My 3 year old and sleep issues...again :(

Shopmiami49

Tue, Apr 24 2012, 2:29 am

So a while back, I posted that we had moved our 3 yr old dd to a bed from her crib and she was having issues adjusting. Now, about 4 months later, she is well adjusted and loves her new bed. However, we are still having this issue that she wakes up very early...no matter what time she goes to sleep. We are talking like 6 am. It would be a normal time if she was going to bed at 6, but usually, she is only sleeping closer to 7/7:30. Needless to say, when she wakes up, she is exhausted and crabby....for the WHOLE ENTIRE DAY. Plus, she wakes up her brothers who share a room with her and they totally need more sleep.

I am not sure what to do at this point. She is in between naps. I have tried to skip her naptime, and many times, it has been ok during the day, except that she sleeps terribly at night, waking up several times, etc. Sometimes she'll fall asleep during the afternoon, no matter how I try to keep her up. I have tried to stagger the bedtimes but she refuses to go to sleep alone, since she has always been with a sibling in the room.

FYI, we start bedtime routine here around 5 - we eat supper, bathtime, pjs, and story. My kids are usually in bed by 6 with lights out. However, since dd is usually more awake, she often keep the boys up until about 7. When I have tried to put her to sleep later, she often ends up waking up the boys - plus, she usually can't last that long b/c she is exhausted. A vicious cycle. We have tried sticker charts, rewards, punishments, you name it.

Any suggestions? We are all losing too much sleep here...

miami85

Wed, Jul 09 2014, 2:14 pm

Kids have natural circadian rhythms and it can be hard to break it. could be shes overtired and therefore not sleeping well. Could be she's not ready to drop the nap entirely. Could be she's going to sleep too early, could be the light is waking her up in the morning. Could be a sensory thing I know its summer but a heavy blanket or tight pjs might help her sleep better.

Shopmiami49

Wed, Jul 09 2014, 2:23 pm

I thought I recognized this title! LOL

B"H, I can now say in retrospect 2 years later, that she was going through a phase - a very looooong phase that petered out sometime last year. She still has her issues every now and then and is still an early riser and is still a little crabby at certain points during the day, but she has kind of grown into herself and can manage herself a little better.

But to anyone who is still experiencing a situation like this, what can I say...it's NOT fun - but it WILL pass Wink

Dolly Welsh

Wed, Jul 09 2014, 2:27 pm

Make her a little fatter.

Put a visual barrier between her and the boys. A screen or a sheet or something. She sees playmates over there, and it's irresistible to go at them for play. Put stuffed animals in the bed to keep her company instead of the boys.

She may be bored. Get her some more books and animals. Boredom keeps people up.