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EARLY WAKING

Hello,

I am writing this on behalf of a work colleague who has two sons, one has just turned three (Alfie) and the other is just over a year old (Louis). She also has two step daughters who are much older.

Alfie used to sleep well but in the last six months he has started waking frequently during the night and coming into her room.  (She used to have a stair gate on the bedroom door so he could not get out but he then used to stand there shouting resulting in him waking up Louis the baby).

Two or three times every night he comes into her room wanting to get in her bed, she returns him to bed each time  but he now wakes up at 4.30 am and if she didnt get him up he would scream and wake up the house hold.

I have suggested to her perhaps to try one of the clocks that show LO's when it is time to get up and when it is still time to sleep but they cost £30 and before spending that kind of money - wondered if anyone else has one and if it works?  If not does anyone else have any recommendations for her that may work?

 He doesnt nap in the day and goes to bed at 7pm, I have suggested maybe a slightly later bed time perhaps/

I know lots of children are very early risers but not sure that this is enough sleep for a healthy toddler.

 Any advice or help for her would be gratefully appreciated, I am lucky (touch wood!!) with harry as he stays in his bed although he does like to get up early some mornings it goes with the territory!

Replies

  • Hi , not really an "expert" on this ( !!!!!) have 2 lo's 3 + 5  - my eldest is like me and can normally sleep for England image)))   my littlest is like daddy and a really light sleeper - and was waking really early and once she's up everyone else has to be too ( not much fun at 6 on a Saturday ...................)  She is now at Nursery every morning so the  problem has been solved at the moment as she is exhausted !!!!! SHe still occasionally wakes in the middle of the night and she too can scream if doesn't want to go back - not fun in the middle of the night !!!

       When she was waking I did  look into the clock , but as you say it was really expensive and no guarenatee that would work -  if she begins waking again I am looking into getting a lamp / night light etc and putting it on a timer and they can only come out of the bedroom once the light is on ( apart from emergencies obviously !!!!) 

     Something else I have found that does work a litle is having a box of "bedroom toys " that  they only play with in the morning in their bedroom ( specially chosen to be quiet and calm and things they can do on their own !!!)

    Hope it helps a little . xxxx

  • I'm like you Charmaine blessed with horizontal boys!!!! But I would try what you suggested,either a special clock pointing out sleep times/awake times or a later bed time,maybe only half hour and perhaps a little more fresh air in the day-makes mine exhausted!!!!

    Good luck to her,very stressful surviving on minimal sleep.

  • Thank you.... will pass onn your comments to Alexia.

    I am lucky now with Harry, he gets up between 6-7 but usually 630 but usualy once he is in bed that is pretty much it unless poorly - however I struggled A LOT with him as a baby and didnt get more than a couple of hours sleep in one go - if i was lucky and spent most of my night out of bed - for SEVEN MONTHS!  thankfully it doesnt last for ever but you do feel like a zombie!

  • I'm lucky with mine.They have mostly always slept well.They all loved routine,and I'm a big fan of special teddies,raggies,and music boxes,anything that will help them settle and they actually look forward to bed.

    The early waking isn't too much of a problem.We do keep some toys in their room.Two of them have nightlight/torch things.Don't know if something like that might help.Or maybe stickers or stars for staying in his own bed.

    My earliest riser is Arthur.He gets up around 6ish at the earliest,but he's an age that he can come down set the pc up and play for a short while.Did notice the Cookie Crisp breakfast cereal slowly disappearing last week thoughimage.No wonder he wasn't hungry for breakfast.

  • LOL,

    I think 6 is reasonable. 5 very early any earlier still the middle of the night!

    Harry the last few days has started waking at about 7 - really throwing me,so not used to geting up that late!!

  • I dont know what I'd do with a child that didn't like sleepimage you watch this one be a horror awake when should be asleep and vice versa!!!!! Mine have always gone down between 7-7.30and slept til 7am,that's a job to get them up thenimage

    Even as babies well Jc was a slight ratbag for a while,but the minute he shared with Tom it endedimage god I'm so lucky!!!!! Bless you Charmaine,7 months is a long timeimage

  • It was tough going thats for sure, I didnt realise how exhausted i was until i got my first good nights sleep and felt like a whole new person image   I blame BF partley as I never knew if he was hungry or tired so fed and then got into a thing of needing me to feed to get back to sleep.  THats one thing I hate about BF you never know how much they are getting in anyone go.

    Hopefully your new baby will follow suit and sleep well, you sound like a laid back person which always helps I think!!

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