[MamaHippo]

Not sure if this is a Toddler issue or a Nighttime Parenting one, so mods, please move if necessary..

My son is 2 now. He nurses to sleep around 8 pm each night, and sleeps in a crib now ( long story, but we had to move him from the family bed at 17 months). Just recently he has begun waking up for the day at 5 am. As in, he's bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to start his day at 5 am. thats just too early for me. We used to be up around 6:30, and that was ok for me. But 5 is too early. I've tried putting him to bed later (still gets up at 5, only cranky), nursing him back to sleep (sleeps for 5 mins and then screams to get up again), putting him in bed with me to nurse (nurses a bit then rolls around trying to play), and (shame, shame) putting him back in the crib and telling him its not time to get up yet, and leaving him alone. NOTHING WORKS. he still naps once a day in the early afternoon, for about an hour. I dont drink caffeine or anything that night cause wakefulness.
I'm about at the end of my rope, as is DH. He has to get up very early for work and cherishes those last hours of sleep that DS is now doing away with.
Any advice? What am I doing wrong?

Lisa

 

[gmvh]

Are you sure this isn't my son? Lately his wake up time has been, oh, 330! If he does nurse back to sleep, he will remain latched on until my back can't take it any longer and I just get up with him. I've seen several similar threads and no one seems to have any advice other than make the room darker. I don't know about you, but my early riser is up early no matter the light or time he goes to bed. Help!!! Someone? Help!!!

 

[DBZ]

What's his bed time? Maybe it's too early.

My oldest used to do this. She still does too. I'm glad now because she gets up and is off to school without any assistance. Back in the day I would tell her that she wasn't allowed to leave her room before the sun came up. Those were some tough years, because I don't like getting up early.

If it doesn't matter what time bed time is or how dark the room is in the AM then you probably are just blessed with an early riser.

 

[CJ 5]

We blacked out the windows because my daughter never slept well. Now she sleeps fine even for naps.

 

[BookGoddess]

My daughter does something similar. She falls asleep like clockwork around 8 pm then around 3:30-4:00 am she wakes up! Fortunately, she will go back to sleep if I rock her to sleep. No fun for me but I'm getting used to being sleep-deprived. After she falls asleep she wakes up again around 6 a.m. or so.

 

[gen_here]

My son also goes to bed at 8, and he was waking up when the sun started coming up - about 5:30 this summer! That made for an irritable toddler (and mama), so my husband put tinfoil up on his windows to block out the light. It has made a WORLD of difference - he's now back to sleeping until 9 or 10 - quite normal for him since he only takes one short nap.

 

[catgirl1007]

No advice. It's happening here, too. Maybe it's a 2 year toddler phase? We've tried bedtimes of 6:30, 7:00, 7:30 and 8:00. No matter what she still wakes up at 5:45-6:00. I would be okay with 6:30, but 5:45 is killing us. She sits up straight in bed and says, "All done night night". If I ask her to snuggle or lay on my pillow she flips out. So we get up.

Sorry about not having advice, but you aren't alone.

 

[crl]

DS went through a stage of waking at 4am. Too early.

We did the room darkening shades, white noise (to help block out the birds outside his window) and got him an alarm clock. I told him it was not morning until the alarm went off and did not let him get out of bed (or get him milk or food) until it went off. I did stay in his room with him, but I laid down on a mattress on the floor and refused to interact with him. I started with 4:30am and gradually moved the alarm to 6am.

Not sure if any of this actually worked or he just outgrew it. . . .

Good luck!
Catherine