Support and Chat thread for moms of early waking toddlers

[DebLillian]

Regmom- We're in the same boat.  If I don't get Lillian when she wakes to take her to the potty she soils herself and then definitely won't go back to sleep... have not found a solution yet

[RegMum]

As always, it seems that just as I am reaching my breaking point, things get better.  DD seems to be feeling better, although she still has her off days and I think the teething monster is still lurking.  2 weeks without vomiting is a record for us in recent months, so fingers crossed there. 
Three consecutive days of wake to sleep worked to postpone her wake until at least 5:55 (I tickled her 45 min before her expected wake up), and since she has improved further to wake after 6:30. Unfortunately she is not sleeping much more, as she is really fighting going down in the evening and taking relatively short naps (about 1:20).
She seems to be extremely wound up at bed time, so we are going to try going back to reading stories in a chair with Mum or Dad rather than reading on her big girl bed - as for the past few nights all she wants to do is run around the bed, jump off, climb up and repeat.  Again, I will keep you all posted.

[Melsy]

How is everyone doing lately??

Just wanted to come and vent.  Aidan woke at 5.45am today (I know for some of you that would be a sleep in!) but #2 (who is nearly 5 months) had to be woken at 8.30am today.  Grrrr... why can I only get one child who likes to sleep??    So I had nearly 3 hours with the older one before the baby was even awake.     Very frustrating!  Plus I have started to do some night shift work a couple of nights a week and am sooooo tired, wish they made some (safe!!!!) sleeping drugs for kids, just so I could use on my night shift nights!!   

Melissa

[LisaM]

Melissa

I am with you on the safe sleeping tablets...my dad swears by brandy in their milk- haven't resorted to this yet!!!

DD2 has been worse again this week with 4.30am yesterday and 4.10am this morning (although today she did doze off for 20 mins or so - but not good at all).  We are normally nearer to 5am these days and occasionally its 5.20-5.30am but we seem to be going backwards again. 

Hope others are getting more sleep.

[Layla]

Lisa, is she still on 2 naps?

Mel, big hugs! Isabella is an early riser too and we're finally getting molars through... one is all the way out and I can see one more making its way through. So we've been dealing with some nightwakings too

[LisaM]

Hi Layla

No she is on one nap now because she just stopped taking the afternoon one completely a while back now, even though I would prefer she still had two because that way she had more sleep.  She only has about 1.20mins on average but has always had less sleep than any averages I've seen.  I am still waiting for a magic 2 hour nap like dd1 used to have every day...think I may have a long wait. 

EW's have been around with us since she 'slept through'.  Still for us 5am is bearable after putting up with 4-4.30am for absolutely months on end!  Thank god she is a little sweetheart most of the time........well a sweetheart with massive temper tantrums when I tell her no!

[DanielandHarry]

My 2 are wearing me into the ground it is between 9 and 10 at night before I get them to bed, then H is up again at 5.30 and sleeps from 9.30/10ish for a good hour and half some times two hours. D needs to be woken about 8 to get him to nursery he goes 4 mornings a week. He breaks up this week for the summer so now is the time to do something before he starts school in september 9-3.25 right from the start, he will never manage on the amount of sleep he is getting at the minute. Help

[Layla]

Lisa, sorry I totally forgot to write back to you. What time is her nap and what time is bedtime???

D&H - is it just H that is waking up at 5.30am? He's 2 right? He takes 1 nap at 9.30-10am and then nothing until 9-10pm, which is when he goes to sleep?

[DanielandHarry]

Yes that right he sleeps for 1.5-2hrs, then is up for the rest of the day. To be fair once they go to sleep thats them till the morning but it is a very long tiring day.

[Layla]

It is a long day and I think he would probaby benefit from an earlier bedtime. My dd is 2 and her routine is something like this:

6am - wake
12-1.30/2pm - nap
7pm - bedtime

The av amount of sleep for toddlers is about 13hrs, so I would recommend an earlier bedtime... much earlier. Also you probably need to look at pushing out that nap so that its taken closer to 11.30-12pm and that way its in the middle of his day. The average amount of A time is anywhere from 5-6hrs... but in my opinion, 8.5-9hrs (which is how long he is up for if his nap only ends at 11.30am and he goes to sleep around 9am) is too long.

What do you think???

[RACHPEM]

We are getting 5.30 wake ups again and short naps , really could do with some guidance.  She was napping and sleeping at night better, I even got a few lie ins! Maya is 18 months now and we were aiming for a 11.30-12 nap depending on her wake up with bed around 6.30-7pm , again depending on how long nap was.  Most days she would sleep till 6-6.15, now I am lucky if she takes an hr nap and manages to get to 5.15am.  I have bought her day nap forward to 11 with an earlier nt but still cant break the OT.  Any help?
Rachael x

[LisaM]

Thats ok.  Unfortunately, our days and times of naps do vary as I have to do different times to fit with dd1 playgroup am and pm sessions.  I guess a typicalish day would be

WAke 5am
Nap 10.45am - 12.00
Bed 6.00pm

I know its not ideal and sometimes the nap is earlier and sometimes later.  I am going to use the summer hols to try and establish a better routine.  Dd1 starts school in Sept but will be on half days until December so I think I need to try and slowly push the nap until just after 12 when we have picked Phoebe up from school, its either that or the nap will need to be about 10ish each day and I feel thats too early cos if she only has an hour or so then bedtime is a very long way off.  What do you think - try to push out the nap later and later?  I am really hoping that by eventually getting a later nap time we might get later bedtime at some point if she starts napping for longer and in time a later wake up in the morning so that getting to 12.15ish won't be a real problem - 7 hrs is a long time up and I hate doing it cos I know its too much really.

thanks
Lisa

[DanielandHarry]

@ I&J's mum
I agree compleatly once D has finished nursery I'll start trying to push the nap back, at the minute any later and it would run into pick up time.

[Layla]

Lisa, I do think a later nap would help . I would try 15mins later every couple of days and that way you can push bedtime later and hopefully she will start waking up later too .

D&H - try and earlier bedtime. I am not sure how is during the day, but if it were my girls, on an 8hr night, they would be a nightmare to deal with, lol. Even if you can't push the nap yet because of pick up time, you could put him to bed earlier to keep him better rested. And that way you only have 1 child to deal with until his bedtime.

Rachael - I am not sure what to suggest . Could she be teething? Do you take her out of the cot when she wakes that early? Have you tried ignoring her until 6am? For nap, if she's waking say 1hr into the nap every single day, you could try wake 2 sleep???

[RACHPEM]

Hi Layla.  I think she may be teething however I think we have prob had about 2-3 wks in 18months where she has slept through the night.  I dont take her out of the cot unless she is really upset, then I put her straight back down.  Last time I did wi/wo but that does not seem to help this time, she just gets more wound up.  I have to go into her , as she screams blue murder if I dont come to her.  With regards to naps, they are not always 1 hr , sometimes 1.15,1.20 and prior to the last 2wks could be 2-3 hrs.
Yesterday she took a 2 hr nap, went to bed 5.5 hrs later , woke at 11.30 for an hr then again at 4am! for an hr, I did manage to get her back to sleep at 5.30 til 6.30. So I really have no idea, and I am so tired!
What shoud I do?
Rachael x