# Early waking



## GoofyGirl (Apr 1, 2013)

Hi all
Any advice with early morning waking please?
DS just 2 yo. He and his sis been here over 4 months. He always woke up about 6.30 babbling and I'd get up get quick shower and then get him up about 6.45. 
Anyway last 6 weeks he's been waking at 5 - 5.30am. And he wakes up crying (loudly). 
We've been going in to him, soothing, not engaging but laying him back down over and over, tried giving a bottle in case he's hungry, but he settles for 5 minutes each time then starts crying again. He seems wide awake but then he's falling asleep as soon as we go out in buggy say around 10.00 am. 
No significant changes took place around the time he started this new routine so we can't attribute it to anything. He has a blackout blind and has never had a night light. 
He naps from 1-3pm (unless we've been out in buggy in the morning and he sleeps then instead) but most days it is 1-3pm. And he does sleep well then. 
We tried not giving him the nap but he still wakes up early and then he's so grumpy all afternoon it doesn't work. 

Maybe this is something we have to live with? But me n DH are exhausted as often one or other LO wakes in night too, but are quickly soothed back to sleep in that case. 
I really don't fancy going to bed at 9 as we only get DD off to sleep at 8pm (we have to stay with her whilst she drops off) and then chores etc would mean no time to self at all. 
DH shares all of this with me so not on my own. 

Desperate for more sleep. As some of you know I've been struggling with things and this isn't helping one bit. Any time I do get to myself I spend sleeping but it's never enough. 

DS has delayed speech and comprehension so I don't think the gro clock or similar would work for him. 
Thank you 
GG xxxx


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## littlepoppy86 (Feb 14, 2014)

My Lo is 23months, recently he took a change from waking at his usual 7am to around 5-6...this was made difficult because his baby bro has us up from 2am-4am so that little bit extra till 7 was needed! We started just leaving him to it and he'd have a play but he wasn't screaming like yours is. Is your lo in a bed or cot? Ours is in a bed an he just has a little play in the mornings now and he's back to waking between 7-8am so the early mornings didnt last long. 

Does the screaming stop when you go in? If you was to go in, settle him then leave would be in hysterics do you think? 


X


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## Lorella (Jan 10, 2013)

Big hugs. Sleep deprivation is a killer and I especially struggle with LO getting up anytime before 6 as I don't sleep well myself. 

Our LO goes through phases of waking up early and I am pretty sure I've decided now it's to do with her teeth. Like you I tried changing nap times, going to bed later etc but nothing seemed to work. After a few wks she just started sleeping later again. She also for some reason always wakes early on a Monday. We think it's because early leVers for work wake her up. Is his room at the front? Maybe a neighbour has had a change to routine? 

Sorry not much help I'm afraid but you are not alone Hun and I totally understand how knackering it can be xxx


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## Mouseycat (Oct 25, 2011)

Hi GoofyGirl

We had this when LO had been home for about 3 months, not just early wake up but waking up in the night, sometimes 9/10 times, and as you describe, would settle once we went to him.  We were exhausted! It last nearly 3 months.  I had suggestions of trying different things, someone suggested to look back at any significant changes LO may have had at this time of year in the past.  This helped to at least explain why it may have started.  
We just kept going into him, as we felt he needed it for whatever reason, either testing us, checking he was still in the same house,that we would always go to him, etc and kept his nap the same time/duration, it's better now, the majority of nights he sleeps through, waking up about 7.
Sorry I haven't got any handy tips, hopefully it's a phase that will settle shortly.
X


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## GoofyGirl (Apr 1, 2013)

Thank you peeps

Little poppy thanks, he's in a cot bed with full cot sides as otherwise no way would he stay in bed but actually we could put a gate on his door and give him toys in his room. Might be an idea. He likes to be a 'big boy' and to be like his older sister. 

Lorella thanks yes it's hard being tired all the time. Can't thing of anything that's changed but we can hear trains from our house and they start very early maybe it's those as he has recently taken a keen interest in trains. But can't block the noise. Hope it is a phase. 

Mouseycat that's interesting cos it started for him after 3 months too. Really hope he will get through it too and start sleeping through. Like you we always go in cos want him to know we are here and he can rely on us. 

