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

[*Ali*]

I would go in for a NW but not let him get out of bed(unless for a pee) and just settle him and leave.

Does anyone use a Groclock successfully with two children in the room that you expect to wake at different times? Cadan has been using the Groclock for over a year now with great success. We haven't had trouble with EWs for ages and so it is set for 7.45am and he rarely woke before it. We have recently moved Colby into the same room and he tends to wake by 6.45am at the latest. I normally just get him up and Cadan stays asleep. However the last week or so Colby has been waking at 6 or 6.15am and waking Cadan. If I then if I am unable to resettle Colby and have to get him up it is ages until the sun comes up and Cadan wants to get up too. I had success one morning saying I would feed Colby and that he, Cadan, should go back to sleep and he did. But then after that he insists on getting up with Colby. But he really needs another 1.5hrs sleep. Now Cadan already goes to bed at 7pm or even 6.45pm whilst Colby normally goes down at 7.45pm so I can't really do much with their BTs to make WU the same. Any ideas why I could tell him Colby can get up and he can't or is that just not fair?

[Mattsmummy]

Hello,
Hoping some one can give me some advice on starting with lights on a timer. 

My DS is 20 months old. He is a chronic EW.  He has a set nap time of 1230 (at nursery) and a set BT of 7pm.  We moved to set times to hopefully help with the EW and to some extent they have.

He wakes nearly every morning between 5:15 and 5:40am...He will whine/moan for a few minutes and then start to cry if we don't go get him up.

He will most nights STTN unless sick/teething or very OT.

I have the timer and am thinking of setting it initially for 5:45am...and just letting him carry on until that time unless he is really crying hard for us.  Does that seem right?
What on earth do I do if he wakes at 5am? Do I leave him until 545am??? What if he starts really crying? Can I go in and lay on the floor beside his crib to help calm him down until the lights come on?

Also, he regularily falls asleep on the way to nursery. We have a 30 minute drive as we live in the country and I know this is likely reinforcing his EW.  I can try to not let him nap but it's hard as I know he needs it from being up so early...the nap usually happens around 7:00am for 15-20 minutes

Help? I'm confused!

[clazzat]

I think that 5.45 is a reasonable time to start with, although you will probably want to move it forward quite quickly once he gets the idea of the lights - if you keep it too early for too long then it gets quite difficult to move them on from it.

If he wakes and calls you, then definitely go to him - tell him that it's not morning because the light isn't on and he needs to go back to sleep. If you want to stay in the room with him then that is okay for a few days - keep telling him that it is still sleep time because the light is off and then when it comes on make a big deal out of "look! The light's on - it's morning! Time to get up!" so that he really hears the difference. I think you should only do this for a couple of days, though, otherwise you will just end up stuck in his room from whenever he wakes up. With my children they pointed to the light when it came on on the third day, so they clearly made the association that quickly (they were about 17/18 months when we started using it) - after that if they woke before the light then I did wiwo rather than staying with them.

As for the nap in the car, I don't think there is much you can do about it. Hopefully the lights will help push his wu a bit later and he won't need that nap any more.

[*Becky*]

can you share your thoughts on gro-clocks/lights on a timer if lo still has teeth to come in? H had all his teeth by the time we started. I dunno, just feel like I would not be as consistent if I was concerned about pain...thoughts?
Oh yes and I am still faffing about the clock....I know how consistency is key and that makes me not want to start until we are 100% ready.

[*Ali*]

Cadan only just got his 2yr molars and we have been using the groclock for about a year. I never really thought about it really.

I have started setting the groclock for 7 instead of 7.45 so I have kind of split the difference between the two boys wake ups. Now I just insist Colby stays in his cot until 7 even though he tends to wake earlier. Cadan either sleeps through it or is up from when Colby wakes and calls me but at least he will lay in bed dozing all the times Colby is in the cot. If I get Colby up then cadan wants up too. We've even had a few days when Colby slept through to 7 (rare for him) or woke but didn't call me until the sun came on. So I think it is worth it especially with the clocks going forward here this weekend. I'm looking forward to q later wake up.

[anna*]

We started using it well before Stan had his two year molars, but I guess we did start using the clock during a break in teething - by the time they were troubling him he was well used to staying in bed until the sunshine. It wasn't an issue.

[*Becky*]

so what do you do if they are awake at 4/5am crying?? I can't do WIWO as it will make her mad but GW seems weird if we start a clock? I just need to make sure we get it right yk -

[anna*]

Stan was a bit older - 23 months - but I told him that when he sees the moon that means mummy and daddy are asleep and he needs to lie down too. Then I just left him to it. I never did WIWO with him because he would go hysterical, and if I sat by the door he would be trying to engage with me either that or hold me hostage and lie there with his eyes open making sure I didn't sneak away. So I just left him. I called out to him that it was night time, and sleep time, and to lie back down and go to sleep (actually he was in a BBB so I was telling him to get back in bed). First morning he screamed and had a MASSIVE tantrum non stop - until the sunshine came up. Second morning he did so a bit more half-heartedly and did actually go quiet for 5-10 mins before 'morning'. Third morning he came and cried at the gate for 5 mins but then took himself back to bed. That night I moved the clock forward by 10 mins and we never looked back.

[*Becky*]

I never did WIWO with him because he would go hysterical, and if I sat by the door he would be trying to engage with me either that or hold me hostage and lie there with his eyes open making sure I didn't sneak away.

yes this is M.
Ok thanks - x

[cath~]

we introduced the clock before 2nd yr molars too.

I think when they were cutting we had some crying/cry out EWs but I just went in, tucked her up again and she dozed/slept until the sun came up.  I don't think it was ever more than 30 mins early mind.  Some days I think I might have had to go back in a few times as she would cry out intermittently until the sun came up, but it wasn't *that* bad and I don't think I could have waited another 8 months for all teeth to be through before starting!

[cath~]

by the time they were troubling him he was well used to staying in bed until the sunshine. It wasn't an issue.

I think this is the key.  Timing it just after canines but well before molars is prob a good time then?

[*Becky*]

well we have 1 2 year molar and no canines so that is going to be hard...I see on/off teething for the next few months or so.

[clazzat]

I think that there can always be a reason not to if you are looking for excuses, iyswim. I don't think it is unreasonable to start when she is teething as long as you are consistent in your approach - whether that is wiwo, gw or just reassuring without going in. If you are not happy leaving her alone when you think she might be in pain, you can stay with her until the light comes on as she can still get the concept that dark = night and then when you are happy that she is not in pain you can work on getting her to go back to sleep even when you are not there.

[anna*]

Yeh, I remember posting about teething so often during Stan's brutal EW period - if you're going to wait til they're not teething, you could wait forever. Or just bite the bullet. I think the occasions when they are in such severe pain that they would be incapable of going back to sleep, are probably quite rare.

[*Becky*]

I don't think I am looking for an excuse, I just want to be sure before I start as otherwise it will just be more stressful for us all. I know other people have kids who sleep through everything but H would not at 5am so it is a 'whole family' issue and I need to be strong and consistent once I start.