Waking in the night and early waking
Hi
I used this website last year with great success and am online again asking for help.
Alfie's bedtime routine is quite structured and until about 3 months ago he would go to sleep with no problems - he now screams and screams until either my other half tells him it's bedtime and he listens to him (!!! He's not always around at bedtime though) or I end up sitting with him (gradually withdrawing myself from the room) for about 30 mins to an hour. As a full time school teacher, most nights I need 2 hours to get work done, so this is causing problems with my workload, we're on holiday now so I hope to be able to sort all this out.
Then there's the night waking - Alfie wakes up at least once a night - and can take anything from 15 minutes to re-settle (usually he does it himself if it's a short one) or up to 6 hours - that's not settling at all!! Last night, for example, he woke at 11pm for 15 minutes, then at 1.30am and stayed awake til 5.30am. He then slept til 6.30am (I 'slept' on his bedroom floor to try to keep him from crying and disturbing my very grumpy other half!!!)
The other issue is early mornings - Alfie usually wakes between 4.30am and 5.30am and that's him up for the day!! I have tried leavinng him until 6am but sometimes he is crying so much I have to go in to him.
My other half has asked me not to put the TV on at all today and to cut out snacks so that he eats well at meal times - he doesn't eat much at all and has allergies, and I am worried he is waking because he's hungry. He does call out in his sleep and when he wakes - it's usually either 'Mummy' or a name of a character from Thomas the Tank Engine or the film Cars!!!! But he was calling what I thought was Henry last week - but I wonder now if it was 'hungry'???
He naps well in the day - once for about 1-1.5 hours.
I got so much good advice the last time I used this site and am now looking for more.
Many thanks
Kerran
written 6 weeks ago by Kerran - 5 replies - viewed 80 times
labels: Night time waking and earlly mornings
Replies
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Hi Kerran, as you don't need a snack in the middle of the night even if you don't eat your tea, then neither does he! It seems as if the problem is to do with the way that he falls asleep at bedtime. As you are there, he expects that you will be when he wakes as part of his natural sleep cycle. Do cc at bedtime and when he wakes through the night (dad will have to out up with it, don't sleep on Alfie's floor). The 4:30 wakings are not emw, but night waking and need to be addressed in the same way. Post each morning with how it went the night before and we will help as you go.
reply by Mentor-Wendy -
6 weeks ago
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Thanks Wendy
My other half is much stricter than I am at bedtime and does do cc - I wimp out because it's my name he screams and screams, but I will persevere.
Last night was a really good night, considering the last few weeks. Alfie woke at just after midnight crying for me, but I left him and within 10 minutes he was back asleep!!
Then, in the morning, he woke at about 5.30am but was happy quietly lying in bed, so I went in at about 6.15am.
Fingers crossed that happens again, but we have decided cc is the way to go - even if it keeps us awake all night - on our own bed!!!!
Thanks again
reply by Kerran -
6 weeks ago
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Well done for leaving him to self settle, this is the way forward and will bring the results you are wanting. Keep us posted.
reply by DT-emily -
6 weeks ago
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I do feel slightly embarrassed, however I have no confidence it will continue - but Alfie has 'slept through' for 3 nights in a row now!!!
He is still difficult to put to sleep (Daddy helped tonight and Alfie settled almost immediately - he only wants to cuddle me!!!) but has slept from about 8pm to 5.30am each day. We have left him until after 6am each morning and he has been happy with that too.
I really hope and have everything crossed it continues, I have my other half's support to do CC through the night, but we are off on our hols next week and have no idea how that's going to affect his routine!!!
reply by Kerran -
5 weeks ago
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Well done on the progress you have made. As long as you don't re-introduce any old props whilst you are on holiday, he shouldn't regress.
reply by Mentor-Wendy -
5 weeks ago
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