My kids wake up EVERY morning between 5:30 and 6:30 AM. If I were not a night owl, I am sure this would be delightful! My husband is an early bird but 7 am is a good every day wake-up time for him. Since HC was born, he has loved having the first part of her day. When JB arrived he was just as thrilled to share that time with JB. Over the last year and a half we have done everything in our power to try and reset their inner alarm. I am exhausted from all of our efforts.
At some point, our kids were sleeping until 8 am, every day (for about one year)! That was so awesome!! The occasional 7 am wake-up call was fine but then it kept moving back further and further and further. Even when daylight savings time changes and we gain an hour, they still stay on the old time with ridiculously earlier time. I was willing to change my life for our sweet kids, even sleep time for the first few years. But when do they sleep in?? When do we have to shake them in the morning to wake THEM up??? Will I ever see this happen?? I don't want them to sleep the day away, just wake-up at 7:00 or so! That isn't too much to ask, is it?
Thursday I tried a something new. I eliminated the nap for the kids. I thought, if they don't rest during the day - they will be tired and awake at 7ish. No such luck. HC awoke at midnight AWAKE and then again at 4 am to take off her wet diaper and put on undies. She had to notify us of this task and could not stand to do it without an announcement. The only thing I DID accomplish was an evening of overly grumpy kids!
We have put them to bed at 9 pm to only find they still wake between 5:30 and 6:30. So we decided to keep it at 7pm so that we could have some alone time. I am drained and frazzled. I have done everything I know to do. I have hit the wall and need an overnight nanny to stay with me for a week so my husband and I can sleep in a few days and re-coup. We are the ones constantly suffering because no matter what we do, they still wake up so early.
Does anyone have an idea?? Any thoughts that might help me in this mind-numbing dilemma?? I am so desperate!! Not to mention, desperate for a little Mommy/Daddy vacation away for a few days. It appears this won't happen in my lifetime! I am coming undone a bit friends!! Any ideas??? Help me!!! I need it!!!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Desperate Cry for Help
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12 comments:
Hi,
Since the summer has been so hot, we have skipped the park during the days, and sometimes left for park/playground around 7.30-8 and then had "running contest" the last thing before headin back home, then bath and bed, and usually then they have slept little longer than normally. Really just wearing the kids out... That has been the only one that has helped here, even late movie nights like we had last week, didn't really help.
Oh, and do they have good blinders in their rooms? It might be just the sunlight that wakes them up and as simple as keeping the room entirely dark might help.
We are now trying to work the opposite, getting them to go to bed earlier every night, the school starts here in a few days...
a nighttime sleeping aid? just kidding. I agree with wearing them out before bed. I hope you will find something that works! You poor frazzled mommies - but our sleep-deprived states do provide for fun posts, no? :)
Michelle at Scribbit just posted about this!
From everything I've read (I'm so intelligent!) sleep begets sleep. So, naps help with bedtimes. And early bedtimes help kids sleep longer! It sound weird but even with Lydia I've seen it to be true. If she goes to bed late, she usually gets up early!
Right now she sleeps 7pm to 7/8am. With a 2 hour nap.
My only advice is Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child by Dr. Weissbluth. And here's the link to Michelle's page:
http://scribbit.blogspot.com/2007/08/getting-kids-to-go-to-bed.html
I really can't help because my kids are the same way. My son, who is now 5 1/2 recently started sleeping until 7 (sometimes), but my daughter still wakes us up by 6. Even when we went to CA to visit my parents, she woke up on central time the entire visit, even though I was putting her to bed on Pacific time (which means she was getting up at 4 in the morning when it was pitch black. All this to say, if you figure something out, please share it!
All of mine have been going to bed late, but it's due to our (temp) living situation....I remember one night, my 7yo DS was just bouncing off the walls....at 10:30pm DH made him jump on the couch 100xs....he asked if he was ready to go to bed? Of course not, so another 100...and then another! After 300 jumps he was out 5 minutes later.
We don't do this on a regular basis....actually we haven't done it since, but we were all cracking up!!!
I just thought I'd tell you thank, now back to your question.
I'd stick with the skip nap go to bed @ 9PM schedule, they will soon get used to it and sleep through the night, TRUST ME, I went through the same thing 6 times!!! H seems to be on a I'm in heaven-most of the time schedule, but he's only 3mos...this may change, but I'm praying not!
