Sleeping Until 6 a.m.

I didn't have a chance to read all the responses, but I would actually try to put them to bed EARLIER. Sometimes just 20 minutes can be key to getting them to sleep later/better. I don't know all the details as to why this works, but it does.

Good luck!

I had a brother that was the same way. Actually, at 16 he still gets up before 7a on his own without an alarm clock every day. He sets his alarm for school for "just in case" but rarely is he in bed when it goes off. (And for those of you with teenagers, you know most like to sleep for as long as they possibly can each and every day!) This isn't a huge help nor will it break the habit, but more like start other ones. My mom got to the point that she could not get up with him, so she said you can get up, you may lay in our bed (hers and my dads) if you are still. If you can't lay still, then get up, go to the living room and watch tv. The living room was where he could be and he wouldn't wake anyone else in the house.

My 6-year-old isn't quite that bad, but he gets up much before he needs to as well. If they seem fatigued, of course, it's a problem, and you might need to talk to a pediatrician. But if they seem like they're getting sufficient sleep and are just waking you too early, they're old enough to understand that they need to respect your needs as you respect theirs.

So, this isn't advice on how to get them to sleep longer, necessarily, but on how to get the sleep you need to be the parent you want to be. And especially being in school full time, you need to rest. And that's *OK.*

What we do is set an alarm not to wake our boy up but to remind him of when he is allowed to come and wake us and/or run around like a maniac making all kinds of noise. If he is awake before that time, he can read or play *quietly* in his room. When the beeping starts, he can come and ask us 20 questions, demand breakfast and explain the many Pokemon cards he has developed. It makes him feel more in control than when we tried to force him to stay in bed, and it means we get more rest.

Hi there! My daughter (who is now 7) had so many sleep issues. Her pediatrician told us that kids have "body clocks" like we do, they all don't need the traditional 10-12 hours of sleep. My daughter goes to bed at 9:30 and gets up at 6:30 now. Some mornings she would wake at 5 and other mornings, she couldn't get up. She was also napping during the day at preschool. The doctor said to ask her if she would allow her to stay awake and color or read quietly, etc. He also told us we could try a dose of Benadryl before bed occasionally to get her on schedule of sleeping through the night. One week was all it took to get her "body clock" into shape. Check with your pharmacist on the Benadryl to get an accurate dose if you choose to go that route. In all honesty, time and patience is the key. Most of her issues she grew out of. Sometimes, just sleeping in bed with us made all the difference. Good luck!

Hi S. - I sure bet you are not ready to get up that early! I can't say too much about getting them to sleep longer. A few ideas are lots of exercise in the day, cut out sugary sweets/drinks that fill them up, then if they aren't eating enough to keep them through the night they might wake up hungry. Some white noise in the room like a fan might help. My two seem to wake up cold when they kick off the covers, so I put them in warm jammies/sleepers. Some kids just sleep less, but I have a clock in the room, and my 6 and 2 year olds know they can look at books but have to stay quiet in their room until the clock says 8, then they can get up. Good luck, being a student you do need your rest!

my suggestion is to get them into a night time routine. bath, book and bed works for us and we put our son to bed within 15min of the same time every night. he's a really good sleeper and sleeps from about 8pm to 7am. Also, putting them to bed earlier could help them sleep longer, sounds strange, but is true! good luck!

Uhhhg, way too early! With my son, we have always used a fan to block out noise and keep dark curtains on his windows to block out morning light. This seems to help us. Occassionally he rises much before the rest of us, but fortunately he usually stays quietly in his room...thanks to his Gameboy and his toys. I would definitely start with some white noise and dark curtains, it's amazing how the sounds and lights from outdoors can carry into their bedrooms early in the morning. Eliminating those may just get you (and them) a little more rest. Best wishes!

Hi S.. I also have two boys and am a single mom (my sons are 3 and 6). I have had the exact same issue with them being early risers, and I COMPLETELY understand how rough it is for you to awake that early. Since mine are younger than yours, I often feel as though I need to go with the flow (their routine) and get up pretty soon after they do. Obviously, I can't let my 3 year old have the run of the house, but I also have tried to get up with them, walk them downstairs, get breakfast and help my youngest use the bathroom, then, once I set up any special activity they want to do, I try (try being the operative word) to sleep for a bit on the couch, in the room with them. This isn't the best scenario, though, b/c of course I am asked various questions, etc. while lying there. On weekdays, I don't mind b/c I leave for work before 7:15, but it's the weekends that are tough! Anyway, please update us, because I am considering room darkening shades, too (even though they're up BEFORE the sun is even peeking its way into their room) and I do use white noise, etc. If anything works for you, I'd love to hear it :-)

I have 3 girls 10,8, and 6 and my oldest does the same thing try giving them a small snack and a glass of milk before bed also make there room as dark as possible then use a night light if need be the dark room tricks the body into staying asleep good luck