Still waking up after CIO

Two weeks ago I finally convinced DH and we did full CIO for my two little non-sleepers. It was rough but now they STTN! :drinks: The problem is that their definition of 'night' is a bit different than mine. Even after day after day of not letting them up until 5am, they will start crying at 4am every morning. Sometimes it's one boy, sometimes it's the other, and sometimes it's both. What is going on? I've tried shifting their schedule, but they never make it past 5:30pm to go to bed. Why would they still be waking up and crying at 4am? Aren't they supposed to have learned by now? :unsure:

 

Unfortunately, if they are going to bed at 5:30 p.m. - 4:00 a.m. is probably a pretty typical wake-up time. My boys now go to bed around 7:30 and are up usually by 6:30. When they were going to bed at 6:30, they were usually always awake by 5:00 or 5:30 a.m.

What have you tried to do while shifting their schedule? Are they on 1 or 2 naps a day? What do you do when they wake up at 4:00?

Sorry for the qu's, just trying to get a better idea so someone can give you some ideas!

 

Please, ask away, I'm at my wit's end!

We've tried pushing their whole schedule later by 15 minutes a day. We've tried putting them to bed _earlier_. We've tried keeping them up later. They're still taking two naps a day pretty well. I try to do 2-3-4 but it often looks like 1-1/2 - 2 - 4-1/2 because they'll melt down early. They could really use a third nap, esp Sam, but won't take it unless they're being rocked or are in the car, and often not even then. For naps 1 and 2, they're nursed and put down and they usually go right to sleep and sleep for about an hour. When they wake up during the night or at 4am, I just let them fuss or cry in their crib. In the past I've tried nursing them and putting them right back down, but that doesn't work usually. :80:

I thought they were still needing 11 - 12 hours at night and 2 - 2-1/2 hours of naps during the day?

 

I agree with the PP. With a 5:30 bedtime, 4 am wake up time is probably about right. I've heard you can expect about 11 hours night time sleep at that age.
We put ours to bed around 7 and they are always awake around 6. If they have an early bird morning, it will be 5:30.
Sorry, I wish I had some better suggestions. As you mentioned, you could try shifting their bedtime slowly a little later.

 

:yahoo: for STTN!

I agree with PPs; I would try to shift their bedtime later. My guys go to bed at around 8pm (asleep by 8:30pm) and get up at about 7:30am. So 11 hours, plus they nap about 2-3 hours during the day.

You could start extending the time from their morning wake-up until their first nap using distraction (new toys, video, bubbles, etc.), then push their entire schedule later in the day. It might get a little rocky during the transition, but in the end it will be better than getting up at 4am! :wacko:

Good luck!!

 

I agree that they are probably going to bed too early. At that age mine slept from 9:30am till 11am or so and I always woke them if they went past 12. Then another nap from 2-4, then bedtime was at 6:30. They woke at 7am.
It's not easy that's for sure! When mine wake up early we don't go in there. They aren't allowed up before 6am :aggressive: :laughing: