5am start to day- it is killing me!

[roslily]

Ds is 8mo. We are currently co-sleeping, although he is more than happy to sleep in his own cot too.

Whichever way we do it he has decided that 5 am is a good time to start the day. Today it was 4.45am! He is still tired, as far as I can tell, but also smiley and wanting to play!

I am working full time as a teacher. I am finding it hard, as I can't even go to bed early as I do my work after he has gone to bed. Earliest I have managed is about 9.30pm.

Anyone got any suggestions? I have tried reintroducing dummy (he self weaned a few months ago), cuddling, not talking to him etc. But if I don't get him up to play he just starts crying.

4.30 this morning!!! chatting, happy. ignored ignored ( luckily she doesn't cry). think she drifted off back to sleep for about 30 mins at 5.30 ish. got her up about 6.30, AND SHE HAD DONE A BIG POO - AND I FELT REALLY BAD. bless her, she had just carried on merrily for ages. bad mumma.

gonna try the blackout blinds, as mine are supposed to be, but so much bloody light comes in, wonder why they are called that.have fixed one side, but will try the other one.

maybe i should turn the monitor off? but ,ike to know whats going on in there you know! plus she is just off 6 months, so still a tiddler really.

hope your night went better

p.s i live abroad - so am ahead of you guys for time!

bunny france, I bought a couple of meters of balckout lining which is part of my essential packing, along with passports and children.

I went to Malta when ds1 was 9 months old and the 'curtains' were transparent, and we were all up at 4.30 every day.

As soon as I got home I bought the balckout lining and take it every time I go away. 10 years later I still use it . it has been a godsend.

I just slightly open the window, pop in lining and shut the window, hey presto, dark room, no need to fiddle about with pegs or fixings. Never had a problem with it. (actually bought a pair of curtian linings so have 2 large pieces, has covered us for every eventuality over the last 10 years)

I have the gro blackout with attaches to any size window. Its good as no light comes round edges.

Well after an hour of backwards and forwards i brought him in with us at 4am and he slept til 6am. 6 is fine with me.

We don't have a monitor, but his room is right next door, so no chance i wouldn't hear him.

Great idea, ernest and roslily, I've ordered a gro blackout for our next trip!

bunnyfrance I think your point (about being wary of black out blinds conditioning your child to sleep in a dark room) is a good one.

However, if that does happen I would argue that if black out blinds help eliminate very early waking at home then at least thats the majority of mornings covered IYSWIM.

I have a travel black out blind called something like baa-baa black out blind. It attaches to windows using suckers and is great.

Ds is 3 and we used to use the blind when he was a baby, then we stopped as the mornings became darker and we didn't have a problem with early waking the following summer. However, he recently began waking between 5 and 6. I gave the blackout blind a go and its worked a treat.

My heart goes out to all of you dealing with really early morning wakings- its not easy I know.

Well well well...we've tried blackening out the room and DS has slept through twice in a row, I had to wake him at 6h30 this morning!! Obviously this is not enough to call it a trend, but still, two nights sleep and a bit of a lie-in (anything after 5h30 can be classed as that...) has done wonders for me looks!