10 month old's become a clockwork 5:40 waking monster help!

[Scotlian]

Oh how I used to look at early waking thread titles and think "hah, my wee boy won't do that!"... so now I pay for my smugness AND for never reading the threads as have no idea what to do. Ds is 10 1/2 months, eats like a heffalump, no colds or jabs, and has for the past week woken at 5:40 on the dot. Ready to start the day, but also still tired and grumpy. He's normally really cheery and still has 2 naps (1 or 1 1/2 hours each) in the day. We have tried earlier/later bedtime (he's normally asleep by 7:30/8 pm), going in to soothe him with cuddles, sleepytime music star, offering water, telling him it's night time.. none of it has worked. Am about to consider cc for early waking, if there is such a thing - basically ignoring any noise until 6:30.

Not sure if: he's having too many naps? Teething (but he's already got 6 teeth and this never happened before)? 5:40 is "normal" for this age and we should be resigned?

Things are complicated by the fact that I'm 5 wks preg and SO TIRED all the time. Any and all advice really appreciated.

Scotlian thank you for the lovely flowers

No, you have to do it for 3 nights (don't ask me why but you do!). Don't stop now....only 2 nights to go

sootlian how did you get on with your 2nd day of wake to sleep any luck?

I might join you tonight. This morning 4:55 , but I managed to get him back to sleep with a quick BF (almost never works anymore). Not keen to bring in a 5:00 AM BF habit though.

So maybe tonight I will set the alarm? Ooooh that is a scary prospect.

Report from the WTS front. He did it again: woke up just before I went to wake him I mean. Bizarre! Then slept until 6:30! Considering he had gone to sleep at 7:30 this is pretty good! Exclamation marks proliferating.

Ceebee74, you're welcome . So I will be brave and set the alarm again tonight and see what happens. Very freaky though, this waking just before I creep in.

Oh MomOrMum I would say NOOOOO to the 5am bf habit! Ds developed that and it was just grim. Half the time it didn't work anyway. I didn't cosleep mind, not sure if that's your arrangement... try the wake to sleep, then CeeBee can have another convert .

hello, did 'wake to sleep' work? Dd has started waking at 5.40am, not sure how long I can bear it.

Scotlian - update please

Yes yes here we are, the latest bulletin: alarm went off at 4:40, moved ds about til he stirred a bit, retreated back to bed. He then woke at 5:20 (am I right in thinking that might be 1 sleep cycle?) but went back to sleep on his own until 6:35. Huzzah! Result!

So yes, Tasmaniandevilchaser, it does seem to work. It has been a bit less than textbook with us because ds woke himself before I woke him (twice), and then oddly woke again just a wee bit later. But the end result is good in that he has been waking late (erm, well, 6:30 being late I am sad to say...)

Ceebee74 can I be your (non scary) groupie? And hang around your threads for any wise sleeping tips you may chance to dispense? I do a good line in virtual espressos too you know.

sorry haven't had time to read all replies but we had 5.30am waking for nearly a whole year with out ds which nothing on earth would remedy (tried all the things i managed to read so far).. in the end we just accepted our day started early and that made it easier although i was constantly knackered . Have to say that our ds's worst sleeping habits were between 10 months and 2 years at which point cc did actually work (i was pg then and DESPERATE). It WAS just a phase, but a loooong one! even now (he is 3.3) i feel very pleased if he manages to sleep past 6.30am..
his little sister is now 6 months and so seems to like sleeping in a little longer - long may it last

Woohoo to your DS Now don't forget - tonight, don't set your alarm tonight and see what happens.

Good luck and update us tomorrow

Fairylight lol, my 2 boys are like yours! DS1 is an early riser (anytime usually between 6 and 6.30) but DS2 likes to sleep (now that we sorted out his 5.30 wakenings!) and I have to wake him at 7 most days!!

It worked it worked it worked!

Ds did a wee peep at some random early morning point, then slept til 6:30!

Fairylight you are very wise. I am prepared for the "ah this will pass" zen approach if ds reverts again and wake to sleep stops working

to all!

Hi! just read this thread and it's really giving me some hope! ds2 has been waking at 5am ever since he started sleeping through at 5 month (he is 14 months now). recently it has even been 4.30am!!! I am also 8 weeks pregnant and SOOOO very tired. Am getting more and more annoyed with ds2 sleeping habits and something needs to be done soon. I will def need to try that wake to sleep thing. I had never heard of it and anything is worth a shot

Scotlian yay to your DS Hope tonight goes just aswell.

Timsmama give it a go - what have you got to lose (apart from sleep )

sorry to highjack, but really want to give this a go. for when should I set my alarm for then? 5am is his usual waking-up time, but sometimes even earlier? I guess set my alarm for 4am? And how much "stirring" shall I do? Am worried that I'll wake him up properly...

am dying to know how your second night went, Scotlian!

Timsmama you are not alone! Join in and do whatever Ceebee says

Have to say though that this morning ds woke at 5:45 again. HOWEVER before all hope is lost: Tuesday mornings he goes to a childminder who yesterday let him have a TWO HOUR morning nap. To be fair I hadn't told her not to. So he had lots of sleep during the day and his early waking definitely seems to be linked to that as well as being a habit... What are your ds' naps like, Timsmama?

