waking up too early!

uandme

Sun, Oct 30 2005, 3:38 pm

my little one wakes up way too early (5-6am, or today, 4:30 with the time change) in my opinion, and gets tired midday but doesn't nap anymore except for sometimes falling asleep in the car. how many hours do your 4 year olds get of sleep? what ways have you adjusted their schedules?
it seems that since we traveled a few months ago this one is still off schedule and not getting enough sleep but waking up too early.

BrachaVHatzlocha

Sun, Oct 30 2005, 5:27 pm

I would imagine that a 4 year old should sleep like 11-12 hours. If he is not, don't get up when he gets up. Tell him he has to stay in bed until everyone wakes up. Maybe he'll learn to fall back asleep.
I had a similar problem -- but with my 1 year old. I just didn't go into him and he fell back asleep. may be harder with an older child, though

happyone

Mon, Nov 21 2005, 8:52 am

my kids too, wake up with the birds! have tried it all, from putting to sleep later, etc... etc..
when you come up with a solution, I'll be pretty thankful!

happyone Smile

buba123

Mon, Nov 21 2005, 12:12 pm

miriam wrote:

Buy light blocking curtains.

That's the way to do it Exclamation

I also ask my dh to be extra-quiet in the am - this way when he wakes up early the kids won't hear him and wake up.

buba123

Tue, Nov 22 2005, 11:12 am

My two sons- ages 3 & 5 yrs. share a room. They have very different sleeping habits. The 5 year old wakes up early every morning - the minute he hears a sound he's out of bed (his eyes are still closed-he's scared he'll miss something Rolling Eyes

). The 3 year old is quiet, needs time to adjust to waking up...
I was very nervous about them sharing a room - yet, it worked out OK B"H. They go to sleep together and wake up together. Same schedule - but that works bec. they go to the same school at the same time and come home together too. There are times when I make my 3 yr. old nap (Shabbos, Yom tov by day) when he needs to - to catch up on sleep.
I'm very set on schedules. They get to read for 20 minutes and then the light gets shut. There were times when they kept on getting rowdy - so I took away priveleges until they listened.

You have to be consistent.

micki

Tue, Nov 22 2005, 12:19 pm

Quote:

There were times when they kept on getting rowdy - so I took away priveleges until they listened.

tell me more please! my sons mainly the older one keep the younger one up until 9:15, 10:00 even!
they were having a slumber party the trashed their room they were telling secrets under the older ones blanket when I caught them. they were being quiet so I didn't hear them till too late!

so I made the older one sleep in the guest room last night and the younger one fell asleep within minutes. he says to me he can't sleep in the guest room becasue guest rooms are for guests and he is not a guest he's a little boy!

buba123

Tue, Nov 22 2005, 12:37 pm

[quote="micki"]

Quote:

he says to me he can't sleep in the guest room becasue guest rooms are for guests and he is not a guest he's a little boy!

Basically - can't get a special prize, nosh, watch a movie... Sometimes I would put the prize in their room, high up on a shelf so they can see it- more visual for them. I'm a strict mommy - I believe children need structure and routine, so I don't tolerate misbehavior for too long (of course, you wouldn't know that when my 3 year old has a tantrum LOL

)

When they started sharing a room the first week or two was hard, (as Yael mentioned in another post - you see Yael - you don't write too much but we remember what you do write!!). After that life is back to normal.

uandme

Thu, Nov 24 2005, 1:57 pm

[quote="buba123"]

miriam wrote:

Buy light blocking curtains.

That's the way to do it Exclamation

I agree those work, too, except the fact that it doesn't get light till 1-2 hours after this kid has been waking up- that is obviously not going to help!

Ima3

Thu, Nov 24 2005, 5:21 pm

I had this problem with my second son when he was 4 y :, he was waking up very early, like 4;30-5;00, in the beggining I was always trying to find a way to entreteiment him, and this wasn't a good idea, I was very tired in the end of the morning.... Then my DH told me, lets put him back in his bed and maybe he wold try to sleep again. It was hard in the beggining, he didn't wanted to stay there, so I or my husband went to his bed and layed down with him. After 2 weeks... a surprise: he slept till 8 am.
From this day he sleep till 7-8 am. Very Happy

tzivi

Thu, Nov 24 2005, 5:45 pm

Set up some toys the night before in another room that is not the bedroom, and ask him to play quietly until everyone else wakes up.

buba123

Thu, Nov 24 2005, 8:43 pm

When I switched my now 3 year old son to sleep in a big bed (from a crib) at age 2 - I would find him in the middle of the night in the playroom LOL

. I would hear noises while sleeping and almost freak out. I'd go investigate and sure enough, he's building lego towers at 3 am shock

Took a few days until he learned to stay in bed till the (decent hours of) am.

micki

Thu, Nov 24 2005, 11:45 pm

buba sounds like we have a lot to talk about!

Quote:

I'd go investigate and sure enough, he's building lego towers at 3 am

mine too! or I find him watching a video!!
that guy does not stay in bed!

IndyMom

Fri, Nov 25 2005, 9:40 am

first thing in the morning disney channel is my friend!

I also use it to get them up in the morning - if they are dressed and ate breakfast before 7:30 they are allowed to watch a show until carpool comes. Sometimes they make it, sometimes they don't.