My 2 year old used to sleep from 8:30pm-6:30am. Since daylight savings happened, he now wakes up like clockwork at 5:30am. I tried moving his bedtime later (9) and he woke up at 5:30. I tried moving his bedtime earlier (8) and he woke up at 5:30. I'm at a loss! I'll tell him that it's still nighttime and put him back in his bed and he stays in bed til I say he can get up at 6am but he just plays in his bed and talks to himself. Plus, I have to stay in there or he leaves his room so that means no more sleep for ME after 5:30! :( How can I get him to wake up at 6:30 again? Thanks!
Just a reminder - daylight savings time just ENDED! What we are on now is "regular" standard time! Kids are on the same schedule - just the darn clocks are different!
I do wish they just pick one time or the other and leave it alone!!
Change any bedtimes in 15 minute increments and it can take up to three weeks to adjust. Even my dog is off schedule! My kids are older now, but I used to hate the time changes when my kids were little. Good luck.
ugh i feel ur pain im going thru the same thing with my 15mth old so i have just been putting him in the bed with my husband and I and turning on cartoons w the volume off. He flops around on the pillows abit but for the most part will watch cartoons for at least 30-45mins without trying to get off the bed lol..... So far this is the only thing that has worked for me...
Ahh, it's hard on the little guys. My girl cried yesterday. She thought I left her at the babysitter because it was dark outside.
Updated
Ahh, it's hard on the little guys. My girl cried yesterday. She thought I left her at the babysitter because it was dark outside.
I don't believe you can change this outside of several weeks of gradual change. I usually get up at 5:30, so I'm waking up at 4:30. Yeah, it's EARLY.
It will take a while.. maybe a couple of weeks. but he should adjust...
My duaghter (age 6) always woke up at 7 am.. but now she is up at 6 am..
For some strange unexplained reason.. kids wake up at the same time no matter what time they go to bed.. .they have an internal alarm clock.. they are done sleeping and they are awake... I would not make the child stay in his bed.. he is awake and he doesnt knwo what the time on the clock says.
As an infant... my son woke up at 5 am for several months (seemed like the whole winter) I just got up and started my day.
His clock didn't change the outside world did. It will just take time. I wouldn't put him down later.... that has backfired in my experience. The only thing you can "control" is your bed time.... until he adjusts, can you go to sleep earlier. Wish I had more to offer, ours are early risers naturally so we've been up between 4:30 and 5.... exhausted by 9!!!
No words of wisdom here...just wanted to say I share your pain. My 2 yr old AND my 3 month old are up at 5:30am. Between trying to feed the baby and taking the 2 yr old to the potty, there is no going back to sleep for any of us. I hear they'll adjust eventually, so I'm just holding on!
Until they can tell time there is not point in fighting it. They adapt it just takes a couple weeks.
Why would you move his bedtime up if you want him to sleep later, go in the other direction. :)
Adults are used to clocks. We look at the time and often feel a certain way based PURELY off of the numbers.
Kids don't. Esp, before they can tell time. Although you'll often find if you follow the SUN (aka start getting the kids ready for bed at twilight every night) that they'll sleep a good 15 hours in the winter time. Of course, that doesn't work if you have to leave for daycare or work 3-4 hours before dawn.
((Personal gripe: "Up at dawn" is STILL used to mean 'early'. Awayschools here start often a good 2-3 hours before dawn, and let out after dark, and most jobs are hour dependent. Getting up in the dark and coming home in the dark. Ugh. Who came UP with this system????))
Start moving things earlier slooooowly. 10 minutes at a time.... or start putting to bed when it gets dark out. It will take about a week before their internal clock resets, either way.
We love our stoplight alarm clock! My son knows he needs to stay in bed (looking at books if he's done sleeping) until the light turns green, which is whatever time the parent decides to set it for. There are several versions out there & places to get them; this is the one we have: http://www.stoplightclock.com/
I HATE changing the time. Just when my body gets used to it, it changes again.
I don't care what time the clock says, I will still wake up at the same time for a while. And, believe me, my body can feel it when I'm at work at 6:30pm even though the clock says 5:30.
Your son can't help it. His little body clock could care less what the actual clock says.
One of these days, I'm going to move to Hawaii or Arizona. They leave the time alone all year.
Best wishes.
Its only been 2 days. You have to give him time to adjust.
Try to let him play for at least 30 mins outside about an hour before bedtime and see if sun exposure will help regulate his time clock.
Next DST, when we jump forward, start putting him to bed earlier in 10-15 min intervals each day starting a week or so prior to the change. If his bedtime is at 8:30p, put him to bed at 8:15 for a few nights, then 8 for a few nights, then 7:45 for a night or two...until you get to the 7:15 mark. By then, his body should be a little used to being put to bed early. Same thing when he wakes up, although you might want that extra time.
Personally I plan to move to Arizona where they don't do a time change. I HATE the time change!! My kids are also affected. I just try to remind myself that my girls never slept past 5:30 until they reached age 3 or 4. And that 7 am half the year and 6am half the year is definitely a better deal. Seriously though I don't think my kids ever really adjust.
Is he potty trained at two? If not, I would put a child lock on his doorknob so he has to stay for quiet time for that last hour. Is he still napping? Maybe try shifting that around. Hopefully, this will pass, I couldn't even begin to think about functioning that early in the morning.
I know. It's their internal clock.
Affects me, too.
It takes a couple of weeks and they MAY return to their normal
schedule.
I secon what one mom said: put up a baby gate in his doorway to see if he'll stay in his room.
Early? We were up at 4:15 for the first two days; this morning was almost 5, so we're getting better. Last year took over a week before they were back to their normal 5:30. I'm hoping this takes less time, but I'm starting to think it's not! Good luck!
he'll either adjust or he wont, not much you can do about that. but if you want him to stay in his room all you have to do is put up a baby gate in front of his door. then you get to get more sleep and he is safe in his room.
My grandson has always been an early riser. At about age 2, his parents got him a clock that lights up at whatever time they set. They told kidlet that he has to read books or play quietly in his room until the light comes on, and they set the time later by 10 minutes every few days. It worked well.
There's no way to keep a child asleep once their inner wake-up time has arrived. (No way besides drugs to keep adults asleep through the night either. Dang!)
I wouldn't put him down later...he will be over-tired and wake up EARLIER. I would recommend what some other mommies suggested. ...doing it in 15 min increments. It takes about a week or so for them to get used to but next time, start the week before DST starts. That might help! Good luck!
I'd say, put him to bed at 7:30 & let him sleep until he wakes up & then gradually work your way back to an 8:30 bedtime.
You do realise that 5:30am is actually 6:30am to everyone that doesn't use watches, right? The problem isn't your kid, it's "daylight savings"! :) "This too shall pass" :) May I suggest you going to bed earlier yourself? Good luck!
