Might fairy lights help my 20 month old roll over and get some more sleep?!

[MummyToBen]

Hi ladies

I've searched old posts but I can't quite find what I;m looking for.....I know some people have had success with fairy lights on timers/gro clocks etc, and wondering if you can give me some tips please?

Ben is 20 months, v. sensitive to OT and often wakes tired, and yet is such a creature of habit that as soon as he wakes up he yells and wants to get out of bed  !  I don't think it helps that is bedroom is pitch black and so there's not really anything to tell him whether it's time to get up or go back to sleep  .  So, I am thinking of trying fairy lights on a timer, as I already have both in the house. 

Will it work with a lo this young or do they need to be older?
How do I go about introducing him to it, and explaining it?  Then what do I do when he wakes before they are on?
Do I use it for naps as well?

Would be nice to hear any success stories 

Thanks SO much,
Claire xx

[clazzat]

We have an IKEA light which comes on on a timer, and it has made a huge difference.  We gave it to E a couple of months ago (so when she was about 20 months) and she understood pretty quickly.  I think there were a couple of days when I had to go in while it was dark and wait with her (I think I said something along the lines of: we have to wait for the light to come on) and then make a big fuss about getting up because the light was on when it was time.  It really did only take a couple of days, and then she started to wait until the light was on and then when I went to get her she would point at the light.  It's not infallible, but it is unusual that we hear her before the light comes on now.

I thoroughly recommend it, and I really do think he is old enough.

[*Becky*]

Thanks Clare - I am going to try this too I think. Good luck Claire!

[LucySol]

The fairy lights on a timer were my solution to Daisy's EW.After almost 12 months of 5.30 wake ups after 4 days of the fairy lights coming on a timer she was sleeping so much better.
i started the timer coming on at 5.45 so she wasnt waiting for it for too long and then i gradually pushed it on a bit...i now have to wake her at 7am!!!! 

i did a lot of role play with D with her dolls.The dolls went to bed and when the lights came on i made a big fuss of 'morning time,we can get up!'  i never thought this would work i was very sceptical.i cant believe how quickly she got it too.she was 19 months i think when we did it.on the odd day she wakes before 7 i hear her chatting for a bit and as soon as the lights come on she shouts 'get me up,its morning time!!!'

[Sarah72]

Another one here with success. When I started I didn't go into him until the light came on, so just listened to his whining and chatting. Then when his light came on I went in and made a huge fuss of how clever he was. We only used it for nights which didn't seem to matter. What's funny now is if dh has a lie in, ds tells me he isn't up because his light hasn't come on! He totally gets it at 27mo.

Go for it, we noticed a difference really quickly.

[clazzat]

I would just say that I don't think E is getting any more sleep as she is always awake when we go through - I, on the other hand, am definitely getting more sleep!