How to stop kids from waking me up in the morning

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> School age children

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amother

Tue, Oct 06 2020, 7:20 am

I have a sleep disorder and I need a lot of sleep to feel somewhat alive. My youngest is 7 and has older siblings to help him. I have tried to explain to my kids that I need an extra hour to sleep in the mornings as they get up at 5 am (latest 6am). I go to bed extremely early and I take stimulants to help me stay awake as well as other medication to manage my sleep disorder.

My kids seem determined to wake me up. It isn't that they are needy as they are old enough to get their own food and entertain themselves. They just want me to be awake when they are awake and HATE when I'm sleeping. Every morning they call me to get up and then my entire day I don't feel ok.

For those of you with older children, how have you trained them to let you sleep in?

baltomom

Tue, Oct 06 2020, 8:06 am

That sounds tough! You don't say how old your older children are, but have you explained to them all about your sleep disorder and how badly you need your sleep? Any time they let you sleep longer than usual, make a big deal of praising and thanking them. Maybe some sort of chart/incentive program would help as you work on establishing this new habit. Good luck!

amother

Pumpkin

Tue, Oct 06 2020, 8:10 am

I think once they're old enough to tell time, they're old enough to let Mommy sleep for a bit.
We have a rule that before 7AM you can play quietly either in your room, or upstairs (we sleep downstairs). My mom used to say we should read in bed.

FranticFrummie

Tue, Oct 06 2020, 8:30 am

A friend of mine trained all of her kids, that if they have to wake her up, the answer is automatically "NO!" Repeat as often as necessary.

The exception is for emergencies. "Shani stole my toy!" is not an emergency. Neither is "why can't I have the Shabbos cereal today?"

An emergency is:

Are you on fire?
Are you being kidnapped?
Are you being eaten by a bear?

If none of these things are happening, they need to leave you ALONE!

~Signed, a person with a sleep disorder, fibro, chronic fatigue, and a dozen other things.

Stars

Tue, Oct 06 2020, 8:37 am

Lock your bedroom door. Explain to them how you can’t function as a mom if you don’t get enough sleep. Prepare food for them on the counter, maybe with a good morning note. Tell them what they can take from the fridge the night before.
Took me over two years to get my (young) kids to stop waking me up at unearthly hours but they have the routine down by now. They still sometimes wake me but at least not at 5-6am and it’s usually by mistake, not by shaking my entire bed etc.

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