15month old started early waking.....

[minimac]

Our 15 month old son has, in the last week, starting waking between 5-5.30am.....I consider this still the middle of the night!! I know children put pay to any sleep like we used to but the fact he used to sleep untl 6.30 this early waking is making a big difference to us all and more importantly to him.

When I go in and see him when he has woken it is usually because he's thrown his teddy out so I give it to him and he goes straight down again into sleeping position and he acts like he wants to sleep. I can't leave the room as he screams and my husband who is very good with him can't go in because our boy is so excited to see daddy he immediately thinks it is party time and I'm clearly the 'tougher' one and more resilient to the tears and trying to get him back to sleep. I've tried patting, calming etc and they all work in that he will lie back down again (for a little bit of time) but then after a bit he's had enough and up throwing teddy wanting kisses etc - all very sweet but.......

I think my main issue with this is that he is tired in the morning and so it can't be because he's had enough sleep - he is back to having a nap in the morning (having dropped that a while ago and just have a big lunch time sleep) so having a nap in the morning obviously impacts this lunchtime sleep as well so all in all I'm going round in circles and feels like we've gone back several steps.

Could this be teething? I've no idea.... I've tried blackout lining on the windows, more clothes, less clothes, more food - nothing seems to make a difference. Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated and in the meantime I'm going to make another coffee!

[Fuschia]

I have read that getting outdoors in the afternoon can help with early waking

Or 'wake to sleep' - go to him and stir him shortly before the time he has been waking, then resettle him. Sounds counterintuitive but I know people who have had success with it.

Sounds like he is coming fully awake before his last sleep cycle of the night

[Saffron]

I have also heard that wake to sleep is very successful. I think the understanding is that by going in before they awake and gently rousing them not quite to wakefulness, you can reset their sleep cycles. After about a week, this is supposed to yeild a stable new sleeping pattern, but you'd have to be able to take getting up at 4:30 in the morning everyday for a week! Good luck. I'd love to know what does/doesn't help. We have a notoriously difficult sleeper, and we're always trying different things with her.

[KateW]

It's so hard when they start waking early! It could well be teeth; DD (19 months) is currently waking early-ish (6am) as she's cutting her canines and this tends to be a pattern when she's teething. Personally, I wouldn't give him a morning nap as I think this can reinforce the early waking (their bodies use the morning nap to 'catch up' on the early wake up time and it can start a vicious cycle). Even if DD wakes early, I still just put her down for her nap after lunch (nap around 1pm) but we have a quiet morning if she's tired. If it was me, I wouldn't do wake to sleep as I'd be scared of her not going back to sleep (!) and with us, she never wakes consistently at the same early time for me to know what time to wake her anyway! Re: blackouts, are you sure there's absolutely no light peeping through the linings? I tape down the edges of our gro-anywhere blackout blinds (she also has blackout lining on her curtains) and it is super dark in there; it did make a difference. Last thought; how much day time sleep is he having? You cut try cutting it a bit and experimenting for a few weeks to see if he's reached an age where he needs less?

Good luck.

[minimac]

Thanks for your advice everyone. Fushia - yes he definitely goes outside lots and we've just been away but that didn't really seem to make a difference. Given that the early starts mean no sleep for anyone I think maybe this wake to sleep might be a good idea. I'm waking myself in anticipation for him to wake so it won't make a difference to me!

KateW - he is cutting his molers at the moment so maybe that is effecting him although giving him calpol/nurofen when he does wake hasn't made a difference. I'll also perservere with the blackout blind and fix it better as yes there is a bit of light that still comes through but he doesn't seem to be a baby needing total darkness - ie the light hadn't wakened him before. I agree though in not wanting to reinforce this pattern by letting him nap but he literally has dropped off up right in his pram he is that tired for a catnap plus he is in childcare FT so I can't really control his activity levels by giving quiet mornings and ensuring he's not napped etc but at the weekends I definitely try this.

Question though on this wake to sleep - if he has been tending to wake between 5.10/30 do I go in at 5 and do it or is it earlier than that ie 4.30? I think I might brave it.....

[Saffron]

I seem to recall it's about 0.5 to 1.0 hour before the expected awakening, but I don't know if there are age-related differences etc. Try googling "wake to sleep" there is a lot of info online.

[hellosailor]

the baby whisperer says you do the 'wake to sleep' 30 mins before habitual waking time if it's a daytime nap and 1 hour if it's at night, but other stuff I've read from different sleep experts has slightly different timings..

[KateW]

Minimac - yes agree, there's not much you can do re: naps and activities when he's in nursery. It does sound like it might be teeth related if he's cutting his molars; when DD had cut her first set of molars she went back to sleeping til 6.30am/7am. Fingers crossed he gets back to normal once those pesky teeth are through - I (and DD no doubt!) will be v glad when all her teeth are through!

[Yak]

How's it going, minimac? Just wanted to offer sympathy really. Not sure what teeth my 13m is cutting, but they are sure as heck playing havoc with his sleep. Twice this week we've resorted to giving him a nap at 7am! Like your little one he is in ft child care & he cuts back on his sleep there anyway.

We did have some success a couple of weeks ago with super early bedtimes, i.e. around 6.15. As illogical as it sounds, it might help alter the sleep cycle...

Good luck!

[minimac]

Hi all - sorry for slow reply. Thanks everyone for your advice - so yes, I took the plunge and did wake to sleep. I did it one night and it worked a treat (he slept through to 6.40 - first time in monthsssssss!) then we weren't able to do it the next few nights for various reasons and he slept through fine but these last few days it has gone back to early 6 something but hey, I'm not complaining - 6 something is fine compared to anything that begins with a 5! But, I think it did work and would do it again (although my husband is convinced he's got better since the weather got cooler, but I'm not so sure!)

Your tips were much appreciated as I hadn't remembered the wake to sleep technique so could well have been still stocking up on matchsticks....

[Saffron]

Maybe as the early wakings hadn't been happening for very long, he only needed a minor adjustment to reset his sleep cycles? So glad you had success! xx

[BellendenBear]

Sounds like you have already had success, but I had just one other suggestion. Does he sleep in a sleeping bag? My 1st daughter started waking really early having always slept until 6.30-7 at a similar age. It was because she needed more wriggle space. We moved her into the bigger size sleeping bag. Problem solved.