Waking up too early, any solutions?

[Psyche]

I'm not sure what Caden's issue is but he's waking up earlier and earlier and earlier. It went from 7:30 to 7:00, 7:00 to 6:30, and today at 6 am. :yawn

His behavior has also been OTT with whining and temper tantrums (I mean reactions that for him are just way out of wack for the issue). I was thinking maybe it was his seasonal allergies and now I'm wondering if he isn't getting enough sleep.

We have a bed time routine, white noise, heavy curtains in the window. He gets outside time each day. We have him on medication to help his allergies (which aren't 100% effective TBH). I've told him he needs to go back to sleep and it doesn't work.

He still naps but even those some days aren't that great.

Anything we're missing?

I'm almost to the point of giving him some melatonin, but he's had a couple nights recently of bad dreams and melatonin can heighten those.

[Rabbit]

Given that his behaviour is also off, I'd think he was getting sick.

[Psyche]

Given that his behaviour is also off, I'd think he was getting sick.


I wasn't clear in my OP but this has been on going for a couple of weeks now ;)

[Rabbit]

He doesn't feel good, or he wouldn't be up so early and yet so whiny. It would make sense for it to be allergies.

[MomtoJGJ]

My girls are doing that too... we've been late on bedtime for various reasons out of our control for a few weeks... at first they were sleeping later than normal, but they are getting up earlier and earlier too... theirs is definitely that they are overtired... we will be able to get back to normal next week so that should help them, but until then we are going to do naps.

I'd say if you could get him in bed earlier a few nights do it.

[klpmommy]

try an earlier bedtime & make sure there is no light leakage in his room from the sun.

[eloise24]

What happens if you try laying him back down and telling him it's not time to get up yet? DD (16 months now) tends to "try new things" every 4 weeks or so- waking up at 5 am, etc. I just kept (nursing her almost back to sleep) putting her back into her bed and then when she'd wake up at 6:30 (when we have to get up) we started our day. After 3-4 days of this, she'd just sleep until 6:30.

Erika

[Psyche]

He's quiet for 20 minutes then starts playing in his bed. Or he's quiet for five minutes and starts yelling "wakin up, ma! wakin up!"

He's gotten better with his nasal spray but I swear he and Jon tag team me on purpose!

[TuneMyHeart]

this is when we started watching tv in the mornings. ;) Ellie is up early, despite what time she goes to bed. So now her bedtime is 6:30 pm.

[Codi]

this is when we started watching tv in the mornings. ;) Ellie is up early, despite what time she goes to bed. So now her bedtime is 6:30 pm.


If ds wakes up before me and dd (not usual), he watches a movie and/or goes to his room and brings a toy or a few toys into bed. Usually playmobil, until dd and I wake.

[klpmommy]

try having four to tag team you on sleep. ;) I really think mine have secret conferences that go something like this "I'm feeling really tired & I need to get a couple of nights' sleep, so how about you wake up tonight & interrupt Mommy's sleep?" Or maybe they just draw straws. :shrug But the rare nights that S sleeps well one of the other three doesn't. :sigh

We do tv in the mornings as well. Before I could trust them to watch w/o me I could at least rest while they watched (lay on the couch or let them watch tv in my room).

[DahliaRW]

I think that at this time of the year (spring/early summer) it can be that it's getting light out earlier too. The kiddos wake up, it's sunny out, so they think it's time to get up. My ds2 started waking earlier because of this. Have you tried a good blackout shade in his room? That sometimes helps.

[Psyche]

:yes2 His curtains are double thick, just like ours. Our rooms aren't pitch black but def dark.

[aleigh]

I agree with an earlier bedtime- especially if he gets up early regardless of when he went to bed. When my son is overtired he wakes up earlier than usual. We also let him watch tv in the am, but only at a set time- otherwise he would wake up at 5am to watch television! Will he go back to sleep if someone crawls in bed with him?