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

[amanda55]

With my DD (now 3) we used a simple lamp on timer switch since she was very young, sure it was before she turned one and would always go into room within 10mins of light being on and she learnt that light on meant we were coming in so if woke sooner would chatter to herself till light on then more vocal.  We are doing the same with my DS (just turned 1) since about 6months as he is an early waker so again really try not to get him out of cot till light on (he isn't getting it yet!).

We have just upgraded to a gro clock with my DD as have been having disturbed nights with DS crying and DD having nightmares so she sometimes sleeps in then the light actually wakes her so trying gro clock as light isn't as bright.  WE have also only just taken cot bed down to bed so didn't want a hot lamp on in room with her.  I can hear her up and chatting in her room but touch wood (only been 2 weeks), she has stayed in her room till light on then comes out shouting 'my lights on, its time to get up'! Apart from one morning DS woke her at 6:20 and when we got up again at 6:45 her door was open and she was playing on landing quietly after saying needed a poo, I asked if her light was on and she said no, so laid her back and said must wait in room, surprisingly she did actually go wait in her room for the 10mins till light came on!! she got a smartie that morning!!  She can open door and as yet we haven't had to put stairgate on it as she hasn't realized she can open it during the night and come out (sure that will happen soon!). 

Just gutted DS wakes up bout 5:30-6 and wakes her if don't go in quick so trying not to reinforce waking, however, have resulted in just giving him dummy and walking out till a later time, however, not seeing improvements yet!!!

I defo think the light / time to get up thing is a brilliant but simple idea.  The gro-clock on lowest brightness is however, quite bright at night so using as a nightlight at mo!!

[*Ali*]

I don't find it too bright personally but if you do you can put the brightness on zero and at will be off at night.

[mrsroberts4]

My daughter got her Groclock at 2yrs old.

We call it 'Yellow Sun' when it's time to wake up and 'blue stars' when it's time to be asleep. We just made a point of not going in until it turned yellow, or if we did, we would keep it all dark and then when it went yellow we'd make a big fuss out of it.

Now at nearly 3.5yrs
It's set to wake up at 7am on preschool days and 7.30am on other days.
She'll wait in her room until it goes yellow and then we'll hear her on the monitor tell us it's yellow sun, or if she calls us before then, we'll simply say "It's not yellow sun yet, it's still blue stars."
She loves it now and it's become part of her bedtime routine to turn it on. (though I do find that sometimes I think she is asleep but the 'yellow hue' wakes her up on occasion which is why we set it to a later time if we want her to stay asleep longer.

[anna*]

Our youngest is 5 and still uses it! Sometimes we hear her quietly playing or reading to her 'babies' at 6.45, before she pads in at 7, 'morning Mum, morning Dad.'

[cath~]

my two (nearly 3 and 6) both use theirs too, although DD1 is starting to appreciate a lie-in now and I'm not sure she really needs it any more

I think (hope) it will still be useful on Christmas day though!

[anna*]

Haha yes. Stan got up at 4am last year (but did eventually go back to sleep).

[KYKatydid]

DS is 21 months old. He wakes somewhat inconsistently between 5:30 and 615; lately more consistent at the 5:30 mark. We don't sleep past 6:30 during the week, so we are fine with not sleeping past that. Is he too young? We have a timer for his light, so not an official Gro clock. He sometimes wakes up quite fussy and discontent. BT is between 7:30 and 8.

[creations]

Hi.  I started lights on a timer when my DS was under 18 months. I think it depends on the LO if they "get it" quite quickly or if it takes longer.  I know even though mine "got it" I still had to go an sit in his room many times if he woke early because it was just too long for him to be expected to wait on his own. Teething and illness impacted too.
In general people set the light/clock to not much different to LOs WU time so they only have to wait say 15 mins before "morning" or lights on. And you might need to reassure or comfort in that time if he is kicking off or calling out. I used verbal reassurance when I could but like I say I also spent time by his cot telling him it was still night time and waiting for the lights together.  When they can make it the lights time you can move it on another 15 mins or so and gradually move WU time.

[Crispysage]

I have two Early Wakers... Both my boys are up at the Latest 5:30, regularly at 5 and sometimes earlier. The 13m0 still wakes through the night, and if it's been a bad night I think he might sleep past 5, but LO1 (32mo) wakes him. (They are in the same room.) Anyone with experience introducing it to two? LO obviously too little to understand the clock, but might help the situation I mentioned. Also Problem I foresee is we won't be able to bring the time forward too quickly because LO#2 will continue waking early and wake LO#1.

Also, LO#1 is beginning to be afraid of the dark, so we need a good night light situation. (we usually just leave the door open and passage light on...) Is the Gro a good night light for this too?

thanks!

[Crispysage]

Where do American Galz buy their gro-clocks? American Retailers? Nothing coming up for me on craigslist - obviously Amazon, and can ship internationally e-bay, etc. But any other ideas?

[creations]

Oh dear, sorry to see you didn't get a response back in April!
I have not introduced a gro clock to two LOs, I don't know where you can get one in America and I didn't even use a gro clock - so what use am I

I hear a lot of people turn the gro clock light to off so that the blue light does not disturb sleep, so you might want to look for a separate night light which is not blue as blue light is found to disturb sleep.

I used lights on a timer, still do, works great. And we have a separate night light for the early part of the night which is turned off at my BT.

[Crispysage]

My boys both usually slept 7pm-5/5:30 am.

2 weeks ago we moved continents and their BT has crept to 8pm. Just before I got the groclock delivered, they were starting to wake 6:30... even closer to 7. First morning they woke past the sun at 6:15, so I jumped it straight to 6:45 but we are back to waking at 5 now 

so it's getting hard to make them relax in bed for that long.

I guess the solution is to pull BT back to 7, but I am thinking they will just wake at 5 again.

17m is in a cot and day looks like this (he is now the EW problem waking his brother, we are all in the same room at the moment)
5-7am WU
9:40-10 nap (He starts getting tired at 8 if up from 5, even if he wakes after 7 he can't keep his eyes open past 10 I try keep his nap short and before 10)
12 lunch
1/1:30 nap - 3/3:30
5:30 dinner
7:30 BT

Older DS is the same without the morning nap.

I have been trying to cap the nap - should I keep both to max 2hrs before 3:30... should i pull it to 1.5 hrs?

thanks

[*Ali*]

I'd personlly mover to one nap. Let him sleep as late and long as possible then push through until bedtime.

Have you checked there is t some external stimulus waking him early like the sun coming in?

[Crispysage]

My groclock is broken The screen sometimes flashes on when you plug it in, but otherwise it's dead... anyone have this? I guess the boys must have gotten hold of it and pulled at the cable.

[jessmum46]

We've had this recently - if you call the gro company you can get a new cable sent out for just under £5