20 Month Old Gets up Way Too Early

As my son got a little older (past 6 months or so) he needed an earlier bedtime, or he wouldn't sleep well, would wake super early, and wouldn't nap. It's like the more tired they get, the harder it is for them to sleep. I would move his bedtime up - I think my son was in bed by 7pm at that age - and actually still is in bed by 7:30 at 3 years old.

He could also be hitting a milestone - teething, about to stand, crawl more, so on. He could very well be in pain - being held and rocked can be comforting him so he stops crying. Have you tried an infant painkiller?

My oldest wakes up at 0500 every day and has done so since he was about 2 years old. If this is his "natural" wake up time, mom you will have to adjust some. Go to bed earlier, nap when he naps, and drink herbal teas.

One thing you could try in a Chamomile tea for your son, sweetened with COOKED honey. (if a packaged says, raw honey...don't give it to your child until he's 2).

You can try aromatherapy which can help soothe him. We use this with our oldest for his ODD.

If it's a genuine feeding problem, follow the doctor's advice. But if he's being picky there's fast fix for that. (You'll have to ask me for that)

I also get the feeling that my son gets up early and has a hard time with naps when he has teeth pain.

Since your son is so behind on sleep, you may want to try an earlier bedtime for a few days, because if he is overtired it is hard to settle down when it is later at night.

If you can't find help with catching up on sleep for yourself (like a sitter), could you alternate days with the baby's dad so that each of you can catch up on sleep when the other is with the baby?

I've dealt with times of our son getting up in the middle of the night and being energized and wanting to play. Some of the times I allowed him to play for an hour before telling him he HAD to go back to bed. He usually always seem to do well at going back to sleep after the initial screaming. Other times I told him he was NOT getting up even if he just laid in bed quietly with a toy and played (this usually happened at naptimes but you could also do this in the night). Children will test the waters to see how much they can get away with (even when irritable from cutting teeth) and if you allow him to get up and stay up then he is going to continue the behavior. Comfort him if he is screaming and crying then give him a glass of water and put him back to bed.

Sometimes teaching a child to lay and play quietly in their bed is really important, especially if you decide to have more children. You'll need a lot of sleep especially then and training him to stay in one place while you nap is very important.

You might try bringing him into your bed to sleep with you if he gets up at 4am too.

Wow! It sounds like this has been really tough on you!
We've had similar issues with our 14mo old. It sounds like your little guy might be overly tired. Our daughter starts waking up multiple times a night and not napping when she gets overly tired (something about her body not being able to settle down when she gets over stimulated, it's happened since she was a baby but we didn't always realize what was causing it--we just thought you didn't like napping). We've found the advice of Dr Weissbluth (Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is his book) to be invaluable in this situation. Essentially we just put DD to bed super early (630) for a few days to a week and slowly everything returns to normal. Typically she'll start sleeping later first and then her naps slowly come back. We went from no naps during the day and waking up 6-7 times a night to two 1.5 hr naps and sleeping 11 hrs with the only change being putting her to bed earlier. Even when she wasn't sleeping at naptime we'd still put her down in her crib at her normal nap times (9am and 1pm) to maintain the routine. We do extend her bedtime routine a little bit since she's going down so early to help her calm down.
Good luck! I don't know what your schedule is like but I know for awhile there when things were really bad with my daughter I'd nap on the floor next to her crib--even when she wouldn't sleep she'd lay down quietly if I put my hand next to her. It's difficult to think clearly when you're tired so show yourself some grace, take extra breaks as you need them and don't put any extra pressure on yourself to get things done. If he does finally nap, take one with him if you can. I hope this helps!

Yes!! Definetely sounds like molars! Those are the worst....I remember when my son got them all in 1 month. The molars pain is not excrusiating, it just causing irritability and he feels more secure when you pick him up. Do you give him tylenol or motin before bed? I found that a 1/2 dose really took the edge off. I would alternate between the two since they are different medicines but do the same thing. What about Hylands or Humphries homeopathic teething drops during the day? I found they distracted my son. Does your son have sensory issues? My son does and he is a pretty picky eater eater too. He never wanted the bottle or a pacifier either. If so, try to hug him and massage him as much as possible, this wil help him too. If you are really desperate (and trust me, I understand the feeling) give him a tiny bit of benedryl before bed so he sleeps. Sometimes this resets him. I know you are not supposed to give it for this but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures! Stay strong...we don't all have easy babies.

Hi K.,
Please call your doctor and/or your son's pediatrician and tell them how you're feeling. Maybe you need medication, or maybe you just need more support and sleep. Do you have someone at home who can help? If not, maybe a friend or relative could stay with you and take some of the early mornings until things get better. I totally understand meal frustration - I have a 22-month-old who never took a bottle as a baby and still only eats about four things - but sleep deprivation makes everything so much worse. For what it's worth, I think an earlier bedtime might help him and you. He sounds overtired, and he's probably picking up on your stress. Please get some help - it will get better.

Call the pediatrician

Jilly gave some good ideas to consider. It's possible that the hospital visit disrupted his pattern and that it's a temporary thing. It's hard to know if/how the feeding problems affect him as well. It's so important for you to take care of yourself. He may sense your strain and tension. If he isn't napping, can you get someone to watch him for a couple hours in the day so you can get some sleep. Lack of sleep makes it really hard to handle stuff. Hang in there. You aren't alone!!! Not that that makes it easier day to day. - And this too shall pass. - Good luck.

If a baby is over tired, they will sleep less. put him to bed earlier and chances are he will sleep later. try moving his bed time back. Also, make sure you have dark shades in his room and see if there is something at that time that is waking him up (noisy birds outside did it for my son). Both of my kids woke up way too early, and after getting up that early with my daughter for a while and not being a happy camper, when I got pregnant with my son, I just couldn't do it anymore and I set my alarm for 630 and didn't get her up until then. A few mornings of crying and she got the hint, entertain herself or go back to sleep because mommy wasn't coming in. I did the same thing with my son. Good luck to you and I recommend the Healthy Sleep Habits book.

Hi K., We all go through a period like this; you are not alone! Some thoughts:

1. Is your LO getting enough outdoor play in the daytime and sunshine?
2. Is you LO gettting enough water to deal with the heat and thirst?
3. If you work, is he getting enough quality time with you when you are home? Hugs, stories.
4. Is he eating enough. He may be a picky eater, are there things he will always eat to help ensure a full tummy? I offer a variety of foods each day, but ensure his favorites s(chicken schnitzel, cheerios, grapes) are always on hand for each meal just in case.
5. Is his room dark?
6. Is his room cool?

I hope these ideas help.

Jilly

Try black out curtains so early morning light doesn't wake him up. Also try a noise machine to drone out other sounds or put him in a deeper sleep. Good luck.