totally over it

[kar]

Those of you with early risers, did they ever grow out of it?? I am just sick of the sight of 5am and sick to death of a baby who is always grumpy in the morning because he hasn't had enough sleep.

We have just had a couple of weeks of respite with the average waking time moving to 5.45, but are now back at 5-5.30, the break of course has just made the return harder to deal with and I realise how much happier our whole house has been in the last two weeks with extra sleep.

[RaryGirl]

Can I join your club too?

My youngest wakes around the 5-5:30am mark most mornings and ALWAYS on week-ends! I think I'd cope ok if it was just her awake, but she feels that if she is awake then the entire household must be ... sigh.

[Boobycino]

Bubba was waking 5-5:30 am from 4-9 months old, but then started stretching out to 7am, and the odd amazing 8am 'sleep in'.

Though the last two nights he's basically slept through for the first time in his 14 months of life (OMG THANK GOD, THANK TRESSILIAN! ITS A MIRACLE!!!!) and been waking at 5:30 again I'm hoping though he'll start to sleep longer once he gets used to sleeping through without a feed.

Though, seeing as I was feeding him 10 times a night (co-sleeping, so he'd just kinda help himself) by 5:30 my boobs are bursting, so I dont mind getting up to feed him!

[kar]

At 11 months most of the other early risers we know have started sleeping later, but not my little black duck. I have to remind myself that he used to rise at 5/530 with multiple night wakings, so, like you said, this is much better.

[River Song]

I went through this with DS...it was torture...then i came up with a solution...

I got a bedside light....and attached it to one of those on/off electrical timers...

first I set it to his normal wake time...and would only go in after it went off....if he had been quiet...he got lots of praise...

then .... once we were used to that...I moved it forward by 15 mins each week...till we got to 7am....

it was slow....but it was freaking effective and saved my sleep.

He gradually learnt that if the light was not on...it was not waking up time. I would only go in once the light was on....and he got loads of praise for playing quietly if he was awake.

for a long time i woke up to the excited call of "THE WIGGLES LIGHT IS ONNNNNNN"

[kar]

Genius! How old when you started??

[PrettiestInPink]

Hi Kar!

Hey im in on the light!

[JabberJaw]

My son was and still is like this, my solution.....i taught him to turn on the tv himself by pressing the red button he is now 5 and every morning he pushes the red button bright and early!

He hasnt sleep past 6 am since the day he was born.

[OJandMe]

My 4 are all early risers. And always have been.

I don't mind it. I'd love a sleep in.... but I like having the evenings to myself more.

I'd hate to have kids that slept till 7, then didn't go to bed till 8:30 .. that would drive me nuts.

This way they're all up early.. we get a lot done in the early hours housework wise... and then in the evening they're all asleep just after 7 and DH and I have the evenings to ourselves.

Also.... now O and J are at school, I'm really grateful I don't have to rush them out of bed and into the car.

But yeah... they have extended their sleep from 4:30-5, to 5:30-5:45.. sometimes 6.

If O and J get up first they don't wake us. So it's only when the little ones wake early. It only lasts a season.. they won't need you to get up with them forever. O and J are very adept at getting up, putting a dvd on, or digital TV, getting dressed, making their beds and making their own cereal. If I'm lucky and Gabe's up too... sometimes they'll even make cereal for him.

[MsMummy]

kar, what time does he go to bed?

I've found that my son will only sleep for a certain number of hours, so if he goes to bed early (you know, all two times...), then he wakes early.

His default bed time (since newborn) has been 9pm. He wakes up (usually) between 7am and 8am. But if I don't have to work, occasionally he'll sleep in til 9am.

When he was a lot younger, he went through this stage of waking up before 6am. I just used to refuse to get up and feed him and he'd drift back to sleep (we co sleep). It eventually worked and he slept in more. Obviously, he's very dependent on the boob, but I'll take that over getting up early. It's probably a bit late in the day for that with your son. but what about if you bring him in to bed with you when he wakes up?

What about light? Could you try block out curtains?

Sorry, I digressed from my original point. What about a slightly later bed time?