Gro-clock/lights on timer: success stories and support here! #2

[*Becky*]

thanks anna, she woke at 7.30am!!! Must be a fluke.

[cath~]

Great . Love those surprise lie-ins!

[anna*]

Ooh lovely!

[bluebell568]

Hi there, I'm new to this tread. We have been using the gro-clock with dd who is 2 tomorrow (where did that time go?) for about 2 months now. It has really helped her understand that if the stars are still out she has to wait for the sun to come up before she can get up so it has helped her at least rest until a reasonable hour even if she isn't asleep. But she has no concept of the difference between waking at 6:20 and lying quietly for 10 minutes for the sun to come up, or waking at 4:30 and needing to go back to sleep. On Friday morning she woke at 4:30 and was waiting for the sun to come up, she kept popping her head up to check the clock. I explained it was still the middle of the night and a long time till the sun and she needed to go back to sleep but she didn't seem to get it. I think she thought that any minute the sun would come up like it does on most mornings when she wakes up just before it. Any tips or advice??

Also, at what point in your bedtime routine do you say good night to the sun? We draw the curtains and turn the music and night light on when we first go upstairs, then bath, into pyjamas in the darkened room, story, breastfeed then into bed for 1 more story and then kiss goodnight. Should we say goodnight to the sun at the very end of the routine before the kiss goodnight, or when we get into bed, or when we first go upstairs? Any suggestions gratefully received.

[*Ali*]

We say goodnight to the sun when in bed and then have kisses.
Do you think she might need a routine tweak if she is feeling awake enough to stay up from 4.30? Mine never try to stay up from so early luckily.  I just assumed it was because they were still tired and so were driven to go back to sleep.

[*Becky*]

we say it as I take her into her room and put her into her cot. I agree with Ali re the routine. I do know of older children who count down the stars and stay awake but not so much a younger one. We just have it dark and the room is dark so there is nothing to see until the sun comes up at 6.45am....

[bluebell568]

I don't know if she needs a routine tweak really. I'm afraid the routine is a bit all over the place because of her completely random sleeping habits.
She doesn't wake up at a consistent time at all. He nap lengths are not consistent at all and the length of time it takes to fall asleep means that although she gets into bed at a similar time each night the time she goes to sleep isn't consistent at all. So her A times and S times are very varied.
Yesterday she woke up at 6, only slept for 30 minutes from 1-1:30. Was asleep by 7:30 but woke this morning at 5:15.
She completely refused to nap today but has fallen asleep in the car at 2:20 and is still asleep now.
It's all very frustrating at the moment!
 

[*Becky*]

she sounds v OT tbh....have you got a post on the main TS forum? Is she teething?

[TB9]

Yes, I agree she is probably very ot.  Even a low sleep needs kid wouldnt do well having a 13.5hr day with only a 30min nap.  Could she have an ear infection?  Dd acted like that while teething or whenever she had an ear infection.

[bluebell568]

Hi, I agree that she is over tired. There is no sign that she has an ear infection or is teething and to be honest she has always been like this at bedtime although the EWs come and go in phases.
Yes I've got a thread called Bedtime for 21 month old on the toddler sleep page.

[FroggyMom]

Does anyone have My Tot Clock which is similar to the Gro-clock?  I am thinking of purchasing one for DS but have a few questions:

1.  I have read reviews that say the blue light for night time is very bright even on the dimmest setting.  Have you found it to be too bright for your LO?

2.  Can you turn off the music function that sounds when the clock turns yellow, and it's time to wake-up in the morning?  If DS is sleeping later than the clock wake up time, I wouldn't want it to come on and wake him up, iyswim.

Thanks!

[*Ali*]

Have you checked out their FAQs on the website? http://www.mytotclock.com/faq.php#How-do-I-stop-the-bedtime-story,-lullabies,-white-noise-or-wake-up-music? It looks like you can turn the blue light off entirely and also set the wake up music to off if you prefer.

[FroggyMom]

Ali, thank you so much!  I thought I had looked on there good, but did not see that part.  I will be giving this a try! 

[wiolqn]

Hi everyone,
My LO is 23 mo. We've been using gro-clock for the past 4 months or so. He loves to push the buttons in order to get the sun to wink etc but that's it. When he wakes up he couldn't care less about it. He just starts crying without looking at the clock.
We've been reading the story and I keep explaining the difference between the sun and the star and about staying in bed until the sun comes up. He likes to say "goodnight" to the sun and greet the star but once he's up (no matter what time it is) the clock just stops existing for him.
What to do? Any ideas?

[*Ali*]

How do you deal with it when he cries before the sun is up? Do you explain it is still night and put him back to bed? Is he an independent sleeper?
What time does he sleep and what time is the sun set for? Just wondering if he needs a routine tweak perhaps.