Will try to think of quiet toy he can have in cot or change him to a bed and let him play in his room if it carries on. 

Thanks GG xxx


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## littlepoppy86 (Feb 14, 2014)

I was really surprised how easily the transition from cotbed to bed went...Also we are lucky that he can't quite reach the handle to escape hahaxx


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## Barbados Girl (Jul 7, 2012)

GG, would it help if you brought him into bed and had a snuggle? Sometimes Pixie just needs some extra comfort and reassurance.


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## GoofyGirl (Apr 1, 2013)

LPoppy Unfortunately he can reach the handle but I think we might put a stair gate on his door. 
BG we do sometimes bring him into ours but he gets over excited and won't even settle for a cuddle. Maybe if we keep doing it it might be less exciting being in mum n dads room.


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## Barbados Girl (Jul 7, 2012)

Sometimes Pixie too! Finger up the nose, in the eye...you get the picture!


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## dandlebean (Feb 24, 2013)

DS has started waking really early too...between 4am and 5am   He used to sleep until 7am and I didn't realise how lucky we were! 

It's probably terrible parenting, but we give him an old iPad to play on (as he just isn't interested in conventional toys). He watches videos of people opening Kinder Eggs on YouTube (won't watch TV, but loves these for some reason) and it keeps him quiet for an extra 45 mins - just enough for me to doze off and feel like I can function afterwards. 

I am now thinking that it might have been a bad idea though, as he seems to wake up earlier and earlier! Weirdly, the earlier he wakes, the more hyperactive he is during the day. 

We're going to try just putting him back to bed every time he gets up and hope he gets used to the fact that he's not coming out of his room until we get him at 7am. There are toys in his room but he doesn't seem interested in them, so I'm hoping that eventually he'll stop getting up and just go back to sleep. We've tried bringing him into our room but he's way too excited. It may sound mean to force him back to bed, but he's getting overtired and his behaviour is definitely worse when he's up really early, so for everyone's benefit I think tough love is the way forward for us. I do feel for our neighbours though as he does NOT like being put back in his room! Hopefully it won't take too long for him to get the message though


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## GoofyGirl (Apr 1, 2013)

Well this morning he woke at 5.15 so I gave him some milk whilst I quickly got some joggers on and I laid on his floor on an airbed, got myself comfy with pillows n blankets and he settled, kept groaning now n then but I held his hand and we both slept through till 8am!!!!! DD woke at 7 but I settled her and she got up at 8.30!! It was DH turn for a lie in and he had a great sleep as didn't hear anything at all 
Not ideal as my bed is much comfier but at least I got 2 more hours. 
Dandle - the books all say that is the best way ie keep putting them back in bed till they get the message but can take a few weeks. It's been 6 weeks for us and no progress but DS isn't getting out of bed just waking up crying. 
It's exhausting isn't it? 
BGirl haha yes I can imagine. Our DS jumps on the bed, grabs everything in reach, tries to break everything. And squeals!!


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## dandlebean (Feb 24, 2013)

Yay, I'm SO glad you got a bit more sleep   Great idea with the airbed. 

I realised that I've been a bit lazy in giving him the iPad, so tomorrow I'm going to start putting him back to bed. When we tried it before the iPad, he'd scream and cry and bang on his door and throw things in his room, which woke DD...who then cried and had to come in our room. She's quite good and will lie fairly quietly with us, but DS can't sit still for a second and he talks non-stop. The only volume he has is LOUD...which sounds even louder at 4am. But it feels really unfair to have DD in our room and not let him come in, so it's either both in their rooms or both in ours. And she makes herself sick if we leave her to cry. So I'm rather dreading the next week or two but I really want him to start sleeping more, as he's been getting so tired and grouchy


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## GoofyGirl (Apr 1, 2013)

Good luck dandlebean, it's no fun at that hour is it?  
Your DS sounds like ours


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## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

Wyxling is four and a half and hell would freeze over before she allowed herself to be put back to bed in the morning, if I persist we end up with a nightmare for the whole day.  She also simply can't settle in our bed and fidgets/twitches horrendously which drives my husand round the bend so that's a no go for us most days.  This morning she woke particularly early and I put her back, at which point she did a poo in her nappy pants in protest at Mummy's attempt to have a lie in (i.e. past 5:30 am on a Sunday).

