Help - extreme early riser!

[Amberc]

What can I do about extreme early waking? DS (aged 11 months) is now waking at 4.15ish and staying awake until he falls asleep on the way to nursery. I have tried leaving him and he amuses himself for about 20 mins and then cries (I have tried leaving him for 20 mins too but it just gets worse). I have also tried putting a water beaker in his bed in case he was thirsty. He did drink some this morning but then used the beaker as a hammer to bang against the wall. I have also tried lying him down and walking away. I think it might be because he is trying to walk and I know weird things happen to sleep when babies reach a milestone (always to me unfortunately). Any ideas? I am knackered as I also then need to go to work! He does have about 1.5 hours nap time in the day.

Its a phase, which isnt helpful to you when you are knackard.

But mine did this for some time, twas torture as i recall.

Do you have blackout blinds?
What time do you put him to bed?
Does he wake through the night?

Is he hungry? I know it's not recommended, but we leave a bottle of milk in a freezer bag outside his room, then give it to him if he wakes early. It usually buys us another couple of hours.

I also leave a few cardboard books in his cot, too, to keep him occupied.

He did start waking at 5.30 recently and refusing to go back to sleep, but the last couple of mornings he's been back to 6.30/7.00-although I don't think he's actually asleep till then, but he is quite happy (and quiet!)

Someone mentioned on a recent thread that sometimes more sleep promotes more sleep, iyswim- perhaps an earlier bedtime might help?

Well he goes to bed at 7 so fairy early and I know later wouldn't help as I have tried that. Maybe i'll try earlier then. It is dark but just been posting on another thread - the dawn chorus could wake him - damn those birds! At least he doesn't wake in the night. Maybe i'll leave the milk in his cot and he can feed himself. How would that be as an idea? If he was to see me he would get too excited and even milk wouldn't get him to sleep again.

I've been contemplating doing the same, tbh- my only concerns are a) with the weather being so warm would the milk be ok (probably just being a bit precious there, actually) and b)- mine is a greedy little thing and might drink it early and still want more!!

When are his 1.5 hours nap? Is he overtired at bedtime? I found when DS slept for too short a period too far from bed he might wake early but also if he had too much sleep- it was a fine line. These early light mornings are also a killer ( I wake early myself) so we've got blackouts velcroed to the window in both rooms as DS is a hideously light sleeper and will wake early even at 3.

3am - wow - that makes my 4.15 seem like a lie in! He has his naps for about 45 mins in the morning and a little longer about 1pm. He is at nursery though so he won't sleep longer as it's noisy and not dark - not much I can do about that I'm afraid. At weekends when he's at home he always has a 2 hour sleep in the morning at 9ish and then another hour in the afternoon about 2-3pm. He still wakes at the same time though no matter what daytime sleep he has had. Aren't children weird?!

Have you tried "wake to sleep"?
If he is only waking because it is now habit then this should work.
Basically go into his room an hour earlier than he would usually wake and wake him up.....not totally, just so that he starts to stir or move his eyes. It breaks the sleep pattern so they have to go back to sleep again and then should be back in the deep sleep at the time they would usaully wake. You may have to do it up to 5 nights but some people have broken the pattern in just the one night!!