My SUCCESS story with those PESKY 5am Toddler wakes. Update 1st post 4-19-07

[¤ Efka ¤]

Ohh Zara , Zara gives mummy trouble, not good

Regarding to us, I think its lots of things making it work right now. I am still ready for this to change. First he is not teething at the moment. Secondly he gets cot play time now, I think it really helped him stay there more happily. and seems to me we figured out eating thing too at  daytime.He is still very happy to get his morning breastfeed, but he wont cry for this and about 8am he really wait for his morning porridge.

[jennyb133]

Hi Stacey!

I remember you mentioning 5am wakes & this post, so I checked it out.  Haven't read all the pages though, Can't believe all the responses you got!

Anyway, I notice that at 5am everyday, James stirs in his crib, then plays his crib aquarium & puts himself back to sleep. I have not been doing anything about it, as he has learned to self-soothe & go back to sleep.  I don't even know if he's fully awake. Probably in that half-asleep trance. ANyway, soooo weird that it's 5am everyday!  Should I just continue to ignore it?  He's fully transitioned to 1 nap & this 5am stirring does not seem to affect his wake-up, nap, or bedtime.

Since daylight savings, he wakes between 7-7:30, naps 11:30-1:30, & bed at 7-7:30.

Should I bother with wake to sleep, or just let it go?

BTW- miss you on the Birth Club!

Jenny

[Gippie]

Hey there - been so busy.  I am telling you - that time at this age is NOOOOOOO coincidence.  Watch him, it will be the same time each day.     If you read my LOOOONG post at the start - you can see that I did a lot of AP when it started in an effort to fix what I thought was a little blip in our sleep plan - when in fact it was way more than that.

Based on what you say, absolloutly let him feel it out!    If he starts to WAKE and yell and cannot go back to sleep - intervene, but I have found that W2S is not really the answer....it never really worked for those 5am wakes.   One day it might have, but done as designed - it never was the cure.  I believe the problem is the kids do not know how to resettle their more sophisticated and "able" selves.  We do some AP and THATS what they get used to - and we need to let them get used to something ELSE.   

Let him go at the 5am.  Dont worry that he isnt getting enough sleep, dont treat him with the poor baby ( I did all of these) when he seems like he isnt SOUND asleep at the 5am time....it DOES all work out.  I would stress all day that she was going to be "off" due to an early wake.    Quinn is back to a good 6am, but there was anywhere from 5-6 and some days she'd talk in there from 5:15 - 5:45....and she was fine.   

So let him go - he sounds like he is doing SUPER!    Miss you - hope all is well and the new baby is treating you well....do you know what it is yet?

Stacey

[AliP]

This post is just what I need at the moment.  For the last 3 weeks my 17 month old has been waking around 5 or 5.30 every morning or so and it's driving us crazy.

In our case it occurred with the end of daylight savings (we're in Australia), returning from holidays and DD transitioning from 2 sleeps to 1.

What I've noticed is that on the days when she has 2 sleeps (these are getting very rare) or where she sleeps longer than 2.5 hours in the day, she will sleep in until 7am, but on the days with 1 sleep which are shorter than 2.5 hours, then she's up at 5.30am.  When she's up at 5.30am she's really unhappy too - crying, rubbing her eyes and it's obvious she hasn't had enough sleep.

We've decided we have to get her onto a better routine of only 1 sleep a day and putting her to bed at 12pm rather than 10.30am or so, so she isn't so tired by bedtime (which is 6 or 6.30pm at the moment as she's so tired).

We've also decided to ignore the calling out to us unless it's distressed until 6.30am in an effort to try to reset her body clock.  Unfortunately we thought it was a phase and DH was getting up at 5.30am and reading her books so I could get more sleep... I think that's not the answer so we feel we have to let her know that 5.30am is not wake-up time.

Wish me luck... I hope it doesn't take too long to sort itself out and I'm on the right track.

Thanks for this thread... it's really helped me to stay motivated.

[Gippie]

HI there!   Ahhh....yes we ALL think it is a "phase" of a thing and we do something to fix it and then we have a situation on our hands - thats what happened to me.    YES - stay firm on a time and ride it out.  We used that PHRASE each time she woke at night and even in those early AM wakes.    In a month - she MIGHT have a 5am wake here and there - and usually resettles.   The transition is a doosy.    We SLOWLY pushed her nap from 11 to 11:30 and now it is 12:30 and she naps for 3 hours AND gets to bed by 8 and sleeps till 6 - so this is working for us.   