In the winter they sleep fine, also on week days when we have to get up I drag them up a lot of days, but at the weekend in summer Wyxling invariably wakes at the crack of dawn.  Light is definitely part of it, I used to have black out blinds but they're in Bladelet's room now as he gets the morning sun, so I'm going to get more!


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## dandlebean (Feb 24, 2013)

Oh no, poor you Wyxie. I thought protest vomit was bad but poo is even worse   

I thought light was the problem for us, so we blacked out DS's windows with tinfoil. We probably looked like drug dealers or something but I was so desperate for sleep so didn't care! Sadly, it didn't help in his case   

Last night I explained to him that he wasn't having the iPad in the morning and that when he woke up, he had to try and go back to sleep as he's getting tired from waking up so early. I also told him he mustn't come into our room but must stay in his bed until I come to get him. I heard him get up at 4am and open his door and was just waiting for him to come charging into us. We usually leave the iPad outside his room but hadn't today, so I was expecting screams and tantrums. However, all I heard was him huff and puff and slam him door closed again. I'm not sure what he did, but he didn't come into ours and I was so pleased I lay awake unable to believe it.  Inevitably, it didn't last and he came in at 5am - better than 4am but still pretty horrible. Without the iPad incentive, he simply wouldn't go back to his room and there were some major tantrums and screams when I tried to make him. Although I had great intentions yesterday about being firm and persevering, at 5am I just can't face dealing with it and I also worry about the neighbours being woken up. So I caved in and he stayed in my room, clambering all over me and chatting (shouting) away until DD woke up from all the noise and started crying, at which point I had to get up. At least he didn't mind too much about the iPad though and I should be glad that he did go back to bed for that precious hour. I would not have been impressed if he'd come in at 4am!


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## Duckling (Oct 5, 2009)

I totally get about the returning to bed over and over just not working. We had a 4.30 start this morning (a brilliant day is 5.40? ) 
I have really really tried telling our ds it is not time to get up, go back to sleep. I've tried a story cd (which did work when he was younger, but not now), we have a blackout blind, it happens even in the dead of winter, we've tried the gro clock which really freaked him out! I even get into bed with him. But he is so wide awake and so so determined ...
All I can do is sympathise I'm sorry. It's so frustrating though reading advice saying no child should get away with getting up at that time  . Ds is 4 and I think the more stressed he is, the earlier he wakes. It's having a bad effect on his behaviour and mine!
So I'm of no help, just empathy and  . X


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## Anjelissa (Jan 11, 2007)

Just wanted to send more support and sympathy 
Our little man woke at a reasonable hour (about 6.30am-7am) until he reached about 3, and since then we have pretty much had 4.00am/4.30am starts for the past few years.
He's now almost 6 and waking at about 5.15am (so a bit better).
We've tried absolutely everything under the sun (or rather 'under the moon' at that ridiculous hour), and had varying degrees of success, but all short lived. We've had loads of advice (from other parents and professionals) and have pretty much given everything a go.  
We've now just resigned ourselves to the fact that he's an early riser and hoping it slowly starts to get later.

People say, 'oh don't worry you wont be able to get him out of bed when he's a teenager'.
Oh that's ok then, only another 7 years of sleep deprivation to go    

Like Duckling and so many others have said, all I can do is sympathise, and hope your lo starts to sleep in later, I certainly know how tough it is  

x x x


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

I am so feeling the early riser pain. Wee man is anything from 5 onwards and we too have tried everything - blackout blinds, gro-clock, piriten to break the cycle, wake to sleep - all with very limited success. Our current 'venture' is white noise! We have a fan running through the night and this morning we had a 6.05 wake up...woooohoooooo!!!! 

Sympathy and hugs to you all xxx


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## dandlebean (Feb 24, 2013)

I've heard good things about white noise - but keep forgetting to try it! Thanks for the reminder Flash


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