Need help, not coping very well.

[anna*]

Jenny thank you so much! 

It's interesting, I remember reading another thread on here, months ago, but made essentially the same point as yours, that the tiniest chink of light can stimulate wakefulness. I just nipped into Stan's room now to put away some laundry, he has a nightlight on now which I am trying to show the difference between time to wake and time to sleep (it has a bunny which wakes up at a given time). I could turn it off. Honestly I am worried that without any light at all he will be frightened because he won't be able to find his way to the door when he wakes up. His room is very dark (it's at the back of the house and of course blackout linings on the curtains), it really is pitch dark in there when he wakes at 5.30. I don't know, maybe I should try it tonight?

We've been doing a 5.5hr last A time recently which worked for a time but last night he was back to 9.5hrs sleep

Hmm I don't know what to do now! I guess the worst that can happen is that he will cry at 5.30 am and I will go in.

[A pair of Charlies]

Anna

I am so sorry that I'm being any help. I'm stumped.  I'm still thinking though.

[sherry lynn]

Anna - I tried the night light also when Lyle transitioned. It only lasted a week   He never ever went back to sleep.

He is the same as Jenny's LO. He always always stirs at 5/5:30, he seems to not make it back to sleep often. I think it's the same delicate balance of OT/UT. But, he's not as predictable to say that 5h30m or 5h15m will always work because I think it matters so much what he's done the day before, how he's napped etc.    But his room is pitch black as well. I used electrical tape over anything that might show, like the light on the monitor.

[Julianne1984]

Hey Anna, if you don't want ANY light in there and want to remove bunny light to see if it helps, what about getting a simple torch? Even Tyler knows how to work one of those, you could put it in a certain place (eg by the leg of his bed) and he could use that if he gets up. Just an idea if you want to try the "no light at all" thing. Xx

[anna*]

Well guess what, I took out the nightlight and had to go in to wake him at 7! I don't know if that is what made the difference, but you can bet I will be trying it again tonight!!

[Julianne1984]

Wow, you know what, I'm going to try that! Lol xx

[louis-mummy]

YAY!!!  nice one Stanley 

[sherry lynn]

YEY!!!

[clazzat]

So pleased for you, Anna.  Hope you got a decent sleep until 7 as well.

On a similar note to the light - we found with E putting the dishwasher on at night was a problem.  Her room is directly above the kitchen, and it would disturb her (not always wake her, but unsettle her) when we put it on as we went to bed, and then it seemed to have upset her sleep cycles so that she would be awake and unable to go back to sleep at 4.30/5.  Since we have stopped putting it on overnight, she has slept until 6 more often than not, and always past 5.30 (and I can't believe that I think that 5.30 is an improvement!  ).  Maybe there is something else like that which disturbs Stan?

[anna*]

I can't think of anything that could be disturbing him. He has white noise on in his room for the last couple of months (will stop using it once we have a consistently reasonable wake up time), so the heating clicking on or appliances on can't be heard at all in his room.

I was pretty much awake from 5.30 (habit), but it was pretty lovely to lie there dozing, and enjoying just NOT being up with the kid

[knackered]

I bet he was in a better mood when he woke too....

Why can't they just see that everyone is happier with an extra hour or so?

Hope you get a lie in tomorrow as well!

Anna x

[Julianne1984]

Hope he sleeps well for you tonight Anna* xx

[sherry lynn]

Fingers crossed for you

[*Julie*]

 Have been following along. Hope he sleeps in! x

[anna*]

Yep, did it again. Slept in and had to be woken at 7. Wow.