OK To Wake timeclock - anyone? Sleep woes.

punkyshoester

Hellllllo.

So, I'm going bananas. We are on month 3 of Will waking up very early - talking 4/4:30/5 in the morning. He wakes up crying pretty damn hard. Intially we would just go get up with him thinking it was just a phase. Months later, we have not been consistent with it at all...at times letting him cry for a bit (5-10 mins) in hopes he would go back to sleep, other times getting him out of his crib and trying to have him sleep in our bed or lap in the rocker or on the couch (which NEVER works so I don't know why I even try), and other times just giving in and getting up. We are all starting to suffer and I know it is our fault. I don't think he isn't getting enough sleep and neither are we. Maybe I'm not exactly sure how much sleep he should be getting? Maybe I'm being unrealistic. He goes to bed around 7:30 and is up anywhere from 4-5. He naps two hours at daycare...but his teacher says he is falling asleep at lunch, he is so tired.

I was thinking of maybe trying a clock that would turn green to signal it's ok to wake for the day - setting it for 5:30 and trying it for a week or so...only getting him out when it turned green. Then upping the time to 5:45 and eventually 6 to gradually adjust his wake up time. Do you think something like that could work for an 18 month old? Or am I doomed to the 5 AM wake up call? I have tried putting him down later (8/8:30) and he still wakes up at the same time.

Thanks for any advice!

britbratjf

I think he is too young to understand the concept of those clocks. Other than that I have no advice. Dagny sleeps 11.5-12 hours overnight. If she wakes up earlier than that it's usually because she's sick or teething. She was doing early wake ups about a month ago and I discovered she had a horrible double ear infection - no other sleep issues, just waking up early. So maybe take him in to get checked?

lewispm

We dealt with the early waking for a while, but K was much younger, maybe 11-12 months. We eventually decided to let him cry and set a time that we would go get him. It was 5:30 at first, then 6 the next week, then 6:30. Now we have it at 7 and he sometimes (though rarely) he will wake as early as 6 but hardly ever fusses because he knows we will come get him when we see fit.

It was really hard letting him cry in the mornings, but I had to get ready for work and it was darn near impossible with him awake. We have a great system now, though and I think letting him cry worked wonders for us.

punkyshoester

britbratjf said:

I think he is too young to understand the concept of those clocks. Other than that I have no advice. Dagny sleeps 11.5-12 hours overnight. If she wakes up earlier than that it's usually because she's sick or teething. She was doing early wake ups about a month ago and I discovered she had a horrible double ear infection - no other sleep issues, just waking up early. So maybe take him in to get checked?

It's not just a clock. It is red when he should be sleeping, and turns green when he can get up. But, I was thinking that he could learn something like that because we would come get him out of his crib as soon as it turned green. I was hoping that he could make the association. Like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Onaroo-Childrens-Alarm-Clock-Nightlight/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389887255&sr=8-2&keywords=onaroo

I think I know that I should let him cry and don't have many options beyond doing that or getting up, but now I just worry that he will be confused that after all this time we come to get him when he cries, and now we aren't. And he cries "Mamamamamamamamamamamama" and it makes me so sad. This crap is hard.

punkyshoester

jfresh said:

I like the idea of those clocks but yeah, I think they're too young still to get it. I have an early riser too and they sound like very similar schedules. I feel like we've tried everything as well and I've just given in. So you're not alone. CIO just does. not. work. if it's 4 am or later. He's up and not going to stop screaming or go back to sleep. Sooo no help but again, you're not alone in your suffering 8-}

It's totally karma. My mom said I would wake up at 5 AM every day. Finally she told me I couldn't get up until I heard the birds singing. So I would hear a bird and run into her room to loudly exclaim that I could hear them.

It's karma.

Glad to hear I'm not alone, though! I need caffeine intravenously.

:bz

sarahandeddiejune212008

We have a similar clock for our 3yr old. She gets the concept. On the other hand, Avery just likes to make it light up.
I
I think 18m is too young to understand the clocks. A sleeps 12 hours at night and naps for about 2.

Have you tried bringing him to bed and letting him watch TV? Maybe the lullaby baby einstein would soothe him back to sleep. Even if he would just hang out and watch you could cat nap.

punkyshoester

Cbear - love it! I ordered the clock. We will start using it and if it takes him a bit to get the association, that's fine. I also like it in the meantime so that we have consistency on our end too.

punkyshoester

Thanks everyone!