Sleeping problems 19 mth old

[Compostella]

Need some advice please.

Our Son has always gone to bed fine at about 7pm but always, and I mean EVERY morning, wakes up between 5-5.30am.

Hes now in a toddler bed, we thought that he might be able to entertain himself with a couple of toys in his room if he woke early, but he just comes down the stairs and into our room.

We've tried keeping him up a little later but his bodyclock still wakes him at 5am.

He has taken to his new bed fine and the room is not cold or hot

Has anyone got any ideas?

[ammo78]

i have put a stair gate on my boys bedroom, also people have said to me to wake them before the time they wake and then let them go back to sleep and it should breaks the body clock cycle, i've never tried it as i can't see how it helps but maybe you can see some sence in it.

[carmalee]

with due respect, not too sure about how good an idea it is to let a 19month old amuse himself in his room -presumeably there are electric sockets, lamps, windows etc. To sleep for 10/101/2 hours is fine - he is very young - why not try putting him to bed later? hope it works out.

[Compostella]

With slightly less respect carmalee; I didn't ask for your judgement, I asked for helpful advice.

Did you think we would put our Son in danger? There are childproofing products available, the room is an attic room with a Velux window................what am I doing? Explaining myself to you?

Many thanks ammo78

[upsydaisy]

Hi - does he have a nap during the day at all? Our son is a 6 months older but I have noticed lately that if he doesn't nap during the day he (sometimes) wakes a bit later in the morning - of course this can backfire if they get overtired! I imagine you've tried all the usual stuff like blackout blinds,books/toys at foot of his bed etc Also a stairgate might make him realise he can't just get up when he wakes. Unfortunately as my health visitor once said to me - some toddlers are just early risers so thier parents must be too! Best of luck x

[carmalee]

wasn't in any way being judgemental - have had two very active children of my own and huge amount of experience of what young children can do - sorry I got involved and wanted to help

[CrazyCathy]

Both mine did the same I have to say I put a stair gate up and usually by 6am you could them calling. I still have the monitor on in the younger ones room.I can't get up every morning at silly o'clock so they are there til 6.30.

Is he happy when he wakes up? or does he need attention? My nephew goes into my sister's room and plays with a few toys she leaves at the foot of her bed.He never wakes them though.

Is it you think he isn't having enough sleep or you want to break him of the habit of waking so early?Short of putting him back in his room no idea what you can do.

Ammo my sister tried waking my nephew earlier but it just made him grumpy and he still woke up at the usual time. Think she gave up after a week though

[mumof3angels]

Hi Compostella- I don't know whether you'll want to hear this but my youngest son is exactly like your little one-unfortunately he's almost 5 now and he has got up at 5ish all his life. I've been waiting for him to sleep later...... and am still waiting. When he started nursery at 3, everyone said that it would tire him out and he'd sleep in-no! When he started full time school in September everyone said that it would tire him out and he'd sleep in-no! He goes to bed at 6.30-7pm and goes straight to sleep, and I've tried keeping him up till 8 or 9, and he still gets up at 5ish. He's just one of those kids who gets up early. Not like my other 2 at all.
I did say you might not want to hear this but I do send lots of sympathy.... no doubt I'll be shouting at him when he's a teenager to get out of his bed at lunchtime!!!!! mumof3xxx

[lorri24601]

As mumof3angels said, some kids are just early risers, my daughter was.I did as others have said,and put stairgate across her door, she was then safe as she could be in a child proofed bedroom, but unable to get to the kitchen/bathroom and all the extra hazzards they contain,i always left door open so i could hear her,and she did not feel shut in.I also left a drink and took all but 2 or3 toys out the room,the ones i left in,i changed each night,so when she woke the toys were new and intresting, small children if faced with a mound of toys often show little intrest in them,when she got a bit older she had a battery operated tape player with story tapes that she could listen to,which gave her a sense of making her own choices of what story she put on. All kids are different,and might take you a while to find something that works for your little one,but bear with it, it does get easier as they get older :-)

[tigwig]

I agree with the stairgate idea as a physical barrier to prevent him coming out!
Some might say its harsh but it is what I would have done if my daughter had taken to getting up at that hour!
Keep telling him you will come to him when it is time to get up and as he gets older he will hopefully learn!
Putting a drink in the room is a good idea so he can have one in the morning as are the toys.
You can also buy those clocks that light up when it is time to get up. He is too young to understand at the moment but again he will soon. Just keep at it you will never be able to control when he wakes up but you can control when he is allowed to come out of his room.
Good luck!

[Ice.Maiden]

Awww....I know just what it's like. Neither of my boys slept in - and still don't, even at weekends, and they're 9 and 11 now! It didn't matter what time they wrent to bed, they were always as lively as crickets by 4.30 - 5 a.m. Luckily, we're earely risers ourselves, but there's been no break in all these years! Try as the others've suggested, and leave a drink in an unspillable container where it can be reached.
We used to have musical pull-cord mobiles and all sorts, but it made no difference. Put the stair gate up and grin and bear it hun. xx

[terambulan]

do nappies need changing, where the tot is uncomfortable? I used to clean 'em up and take them into my bed and they soon fell back to sleep after a warm drink.

[Compostella]

We change his nappy and give him a bottle, which he always gulps down, but he never returns back to sleep.

Judging by the way he drinks his bottle in the morning, we thought it might be hunger, so we gave him a top up bottle at 10.30pm, all that did was make him not want his bottle in the morning.

Reading these answers, it looks like it might be just one of those things, we'll have to get used to 5am starts. I'm an early riser anyway but it would be nice just now and again, to get a lie in.

Everyone elses kids that we know, sleep till 9am every morning.

He better be a footballer when he grows up.