Has "earlier to bed later to rise" really worked for anyone?

MNheidi

My boys have recently started getting up around 5:30 (even just 30 minutes is more tolerable for all).  In Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child, the dr suggests actually putting them down earlier in order to get a better night sleep.  But, the boys already go down at 7 and they do STTN. 

They start off around 5:30 chatting and then starts the crying and even if they wanted to go back to sleep, they're brother is in their going crazy.  But, when I get them up, they're SOOOO tired (yawning, rubbing eyes).  I think I could give them a bottle and they'd go right back to sleep but I feel like that's going backwards.

We tried a little earlier bedtime tonight so we'll see if that makes a difference.

Any words of advice?

AlisaS

No way! If my guys get tired before 7 we take them outside to play. Otherwise they'll be up at midnight wide awake and wanting to play.

Skatcat

It definitely has worked for us, but that is going from a 10pm bedtime to around 8pm. We have been trying to get them closer to 7pm for several weeks now but it just never seems to work no matter how early we start the bedtime routine.

Mine are much younger than yours though and its too early to say if they really are STTN for good.

mskah

My two used to wake up around 5:30 as well (so 7-5:30 - and they were about the same age as your children when they were doing this), but I wouldn't go in to get them until 6:00.  And then recently I moved it to 6:30.  Now they are pretty consistently sleeping from 7-6:15/6:30 - they are almost 11.5 months old now.  I am with you though, that extra half hour makes all the difference in the world - Good Luck! 

pea-kay

mine go to bed at 7, and wake up around 6:30. they wake up at 6:30 no matter what time they go to bed, sadly. but they also will just play in their cribs and chat until i go in their room. so maybe just let them wake up, and get them used to you not going in there right when they wake up.