Help Need Sleep

When my oldest child child would wake up early like that we bought one of the little crib nightlights that plays music (about 4"x5"). We put it by her pillow and told her that when she woke up she could not get out of bed yet but she could push the music play button on the nightlight and close her eyes. She could do this as may times ad she wanted but she had to wait for us to get up before she could. She was right at 2 years old. She liked that she could play the music when she wanted and the light would come on when the music did so she could also do little hand actions with the music. Eventually, she would go back to sleep after the first time of pushing the music button. This really helped us.

L. KC

We all seem to get messed up when the time change comes around. I had to start putting the boys to bed an hour later do to my youngest waking up earlier.

Have you considered moving him back to his crib? Sometimes you have to go backward to go forward...

With an older child I'd say to teach them time, put a clock in their room and teach them what it looks like when they can come out. That they have to be quiet until then. It's too complex a concept for his age though - more a 3-1/2- 5 year old thing. At this age you'd just have to be firm and walk him back to his bed as many times as it takes for him to get the point that's where he belongs.

When our 2yo son wakes up at 6am we let him snuggle in our bed with us and he goes right back to sleep until 7-7:30, when we get up. We enjoy both the snuggles and the sleep.

T.

Keep him up from his nap for a day or 2, this will make him very tired at bed time and hopefully sleep longer. Keep him occupied during his regular nap time so he does not fall asleep. it may cause some frustration for those couple of days, but will be worth it at the end of them.
A. B

My 28 month old has been doing something similar. He comes to our room wanting to sleep. We let him sleep on the floor (we do not want him to start sleeping with us). We've been doing it for a few weeks, when he comes in he gets to sleep on the floor and slowly is moving closer to the door out. He has begun to only come in some nights instead of every night. We're hoping we will get there in a few weeks! I feel your pain! Good Luck!

If your son takes a nap during the day try skipping it for aa day or two to help him get back on track. Or like my mom use to do if that didn't work, make a play date with some other kids and take them to the park. let the other kids run that extra energy out of him. But other wise just be percictant in what you are already doing.

A.,

Have you tried keeping him up a little later and playing a game that might wear him out before bed. I have had problems with this before but I don't have my kids right now. The only things that helped me get passed this stage is trying to keep them up later before putting them to bed and playing a game with them that wears them out that they are tired and need to sleep. This doesn't always work but it does help some.

My son is 2 3/4 and occasionally does the same thing. I'm a single mom, staying with my parents right now (to be able to stay home with Carson until he gets a bit older) so we are actually in the same room! I know it's not the best, but if all else fails.....I put a calm movie in and turn it so far down that you can't hardly hear it as long as he will lay in his bed to watch it. If he gets up, I turn it off. If he stays in bed, he goes back to sleep right away - probably pretty boring when you can't hear it! It works for us.

My 3 year old son did this too. Once that built in clock gets set it's hard to change I know. I just change things in his room periodically, take out the night light, even moved the bed, something to disrupt the sameness and so far it's worked!

I would try giving him some books that he can read when he wakes up too early and tell him he can't get out of his room until the sun comes up. Thats what we do, but the sun comes up pretty early now!

You may want to try giving him a nap earlier in the day, and then putting him to bed. If that does not work try putting him to bed 1 hour later. Hope you get it figured out!

not sure what your schedule is like, but I have a one-yr-old girl and a two-yr-old boy, both in toddler beds. Well they go to bed at 8 and wake up at 6am, then an hour nap from 11-noon before lunch. What time are you putting him to bed for nap and at night? He may not want to sleep as much as when he was younger. Try a later bedtime if that's the case. I know when Matthew, who is two, takes a later nap, it throws him off schedule.

You could try keeping him up later at night until his body adjusts. Something else that has helped my boys is the cheap light-blocking shades. If all else fails, turn on disney channel and go back to bed!

I have a 7 month old that went through the same thing when the time changed (and he doesn't sleep very well to begin with). But we just starting putting him to sleep (and going to bed ourselves) an hour earlier to adjust to the time change. I don't know how well that will work for your family, but it seemed to help us!