Night weaned toddler waking up at 5.30am

[elsa1975]

 I night weaned my son(he will be 3 in january) about 4 weeks ago with big hopes that he will start sleeping through. He doesn't sleep through yet,usually wakes up  2-3 times. Somedays he just wants a cuddle or water some nights he wants the boob. I am fine with that and hope he will get there soon but he started waking up way  too early,between 5-6am. I think he gets up to breastfeed so I tell him he can only nurse when he hears the alarm at 7am. We cosleep and  I try to keep him in bed or at least in the bedroom giving him some toys and books so that he gets the message that the day has not started yet. But no,nothing is working. Even if I breastfeed him, he now won't settle back to sleep.

The thing is he then gets very tired around 11am and he goes to preschool 3 mornings and finishes at 12.30.By that time he is knackered. 

Also,when he naps, recently he started waking up in 10-15 minutes so I have to nurse him back to sleep.Fine by me but then he just won't let me go away. So no proper nap and a cranky toddler.

I am at my witts end and don't know what to do.If he naps for about 1 hour,he goes to bed late. If he does not nap, he falls asleep either on the sofa or on the buggy late afternoon when we are collecting my daughter from school and then up until 10pm.

When I had night weaned my daughter at the same age, it was such an easy transition.She had started sleeping through very soon. I was hoping for the same and I am at my witts end.I am all for child led weaning (DD has just self weaned a couple of months ago) but I started to consider weaning my son now as I am feeling so burnt out. I am also doing a training so stay up late for assignments and this sleep deprivation is no good for me.

Please help.

[greenemami]

oh boy.  No advice, just commiseration.  I tell my night-weaned 2.5 year old (3 in March) that he can nurse when the sun comes up-so he pops up at sunrise everyday, gleefully anounces "sun up!" and rips my shirt up.  Luckily (I guess!) this keeps him in bed and me dozing for another hour or so most days. 

He also has pretty much stopped napping most of the time-today was day 3 in a row with no nap, and that is pretty usual. He will probably nap tomorrow or the day after because he will be exhausted.  Same as your toddler, if he naps at all he is up super late, no nap he starts crashing around dinner time.  I have been putting him to bed at 7 on no nap days and he goes down like a little angel though, so there is that!

I had hoped that nightweaning would magically have him sleeping throug the night, but no such luck here either.  I will check back with advice from mamas who have actual advice, sorry, just wanted you know know you weren't alone! :)

[LadyCatherine185]

nightweaning hasn't been a "magic STTN" for my kids either. My 4 yo who has been completely weaned for 2 years still wakes up most night. :/ and my 23 mo, who has been completely weaned for about 4 months (milk dried up during this pregnancy) still wakes a lot.. and his schedule is also a mess, he is between napping and not napping and I really am having a tough time with it.

It sounds like your little guy could benefit from an earlier nap, though.