Seeking Advice for 20 Month Old Who Will Not Sleep past 5:15 Am

Does he cry out for you or just wake up and play in his crib? Usually if my DD wakes up before 6 am then I will leave her in there for 5-10 minutes - even if she's crying out. It used to happen more often than it does now, and now she kind of "knows" Mom or Dad WILL come get her but not right away. Usually when she wakes up she's really just "getting herself together" and playing a little in her crib with her 2 stuffed animals or fuzzy blanket. The point i'm trying to make is that you might try stretching out the time between you know he wakes up and when you actaully go in and get him.

You can try putting him to bed later in the evening if that's conducive to your family's schedule. (Earlier won't help.) Or, you might just have a kid that has a pretty accurate body clock and he likes to wake up early. My daughter tends to wake up earlier than me but she is content to play in her crib (I put a couple stuffed animals and at least one book in there with her) until I come and get her. Good luck.

A., if I'm reading this right, your 20-month-old is sleeping for 10 consecutive hours at night AND taking a nap? Dude, if I were you I think I'd be dancing around the house with a party hat on -- that rocks! (If any of the children in our extended family ever slept that much we would assume they were dead).

Even so, when children rise before six a.m. it can be brutal. (I'm guessing that YOU haven't had ten consecutive hours of sleep, plus a nap!)

This might sound like bad parenting on my part, but when our daughter got up that early we let her get in bed with us and watch cartoons, or discovery, or PBS while we slept another hour or so. Beyond that we didn't attempt to entertain her, and we let her know that breakfast happens at 7 a.m., and not before. She was very good about this, maybe because TV was not a regular option for her. Other times she would just snuggle down with us and her stuffed animals and play quietly, or even fall asleep again.

Some children (like adults) require less sleep than others. But you need yours -- sleep deprivation is torture! best luck!

A. -- I am the mother of 6 (my oldest is 19 and my youngest is turning 4). I have had your problem with more than one of my children. I found that they just have to grow out of it. My eldest would wake up every day around 5 until she was 2 or 2 1/2. We did find with her that putting putting books and quiet toys in the crib would keep her happy for a little while but I do remember a lot of early mornings. Sorry I don't have the secret pershps someone else will. Otherwise patience may have to be you best friend for a while.

R. C

You have tried putting your son to bed earlier, with no success, but have you tried putting him to bed later? We NEVER had any problem with our daughter "sleeping in" -- in fact, her father took her to the baby sitter's asleep when she was small -- as she stayed up later. While between 7:30 and 8:00 seems a normal time to put a child to bed, it wasn't for us, a habit she set for herself when she had colic for months as a child and couldn't get to sleep earlier. (We and she have always been "night people"!) If your son goes to bed at 7:30 and awakens at 5:30, that's 10 hours of sleep. That is apparently all he needs in one stretch. An 8:30 p.m. bedtime might make him last till 6:30 a.m., or a 9 p.m. bedtime till 7 a.m.!

Hi A.,

Have you tried putting him to bed around 8:30pm? That might work, or cutting his nap by 1/2 an hour?

V.

we are in the same boat. I just suck it up and get up with him. For me I had to choose between him putting himself back to sleep or me doing it. We got to him putting himself back to sleep. I love it I can sleep a whole night with out him waking until 5:00. Before I was wakeing up @ 3:00 then 5:00 and up all day. But if I had to pick I would pick the waking at 5:00. I love to sleep but I can get an extra hour in on the weekends when my Husband is off work. I tell him I'm home with our son all week and get up with him faithfully all I ask is for him to do it once a week. He dose no complaints. Good luck

I too have an early rising toddler (today it was 4:30, yesterday 5:15) who goes to bed regularly between 8 and 9pm. My son is 2yr and 3 months, but he's been this way since birth. At this point we are grateful that he's mostly sleeping through the night, waking usually only once and going back to sleep rather quickly. We have tried everything toward getting him to sleep longer, as so many parents have told us their children, even boys, were sleeping 10+ hours a night. I'm guessing this just boils down to some children just are early risers and that it may come from the parents. I was and my husband is an early riser. Hopefully this is at least helpful to you in that you're not alone in this area. Cheers! K

In April the College Park chapter of Mocha Moms is teaming up with the Laurel Moms Club to bring nationally renowned speaker Kim West author of “GOOD NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT: The Sleep Lady’s Gentle Guide to Helping Your Child Go to Sleep, Stay Asleep and Wake Up Happy” with co-author Joanne Kenen . Published by CDS Books in January 2005
West has spoken to numerous parenting groups across the country about the importance of children’s sleep and how to gently teach your child to go to sleep and sleep through the night.
Kim West received her master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts. She lives with her family in Annapolis, Maryland .Visit her website at www.sleeplady.com
This event will take place on April 10, 2008 at 7pm at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 13611 Laurel Bowie Rd. (Rte 197), Laurel, MD 20707. The ticket price is $10.00 in advance and $15.00 at the door. For more information about this event please email ____@____.com