Once she has a later nap - you can take a later bedtime.  When we first started FIXING the early wakes - we had a STRICT 7pm and not a minute later bedtime and now it is very flexible with 8 as the latest.   

Keep me updated - I hated this time - but at least you are honest with yourself about what is up!

Stacey

[AliP]

Thanks Stacey!  Princess is now asleep (6.30pm) and she had a 2 hour sleep from 11.30 - 1.30 today so let's see how the night goes

[AliP]

Ahhhhhhh!

Just when you think that you've figured it out, you have a bad morning and it knocks your confidence around....  DD woke up at 5am this morning moaning mummy and daddy.  DH is away and she has the remnants of a cold so I went in at around 5.20 to sing to her (I know... probably the wrong thing but I'm so confused about what to do).  It is so distressing but I actually felt going in to her made things work.  She started throwing her teddy and blankie at me and screaming... I think she wanted me to get her out of bed.

So I stayed in there for 20 mins lying her down and singing to her and she would go quiet for a while and then scream and get up and throw her teddy and blankie at me again.

This probably makes me sound like a bad mum but I had to walk out.  So here I am now sitting at the computer waiting to see if she'll go back to sleep.  The crying dies down for a few minutes but then it starts up again.  But it's 5.50am and I don't know if she'll go back to sleep.

Help!  I am seriously struggling.  Don't know what else to do and don't know how to keep my motivation up.

Ali

[rinajack]

I am sitting at my computer at 6:07 am doing almost the same thing.  Going in, telling her to sleep (this is when she cries), leaving and coming to the computer to read and type while I wait for her to start again.

All of our sleep has gone to crap though, not just hte mornings, with severe seperation anxiety, teething molars, big bed transition, i am now a SAHM, learned to walk etc.  And I did AP, cause I am not well with this pregnancy, and just thought it would be easier (and it was for a while, til she upped the anti on me). Oh, and 2-1 transition also.

I just don't know what to do either, I wish I could help you.....

[AliP]

Poor you

At least we're here together.  Sounds like you're in Oz too?

It's 6.17am.  6.30am is get up time so looks like she will have been awake since 5am this morning.  This really is crappy   I feel like crying.

[rinajack]

me too  :'(and yes I am in Aus.  Where are you? I am in central Qld, middlemount, a mining town.

We decided the day before yesterday that we (well she) really needs some consistancy,so no more AP, and also, 1 nap a day - for 2 weeks, no changes, to give her time to adjust, instead of swithcing back and forth.  What am I to do now?  She only slept 10.5 last night and only napped 45 yesterday   Oh, and 6:30 is when I let Zara up too

[AliP]

I'm in Newcastle, NSW.  I blame daylight savings (you've gotta blame something).

5 minutes to go.  Ahhhhh!  I hate this so much.

I think you have to be consistent - I've read it can take 1-3 weeks for a change to occur.  We only started on Saturday with our 1 nap around 11.30am or 12.00pm and no getting up before 6.30am.  Feels like it's never going to change though.

Maybe see you here tomorrow same time (I hope not )

[rinajack]

Oh, Nice place to live   DH and I both grew up in Coffs Harbour.

I suspect I will be here tomorrow too .

I am on MSN too if you want to chat- rinajack@bigpond.net.au

Have a good day!  I went in to wake Zara, and despite my frustration, gave her a huge cuddle, some tickles, some giggles, brought the dogs with me (she LOVES the dogs) etc....because of the SA I thought making waking up at the right time (WITHOUT instantly leaving the room) might be a good idea....at first it felt a little forced (soo frustrated with teh sleep stuff) but once she giggled, I felt all better

[AliP]

Thanks.... will add you to my MSN list.
 
Isabel went back to sleep at 6.30am and is still asleep now.  I have to go to work today so will have to wake her at 8am I think.  At least she is spending the day with my parents who are really happy to fit in with what I'm trying to do with her routine.

Have a great day

[rinajack]

Oh, Wow, sticking it out was completely worth it for you   That is wonderful....and will motivate you for tomorrow

[Gippie]

Alip - Nice job waiting it out - see distraction even works for us big kids!  When Quinn would wake at 5:20...or anytime at that time, I would NOT go in.....I'd stand at the door, hand on the kno - YKWIM.    I would finally go in at 5:45 the earliest and yes - sometimes she would go back to bed - just stick with it.    Quinn was a 6am waker and now she will range from 6-6:30 - thats just what she does - and when she does the 5's - we let her wait it out.  The quiet time in her room is at least SOME sort of rest.

The best thing we do by not going in is avoiding ANY possible AP....and that is so esy to do.   

Post back!

Stacey