What's happened to DS sleep and how do I fix it??!!

[TOK]

My DS (20 months) had been sleeping from 7pm til 6.30am since Christmas, sometimes we even had to wake him up. In the past 2-3 weeks he has been waking up at 5/5.30am every day without fail. We've tried cutting down his daytime nap, cutting it out completley, giving him supper before bed, sending him to bed a bit later, just letting him cry for a while, but nothing is working. He wakes up and starts crying instantly. When he starts calling out "mama!" I just can't ignore him. My biggest worry is that we now have DC2 on the way (because DS1 was sleeping so well we thought the time was right for another-he lulled us into a false sense of security!) and I just don't know how we're going to cope. I remember how tired I was with DS1 at the beginning.
Please say someone else has been through this and come out the other side semi-sane! Is it just a "phase"? Or is there something else we can try? xxx

Hi, have been through this with my dd1 and I do think it's just a phase - like you, we tried various things but nothing really worked - however after a while she did go back to sleeping later. I don't think the light mornings help - don't know when your DC2 is due but hopefully by the time s/he arrives the phase will be past!

Agree it is a phase, and one we are also 'enjoying'.

We have just made DD2's cot into a bed (she is 18 months) and although she loves it, she has started waking up at her normal time, but instead of playing and singing and waiting for me to come in, she is just crying. I know my problem may be due to the change of cot to bed, but I am giving her til the weekend and then will build back to cot.

Aside from my hijack of thread TOK I do still beleive it's just a phase. What I would try is going in, offering comforting words/dummy/cuddle if needed and then laying him back down, closing the door again. See if he is happy to settle even for 5 mins, and then you go in when he is settled (this way he gets the idea to wait for you, and that crying won't mean immediate getting up)

Yes, we had this. Is he still in a cot? Things improved for us once DS1 could wake up and come in with us - we still woke up but at least we could snooze for another hour or so. It gradually got later (blackouts helped) and is now about 6:30.

Thanks for all your replies! Its so reassuring to know you're not the only one! He is still in his cot at the moment. I'm scared to change to bed incase it gets worse!
DC2 is due at start of Nov, so hopefully by then we'll be back to 'normal'. Will try settling him Jewelsandgems, although he is quite stubborn like his dad! Thanks again! I shall keep you posted xxx

My DS (21 months) did this for two long, terrible weeks recently. I reintroduced a bottle when he woke up - as soon as he was awake whipped him into our bed - bang, bottle in. He'd usually fall straight back to sleep after he finished it for a blissful hour or two.

Weirdly after a few days of this he started waking later of his own accord. Who knows.

You might find it's the light nights and mornings as well. We had this with DD and found black out blinds (and blankets at the window) helped keep the little bugger darling asleep longer. That and waiting for winter days.

It may be a "phase" during which he gets his molars. They do horrid things to sleep and mood. Unfortunately DS was a late teether so it took a good 6 months for him to get his molars and canines in.

May well try the bottle thing as well, he was up again, bright as a button at 5 this morning. Will see if he'll take it in his cot though (wishful thinking but you've gotta have hope!) Don't really want to get him in the habit of coming into our bed before the next bambino comes along! Insaying that, it'll get to the point very soon where I'll just do whatever works! You don't realise how much you take sleep for granted until you have children! xxx

second the bottle. DS was wwaking at 5am and in the end we gave in and he has a 3oz bottle, then sleeps til 7am. Took us 6 months to bloody realise this though d'oh!