I am not going to do wake to sleep tonight and see what happens as his naps were shorter...

D'you think it's ok to ask a childminder to "police" naps? Not sure what is expected or not, this is the first childminder I've ever used.

Let us know what happens Timsmama

Realised I just wittered and didn't answer your questions Timsmama sorry! Was too busy putting yellow faces in.

I suppose yes put alarm on for 4am. I stirred ds until his breathing changed, he grunted and moved about, not quite awake but definitely disturbed in his sleep. It was terrifying! As in aaaaah what if he wakes and just stays awake. But as Ceebee74 says, all we have to lose is more sleep...heyho...

Scotlian sorry he woke up early - really hope he is ok tonight. You can absolutely 'police' his naps with the cm - you are paying for her to look after your DS as you would like him to be looked after so if you only want him to have an hour (or whatever) then she will have to wake him up. DS1's nursery did that for me when his naps at nursery were starting to impact on his bedtimes....even though he was a grumpy sod when he was woken up, they had to deal with it!!

Timsmama yes, set your alarm for 4 and just go in and move him round the cot a bit, if he has a dummy, take it out and replace it or just replace it if he doesn't have it in. You will be able to tell when he has been disturbed as he will probably move a little by himself. Good luck and come back and update us tomorrow

thanks, yes I am sure I'll be on here tomorrow to update
ds2 used to have 2 naps during the day for ages (1 hour in the morning, 2-3 hours in the arvo!). about 2 months ago I made him drop the morning nap in an attempt to sort the early waking, but no change at all. He now still has his 2-3 hours after lunch - usually more like 2 hours than 3.

scotlian I too told our nanny not to let ds have any naps in the mornings, no matter how tired he is! She was fine about it.

I put up with him getting up at 5 for so long, had basically just given in to the fact that he is an early riser. But being pregnant again has changed my view...tiredness and also the thought of having a newborn, feeding at night and then getting up at 5....does not sound nice!

Good luck for tonight scotlian and thanks for the advice ceebee

my night didn't go to plan, unfortunately ...he woke up and started screaming. I ended up having to take him to bed with me where it took an hour to get him back to sleep.

I don't know if I stirred him too much?! Is him moving his head once or twice enough or should there be more stirring? I continued to move him a little, at which point he woke up and wouldnt settle anymore.

Will try again tonight anyway. It's good I said I'd report back on here though as otherwise I might ust ignore my alarm clock :O

Hope your night went better than mine, Scotlian!

Oh no! Everyone's worst nightmare! Maybe you did stir him too much?

I have better news to report: ds woke at random early o'clock - you know, when it's so early you don't even bother to check if it's within the "allowed" bracket - and complained for a few minutes then slept til quarter to 7! So it does look like naps are connected to early waking in his case...although I too had tried tweaking naps without doing wake to sleep and, like with you Timsmama, it hadn't made any difference.

Thanks Ceebee74 for childminder feedback. I hadn't thought of it that way. I'll tell her next Tuesday for sure.

Ridiculous pg tiredness..looks like I'll be asleep before 9 again tonight ladies. The Scotlian household is really where the party's at

Meant to say good luck for tonight Timsmama

no such luck last night either This time I def did not stir him too much though! I went in quietly, stood there and didnt even touch him at all as he stirred by himself. I walked out and he started screaming.

I think I will wait for dh to come back. Maybe he has more luck than me

I have heard people say that their DCs are just too light sleepers for this. Maybe yours is? Could you try just opening and closing his door or flushing the toilet or something to stir him without waking him??

Just also wanted to check, could it be a nap timing/routine issue? If my DS (14 months) sleeps too much in the morning or too early in the morning, he tends to wake earlier. Also if he is overtired at bedtime, he tends to wake yelling at EXACTLY 10 hours after going to sleep.

What's your DS doing about naps these days, timsmama?

Hi MomOrMum!
Ds2 has a long nap between 12-2or3. Then he goes to bed between 7pm and 7.30. I made him drop his morning nap a while ago in an attempt to get him to sleep longer. Any later he would be overtired. Maybe is is too light a sleeper - on the other hand he has slept through ds1 screaming at night when he was ill or is he has a nightmare. Their rooms are right next to one another to surely he would wake up then too?!
I might try just opening and shutting his door though.
What other methods are there that I could try to get him to sleep longer? I am feeling so anxious about this pregnancy and baby arriving, and partly due to ds2's early waking . Dh is usually away during the week, thus I will have to manange the mornings on my own!

Poor Timsmum

I wonder if you could try going in to rouse him not an hour before he usually wakes but a bit earlier/later? Say 2 hours before, or half an hour before? Don't know why I suggest that really other than he might be in a very light sleep precisely an hour before he's going to wake so he might be more prone to waking and screaming. If that makes sense. I know that with my ds 15 mins after he's fallen asleep bulldozers in his room won't wake him; anytime from 5am onwards sees us tiptoeing past to go pee like teenagers getting home late.

Really hope something works soon for you! Keep us posted!

How are things going?