. My ds is 3 years 7 months and has always woken early as when he was a baby I followed the Gina Ford routine which on some occasions meant that I had to wake him at 7am for his first feed - big mistake now I think!!! Anyway, he goes off to sleep (around 7.15) on his own with no problems but wakes 2/3 times in the night and then decides that around 5 - 5.30 is a good time to start the day. I keep trying different ways to encourage him to go back to sleep but nothing seems to work. He is told to play quietly on his own in his room but is not good at self entertaining so keeps coming in our room and is marched back to his!! This continues til my husband gets ready to go to work and gives him his breakfast as he always moans that he is hungry, then he goes back up to his room til I get up around 6.45 - 7am! We are all very tired and grumpy!! We are going on holiday in a Campervan for a month driving round Europe and am so worried that none of us are going to get any sleep. Any ideas?

Hi Zuzkah and everyone. I've watched this with interest as my ds 18m has always been an early riser.

I was advised to put him to bed earlier (6.30ish) with the reasoning that he was not sleeping well because he was too tired. I tried this for ages to no avail and even the nights which he went to bed later made no difference until I realised that it may take consistently later bedtimes to make a difference.

SO...for the last 2 weeks he has been to bed no earlier than 7.30 and after 4 nights it started to improve. He has gradually gone from waking up for the day at 5am to an all time record this morning of 6.15am! He has even stopped waking so much in the night too. So I say bugger the "experts" and go with makes sense to you.

I feel like a different person

This has worked for us and maybe it will work for someone too.

Good luck!

Just wanted to come onto this thread, because I just received the Gro-clock from Bump to 3, and so far its FAB! It glows, and has stars that go out one by one, so that you can tell whether its the middle of the night, or nearly time to get up. It helps in the evening too, because trying to explain that its time for bed when its completely light outside is quite a challenge, specially because the older ones are still up. And the book is great. Its really funny, and even has a picture of the Grobag Egg in it in a chicken's nest (good product placement, I thought, Grobag!), and DS (age 3) keeps pointing and saying "I got one those" and then "I got one those" again when he sees the picture of the clock. We are all definitely getting more sleep and I'm telling everyone I know!

My 2.5yr old has always been a fantastic sleeper until this years light nights. Now she is up around 5.45am and goes in to wake up the new addition to the family. I wouldn't mind but she doesn't go to sleep until at least 8.30pm. No day time naps either. I have recently invested in Gro clock. It isn't completely working yet but I think she is getting the idea. We read the book and she also points at the clock in book and says "I have got a new clock." We are still taking her back to bed if she gets up early but there doesn't seem to be as much protesting as before. I shall keep on trying.... I also like the clock as I tell her that the moon will tell me if she gets out of bed.