God Bless,
Amber
I too am a big fan of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child! LOVE that book.
I really feel like you can't change those internal clocks no matter how hard you try. My first born is not the AM girl and would sleep past 7 very often if her sister will let her be. My second child is the AM girl. She used to get up before 6 AM on a regular basis. Now she gets up before 6:30 usually, but at least after 6.
We put a digital clock in the bedroom and have taught them that they aren't to come in to our room till 7. (It works...mostly) They can play quietly in their own beds or read books, but they have to wait. If they come in, we escort them back...they have gotten the idea. (#2 is a snuggle bug and often gets away with a AM snuggle for awhile if she is still and quiet)
I am not a fan of late bedtimes as I have found it does nothing, except often make them wake earlier. Then, you just have lost sleep. My girls are in bed as early as 6:30 some nights. My almost 3 year old doesn't nap and can sometimes be found in bed as early as 6. She wakes, as usual between 6 and 6:30 whether she went to bed at 6:30 or 8. I'd rather her get the extra hour or two!
My 4 year old is in bed by 7:30, though often it is at 7. She sleeps till 7ish.
I am also a night owl. it is hard. I feel your pain. There are days I LONG for a teenager to drag out of bed at 10 :) one day...
Good point Mary! Not before 7! :)
I am a fan of healthy sleep habits and my kids just recently began going to bed at 7 pm. In the past it was 6 but they are able to handle another hour now, so we let them. I tried to cut naps but both of mine still need a 2 hour nap. I may try to cut them back slowly to an hour nap. I would rather have them sleep another hour in the morning (if possible) than in the afternoon. Although, if they need it at 11 am then so be it. I guess I am a bit silly wanting to change their internal clocks when my 30 something year old clock is still a late night one! :)
Katja - we do have shades on the window! Thanks! That was one of our first things to try! Their rooms are so dark now - they sometimes pull back the curtains just to see if it is am or pm. haha
I may try the digital clock. My son is a cuddler and will be still but my daughter is ready to start the day once she wakes. We'll see if we can just get another hour for mom and dad! :)
Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I will keep you posted of any progress we make!
My advice: grin and bear it!
Matt is up every morning well before 7am no matter when he goes to bed the night before. I've tried everything and just accepted that he's an early bird. BUT, if he's in bed at a decent time (before 8pm), he's in a good mood. After that.....here come Mr. Hyde!!!!
Then there is Mark. He sleeps until 8am every day practically. I absorb this in him considering I have dealt with Matt's 5am wake up calls many times.
Lori
With our boys, when they were 3 and 5 they were waking around 6:30. We put a basket of books by the bed and a night light on the night stand. They could get the books and turn on the light, but they were NOT allowed out of bed until I came and got them. Now, they wake up around 6:30 again. They have bunk beds. They can turn on the night light and get books from the bookshelf to take into their beds. They can ONLY get up to use the restroom. They have an alarm clock and can come down at 7:00 or at 8:00 on Saturdays. Some Saturdays they are up at 6:30, but they will look at books until 8:00. They don't mind, they are used to it. Your children may be old enough to start something similiar. You may have to help these new habits along with discipline/ consequences. But the self control they will develop is so good for their character and will help them in many other areas. I will pray for you as you did for me with Lydie! I know how you feel as far as sleep deprivation and I am sorry that you are not getting enough rest!!
I can sense the desperation in your post! Sleep deprivation can do that to you! I have no tips, unfortunately. Although the digital clock thing is something I remember reading on someone else's blog awhile back when they were having this same issue. Sounds like a good idea.
All I can offer you is the assurance that in about 15 years you'll be wondering if your kids ever DON'T sleep!!
Jane, P&B Girls
My sister and her husband had this same problem w/ their two little boys. They ended up rigging a green light attached to a lamp timer and they could not come out of their room or bang on the door til the green light came on at 7am (very similar to an alarm clock). It worked well for them and they were able to get an extra couple hours of sleep while the boys would play or read books in their room.
My kids are now 5 and 9. They sleep pretty good for the most part. Unless they have a dream or get up to go to the bathroom
I remember those days of lacking sleep. They were so hard.
All I can say is stick to a good bedtime routine....wear them out during the day playing.
I was glad when both of mine outgrew the afternoon nap and went to bed earlier and slept all night.
Good luck to you. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
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