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Early Riser Help

Hi All,

My LO is 8.5 months old and NEVER sleeps past 05:20. His waking time is between 04:30-05:20.

This just cant continue. I am an early riser by nature so would happily get up at 06:00am but 04:30-05:00 is simply breaking me. Me and OH argue as we have to go to bed super early then worry to let him cry in the mornings due to neighbours/OH having work etc.

I have decided enough is enough and I wont get him up for the day until 06:00am regardless of when he wakes. Today we have been awake since 04:20. I stuck with it and didnt get up with him until 06:00 however this mean 1 hour 40 mins of a constant battle.

I cant use cc method as he is standing in his cot and then will fall and bang his head etc so I cant just leave him for too long. I was doing PUPD.....this went on and on for 1 hour 4o mins...with possibly 40 PUPD's. He is not crying as such more 'screaming', he has no tears and the moment we leave his room he stops.

We have been doing this a week with no difference!

I have tried EVERYTHING, black out blinds, earlier to bed, later to bed, more food, only water blah blah blah........

I go back to work in 2 months and this will kill me as I work shifts.

Should I continue with the PUPD - can it even be used for the morning?

Please help a broken exhausted mummy who hasnt had a decent sleep in 8.5 months and is back to work in 2 months and wants to ttc in novemenber ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Thanks

p.s I would even be willing to pay an expert like the baby whisperer if she was still with us...thats how bad it is!!!

Replies

  • Hello - I don't have any advice i'm afraid but you're not alone Cameron will sleep until between 4.30 and 5.30 everyday without fail. I'm the same as you and don't get us properly up until at least 6am but spend sometimes and hour and half before that walking backwards and forwards from the nursery settling him so i'm still effecitvely getting up at the crack of dawn everyday. I tried offering a bottle in dark/quiet liing room and putting him back down but that didn't work, he just thought we were up for the day. I also tried putting him to bed an hour , and two hours later (normally goes to bed at 6.30pm) but that made zero difference - I just had less time in the evening and got up just as early! Has your LO always woken up so early or is it a new phase? xx
  • My lo is the same,he's 14 months now and still gets up at 4-5am (usually 4!). At 8months, i'd bring him into our bed and a feed would send him back off but by about 12 months he saw being in our bed as playtime. The only thing that occasionally works now is if i get into his cot with him and lie down, he'll sometimes nod back off xx
  • Sorry you're having a rough time image Sleep deprevation is hell. My LO wakes at 5.30ish and chats to himself but lately he's been awake at 5.15 - I ususally let him whinge on until 6am then I give him a bottle and put him back in his cot, I usually put his light show on then which sends him back to sleep (I have to put it on the floor now because when it was attached to the cot he used to think it was something to aim for and would kick the cot for hours if I let him!) Has he got any toys in his cot? My LO also has a glow worm that he tends to pick up and throw around (seems to wear him out a bit!)
    Black-out blinds are another thing - do you have these? I need to invest in some as LO used to sleep until 6.30 - 7am but since the mornings because lighter its been 5.30am!
  • Recently we have had same problem K - up at 5.24 this morning. Usually has a long nap later in which I catch up on sleep, but today it lasted 33 minutes.

    Oh my God P.Bob - don't tell me it'll last until 14th months!! I've convinced myself it's just a phase! xx
  • Is he going back for a nap quite soon after "getting up"? I.E is he tailing it onto his night sleep, so in effect does actually need the sleep or is he raring to go early and not bothered for a nap until mid-morning?

    DD goes through phases with what time she wakes and I've tried everything I can possibly think of. I hate the unpredicability. This morning was 4, left her too it she went back off then crying again at 4.45 then on/off until just after 6. I don't like to start the day before 6.30 so she doesn't get a "good morning" until then! x
  • I've read that not allowing a long morning nap can help this. Something about it meaning they have longer naps later on and are not so tired they go into a deep sleep as soon as you put them to bed and then wake up early having had enough sleep. Last couple of days Beth has actually totally refused morning nap and has slept til 7 the next day for the first time in ages (wakes briefly at about 5.30 but putting music on sends her back off pretty quick (touchwood!)

  • we have been having this i have resorted to putting him in bed with us where he proptly falls alseep until 8am??? i cant manage getting up at 4am, i perservered for 7 weeks going in and out until 7am and it made no difference and i go back to 12 hour shifts in a couple of months!!
  • I read this too, that you should limit their morning nap to no more than 30 mins and that it should not be before 9am and that might help them sleep longer at night.
    Don't know why! but might be worth a try if you haven't already.
    Hope you get some sleep soon. image
  • Thanks so much for the replies, stangely nice to know I am not alone.

    Bringing in him bed with us is major no no - he thinks it is play time haha

    He is also raring to go at 04.30-05.00 am - very happy and in his best mood of the day. Generally goes for a 1 hour nap at 08:30-09:00

    I suppose I could try reduce that to 40 mins.......

  • Try cutting the nap. Worth a try. Give it about 4 days to see if it's making a difference though.

    Right, am off to wake Beth as she's already had 45 minutes. Hate waking her image
  • It's weird but i've actually noticed that if my LO naps well during the day (1.5 hours in a morning and 30/45 mins in an afternoon) she doesn't wake as early the next morning!
    She's only had 30 mins this morning (grrr) so I'll be dealing with a grumpy baby and an early wake-up tomorrow!

    I don't understand why these babies don't like sleeping so much, can't get enough of it myself :lol:

    If you find a cure then please let us know lol x
  • Toby is like xKelly77x 's LO.
    If he sleeps well in the day and has good quality naps - i.e. in his cot at home - he sleeps really well at night and doesn't get up so early.
    He doesn't get great naps at nursery unfortunately so we are on watch anytime after 5.30am most days. It kills me - and I hate it so much because I can't get showered and ready for work / him ready for nursery etc...
    At the moment, we are going through a period of great daytime naps (on non nursery days), going to bed well and not hearing a peep from him at night. He's waking at 6.45am for the day which is a bonus for us.
    I just know that as soon as teething starts or he gets ill again - we'll be back to rubbish sleeps all round :cry:
    xxx
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