Grrrr why won't he sleep like his sister?

[fleadle]

DS is 16 months now & I would love to know if there is a way to get him to wake later in the mornings.

The problem is, that I think he is waking up tired. He wakes usually just before 6am (so rude LOL) & "bimbles" in his cot for about 1/2 hr while I try to wake up & then go & fetch him. But once he is up, all he seems to do is cry, whnge, rub his eyes & yawn....so frustrating for EVERYONE in the house.

Poor DD is getting woken about an hour & 1/2 earlier than she would if she were left to sleep without DS making such a racket. This is catching up on DD & she is really tired most of the day as I can't get her to nap before she goes to pre-school at 1pm.

SO it's leaving me with 2 tired & grumpy babies.....and grumpy tired me!

I am trying at the moment to shift his nap to later in the day & shorten it, but it seems to make no difference.

Even last night we all went out to a concert & babies didn't go to sleep til nearly 9pm (usually 7pm), DS STILL woke at 5.45 this morning....AGhhhhhhhh, DD is sleeping soundly. This morning is dark & no birds singig cos it's raining, so it's not sunrise or birds waking him like i thought it might be.

Any ideas PLEASE!!! I'm SO frustrated.

[em_here]

Hi there, big hugs, can you post his daily routine?

[fleadle]

WELL....

DD was at pre-school in the mornings so until the new year it was like this:

wake up 5.45 / 6am
breakfast & play
nap at 10.30 -11.45
lunch
play
snack
5pm dinner
7pm bed


However, things have changed because pre-school can only fit DD in in the PM, but I thought this might work to my advantage...so

5.45 / 6am wake up
breakfast & play
lunch 11.45/12pm
take DD to pre-school for 1pm, try & keep DS awake
he falls asleep in the car on way back at about 1.05pm
move him from car to bed & let him have total sleep of about an hour
snack
play
collect DD from pre school
5pm dinner
7pm bed


it doesn't seem to matter what the routine is or how much / little sleep he has had, he always wakes at the same time. I have been awake before him numerous time to see if there is a "trigger" to his waking but I can't hear anything.

thanks Emma Lou

[em_here]

Hi again, I would guess he is very ot, what variations have you tried? I would say he needs a longer nap in the day, maybe 12 - 2, I know it must be so tough..... I would say the early wakings have probably been caused by the first routine where he was only having the one small nap, that leaves a very long a time, which I would think would lead to over tiredness, which would contribute to early wakings.... Is there any way that as this situation means DD has to go to pre school at 1pm, that you could get him to sleep a little longer say until 2:30pm? Tracey always said with toddlers that to wake them up if they are still asleep beyond 2:30pm, to enable them to still be tired at night. The 1 1/2 hr nap could be worth a try

Some babies just are early risers but anything could be worth a try 

[fleadle]

Hmmm I hear what you're saying, I have been through a phase where I would go out in the car in the PM just for him to get a little nap because I also thought he was overtired.

I have to take DD to Pre-school at 1pm so leave the house at 12.45, so really I can only give him a sleep between 1.05 & 3pm.....do you think it's worth a try or is this too late for him to be tired by bed time at 7pm?

I don't really want them having later bedtimes because DH doesn't get home until 7/7.30 & it's the only time we ever get to be together on our own & because of DS early waking I want to be in bed by 9pm!

[em_here]

I would certainly give it a try, if it doesnt work with the 1 1/2 to 2hr nap then at least you have tried it and can rule it out as being a solution xxx Big hugs you must be shattered.

[fleadle]

Ok, so I drove DD to pre-school, kept DS sort of awake the whole way, he could barely keep his eyes open bless him.

Then I get back in the car after dropping her off & he suddenly turns into a little sprite, kicking & laughing (I'm sure I saw his eyes glow RED), I drive all the way home & put him in bed & he WONT sleep (time now 1.40pm) have even given him a bottle to try & get him to sleep, but no he is playing....

He will not sleep now until I collect DD at 4.30pm, but he'll probably have 10 mins & that's it.

Can you sell babies on e-bay? LOL

[fleadle]

Well, I left him in his cot cos basically I am selfish & wanted half an hour to myself...he wasn't crying so I figured ok!

Anyway he has fallen asleep (2pm)...think I will leave him & keep fingers crossed he will sleep at 7pm.

[em_here]

Oh big hugs!!! Good luck honey x

[fleadle]

Well I woke him at 3.30pm cos I was worried he wouldn't sleep at 7pm.

He did go to sleep at 7pm but woke again at the same time this morning.

I am going to continue with later naps, also I am moving dinner time til later & breakfast til later just in case it is hunger that is waking him.

I'll see how we go over the next couple of weeks.

[Petra-Kate]

*Hugs* 

How long do you let your son play in his crib before you get him?  My son often takes awhile to settle himself - up to a half hour.  If he isn't crying, I don't worry about it.  (I don't think you were selfish to take that half hour for yourself! We all need and deserve a little time to ourselves.) 

Another thought - does bimble mean he is just playing in his crib?  If so, my son would do that around 5:30 am. Drove me crazy for awhile.  My pediatrician said "If he isn't crying - leave him be. He might play awhile and then go back to sleep."  I thought "Yeah right what do you know?" Um apparently more than me...my son would play for up to an hour and then put himself back to sleep.  (Then I remembered dear old Pedi has 5 kids!)  I learned to doze through unless he was crying and eventually the play time became shorter and he woke up later. 

I don't know if that will work with your son but I thought I would share just in case.

Hope everyone starts getting more sleep! 

[fleadle]

Yeah he does play in his cot for about half an hour & we just leave him, then he starts throwing his dummies out of the cot, if I go back in & give him his dummies then walk out he just screams.....by that time DD is awake too & there is no way he would go back to sleep....I don't think.

Worth a try though!