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NO MORE 5:30 wake-ups, please!

515 views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  Heavenly 
#1 ·
DS, 17mo has never been a good sleeper. In the last few months, however, he's occasionally slept through the night and now sleeps, at least, considerably longer stretches. He nightweaned at 14mo and around then also moved to his own room. Both of these helped DRAMATICALLY with his sleep.

Our next frontier: he is now consistently waking between 5am and 5:30am. This does not work for us. DP is starting back to work as a teacher this week, I'm in grad school/home with DS (but with no time to nap, as I have to work when/if he sleeps). This wakeup routine is making us exhausted and frustrated and slightly resentful. It doesn't really work for us to go to bed much earlier (other than tonight
we're usually in bed by 10pm -- just enough time to eat, clean, and relax for half an hour together in the evenings.

Here's what we've tried: room darkening shades, not going in to DS immediately (unless he's crying -- just little noises, we wait to see if he'll go back to sleep), going and lying with him, telling him it's not yet time to get up, later bedtime, less daytime sleep, earlier bedtime, more daytime sleep, teething tablets, milk in the middle of the night. WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO????

help!
megin
 
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#2 ·
Maybe someone else will have an idea, but if have to tell you that our pediatrician who is the famous author of that CIO book said that for some kids this age 5 a.m. is just their biological time to get up, and there is noththing you can do about it. So you know if HE is saying, you have to go to your kid at 5 a.m....

His suggestion was to try to take turns with the early wake ups and that they should end within a few months. They did but boy were we tired!
 
#3 ·
I don't have a lot to offer here except for sympathy,
!

Our DS is 10 months but has already had two distint periods in his life where he got up early, WAYYYY early! I think the earliest was 4:37. I went nuts and bought all the sleep books (my dh calls that shelf the "sleep library") and we tried everything. Without much success.

I guess the only suggestion I have is to try whatever you try consistently. We went through some weeks where we would try to keep him up later, but then the next night he would be so tired that we would put him to bed earlier, etc. etc. More recently we moved his bedtime to 1/2 hour later and he pretty consistently sleeps until 6:30.

And I totally agree with PP that the only way to get through it is to take turns getting up with him. My dh would often get up with ds, put him on the floor with some toys, and then snooze next to him (maybe not so easy if your dc is crawling). Whatever works!
 
#4 ·
BTDT! Wow, do I know this problem! Ds, who is 14 months, only just began, within the past month, to sleep until 6-6.30am. For the past 6-7 months, he NEVER slept past 5.30am!

I have also tried every single remedy you have tried, to no avail. Sorry I cannot offer much more, but I completely understand your situation.
 
#5 ·
I'll be reading this thread, wish I had some advice. My dd is also a 5:00 waker, and it used to be as early as 4:30! And not, oh, wake up and nurse for an hour, it was wake up and EAT! "Mama, EAT!" she'd demand at the foot of our bed. (we co-sleep, so there was no way to ignore it...)

My mom told me I woke up at 5:00 my entire childhood. And I remember that. So I expect my 2.5 yo dd to wake up at 5:00 throughout her years as I struggle to get some sleep.

We tried to put her to sleep later, that didn't work. Earlier didn't work either. I mean, even when she would go to bed at 9:30pm she still woke up at 5:00.

Now, however, she will wake up around 5:00 mostly (sometimes as late as 6:30!!! woo hoo!!) and nurse for an hour. It's great, I can go back to sleep, she dozes, and we get up with the sun. I am loving it! However, I can see how that would totally suck with your schedules.

So again, I wish I had advice besides going to be when your dc does. That's what I do sometimes and am amazed at how rested I feel...

Good luck!
 
#6 ·
My oldest DS is 2.7 yo and for about 4-5 months now has gotten up between 5-5:30 am. He's always an early riser, but this is WAY early for us. We also co-sleep AND DS has been sleep-challenged from birth. So, it's been difficult. It is a banner day if he sleeps 'til 6.

I have no solution-hope you get some other ideas. DS doesn't watch much tv, but this early am hour is when he does. The rule is that it doesn't go on until 6am (earlier seems so uncivilized!). Then, he watches Pooh, Bear, etc. in our bedroom for about 1.5 hours while we wake up and DH gets ready for work. Not a solution, but what we do....

I have to agree that I think it's just my DS's bio clock that makes him an early riser. Someone said to me about this, "well, I wouldn't stand for it". Which is such a ridiculous thing to say-what do you do? Give them sleeping pills? Strap them in bed???

Best of luck to you...
 
#7 ·
My daughter is 22 months and she does the same thing. It is rare day she sleeps until 6. I am going insane with it too but luckily my husband doesn't leave until 7:30 am so I get up with her from 5:15-6:15 and then I get him at 6:15 and he takes her and I go back to bed until 7:20. Its not a great arrangement but it works for now. I am very worried about the time change next month though because that would be 4:15 am! Yikes!
 
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