arrrgghhhhh let me sleep!

[Helen GV]

how can i get Mr two-and-a-half to sleep past 5.30??????????

do the gro clocks work??

Normally I can cope with the early mornings but this morning he came running through at 3am, then was awake at 4.30, then up for the day an hour later, and I am not happy mummy.

can't believe he woke so early as i even put up a blackout blind yesterday! could it be too dark?????

[snowboarder]

Hmph same here - have come to conclusion there is nothing to be done. Thank god he's imprisoned in his cot. He sang his version of 'happy birthday' (ah bir-day oo oo) at volume for an hour 5.30 and 6.30. Sigh.

[Fuschia]

I think cutting/Dropping naps cN help, but is it worth it?

[Helen GV]

:) thanks, i knew i wouldn't be alone! it's just the knowing that i have absolutely NO chance of getting a quick nap later to catch up. never mind the beauty sleep, it's sanity i'm concerned about...

[Helen GV]

he gets so so tired if he doesn't nap, and even though there have been days when he hasn't slept it hasn't affected the following nights sleep. Also, his dad would have him napping three times a day if he could, so don't like my chances of getting him to agree just yet..

[Fuschia]

Worth a try with the clock and a sticker chart

[Belle]

Just shortening the nap/making sure he's awake from 2pmish might help, has really helped here. We got the groclock though I think our son is a wee bit young to quite get it (2.2), but I do think it gives us a bit of leverage. We set it to 7 and on days like today when he's awake earlier than that we just ignore (unless obviously upset) and then when one of us goes in at 7, make a big fuss 'oooh the sun is up, so now we can get up for the day', and reverse at night 'ooh stars are out, it's sleepytime' etc, which I think does help, he's sorting of getting there is a 'rule'.

Know what you mean re no nap at all not being the answer - my son refused to nap yesterday and woke earlier today than he has all week! But i do also find major activity helps - if he doesn't do something physical morning and afternoon then he's much less tired/likely to sleep long. Though I know you have a wee one too so guess this may be harder. Is he in a bed? I.e. can get up and run through? maybe stairgate on door?

[Ruth_Baldock]

Admittedly, seb is younger, but he did this. The only thing that worked was cutting his nap short by 30-45mins and putting him to bed earlier- typically between 6:15 and 6:30. He slept till 7:45am yesterday but my thoughts of a Saturday lie in were dashed when he woke at 6:05 shouting for "mams" and "daaadaaaaaaaa!". Ugh.

[Moos]

There is a particular torture to sitting in the quiet dark, sh-shhhing a baby who won't sleep when you yourself are so tired you could drop off on your feet.

[Helen GV]

esp when loud snoring is coming from the next room...

[anna_r]

Oh no, sorry the blackouts didn't help at all :( keep trying though, maybe his body clock needs to adjust back to more normal hours and if he wakes and it's dark maybe he'll start to settle back himself. We've had blackouts on our windows since both were born so they are very used to it.

We had a terrible night too if it's any comfort, from A though...spent a lot of it sitting/dozing with her in the rocking chair. This too shall pass :) x

[KateW]

Moos, that was me at 5.30am this morning...

[Fuschia]

Is it worse than arriving home after a 12j journey and little ones who have sleptost of the way are suddenly wide awake?!

[Moos]

KateW Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Moos, that was me at 5.30am this morning...

Yeah, me too - I wish my shushing were as effective on the baby as it is on me! I recently fell asleep with my forehead resting on the cot rail, one arm still reaching over and feebly patting. And a few days before that conked out in my cotside chair with my leg in a weird position: the baby went to sleep too, and so did my left foot. So there I am crashing around in the dark with one normal leg and one dead leg, trying to fumble my way to bed without falling over. What a chump.

[Fuschia]

One night I woke up and I was on the bedside cot all folded up

7 m pregnant

Twins stretched out comfortably in the super kingsize

[Moos]

Ha ha, Fuschia, that made me laugh.

[KateW]

Aah Fuschia and Moos, you both made me laugh so much. As I slap on the Touch Eclat in a feeble attempt to cover the dark circles, it does make me smile to think that I'm not alone and frankly it's images of you both like that which get a girl through those tough nights! Thanks ladies x

[Fuschia]

I once dozed off at traffic lights on the way home from work

[Moos]

KateW Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Aah Fuschia and Moos, you both made me laugh so

> much. As I slap on the Touch Eclat in a feeble

> attempt to cover the dark circles, it does make me

> smile to think that I'm not alone and frankly it's

> images of you both like that which get a girl

> through those tough nights! Thanks ladies x

Coffee, makeup and sisterhood - God bless 'em.

Sorry that we rather hijacked this thread, though. As far as I've ever heard the only cure for a lark baby is a very dark room, lots of exercise and an earlier bedtime. Best of luck!

[Helen GV]

Love the hijack. Much more interesting read!

(does the earlier bedtime get them to sleep longer or just ensure they get enough sleep?)

[Bumpkin]

Have much sympathy, my now 3 yr old was a 5.30am waker for a long time. Finally got a Bunny clock on advice of friend and it totally worked! Feel so much better now I can go in and say 'great, you're awake, let's have a fun day', rather than 'no, no go away, go back to sleep'!. Did have to have one morning of angry shouting (from toddler) to get the message that he stayed in bed until bunny got up, but after that, 7am in the week and 8am at weekends, he wakes earlier, but doesn't shout for us until bunny is up, so wish I'd tried it earlier.

Also, I get very little sympathy from parent's generation as the view from both sets of grandparents and other friends' parents is that there was no way on earth they were getting up at 5.30am, the kids stayed in bed until they were allowed up and there was no negotiation. Think there's a lot to be said for 70's parenting, it's not as if we're all massively damaged by it (speaking hopefully!). We're all seen as a bit too soft these days.

[Fuschia]

In the 70s we used to get up , help ourselves to golden nuggets and watch a bizarre programme I'm Hungarian with shite horses and women in long nighties

ProbAbly explains a lot

Mind you we stayed in bed longer in the winter due to no central heating!

[Fuschia]

IN Hungarian and WHITE horses

Oops

Blame my iphone

[Fuschia]

At least I don't THINK I'm Hungarian though at times I hear myself shouting unintelligibly

[sillywoman]

LOL at 'shite horses' F - iphones sometimes know what we mean better than we do.

Golden nuggets - mmmmmmmm

I too once fell asleep at the wheel whilst waiting to turn right off East Dulwich Grove. Didn't drive until I got more sleep after that - very scary.