My 3 yr. old is usually a great sleeper. He's in bed around 8 pm and usually sleeping by 8:15 pm with the few nights he talks or sings for a while LOL. He usually gets up between 7:30 and 8:30 am. The past month or so he has been waking up around 5:30 am. I don't get it. Even if he's up until 10pm he will get up early (I tried to keep up on a weekend hoping he would sleep in the next day - no luck). Thursday he woke up at 1:15 am and said he was ready to get up, he was thirsty, hungry, wanted to watch cartoons and go bye bye (this is what he says first thing in the morning all t he time). I know I screwed up that night because I was up watching tv still so to keep him from waking the rest of the house I put him on the couch with me. At 2:30 I finally said no more tv and he said he would go back to bed. He was back up at 7:30 am. He doesn't take naps because he's in PreSchool 5 days. Normally that's fine but he won't even sleep for me on the weekends. I know he's tired because he says so, is cranky, will pass out in the car if we go out and cries at the drop of dime later in the day. This morning at 5:45 when he came to my bed and said get up I want milk and I'm hungry. I told him it's too early and that he needs to go back to bed. He started crying and said he doen't like his bed. What the heck?! He has never had bed problems before. He has never slept in our bed. Always liked his bed and wanted to sleep in his bed...
How do fix this and what is the deal?
OK I have been cutting out the TV. The past few nights he went to bed at 7. He was also outside a lot the past 2 days but he slept through the night until 7 am. He always gets a good snack before bed so that stayed the same. I also told him that he could not get up unless it was light out, if it was still dark he had to go back to sleep. I think this morning at 5am I heard him asking if he could get up. Not sure if I was dreaming or not LOL. He wasn't really loud like normal so if he did ask he knew he was supposed to go back to sleep since it was dark out.
I am going to keep up with less tv, earlier bed and the pep talk before bed and see how that goes. Hopefully we are on the right track.
Thank you all for the awesome advice I reaaallllly appreciate it!
When my boys would get up really early like that I always told them "if the sun isn't up then it's not time to get up" and "when the sun goes to bed it's time for us to go to bed unless I let you stay up for something special. Worked like a charm for me until they needed to get up for school before the sun comes up.
My son is 11 years old, other than say get use to it some kids are like that. If my 11 year old goes to bed before 11 at night, he is up by or earlier. I was always like that, I was up half the night. What my doctor did was tell my mom to put a tv in my room to at least keep me their. I grew up watching tv until the channels no longer broadcast, I know al the old actor's have watched the old movies and so on....I know not the best answer, but it at least kept me in my room, most of the time. With my kids I tell them to go play in their room, maybe put a baby gate up at his door so you can hear if he needs you, but he won't be walking the floors.
Some people are just early risers, and they get up at the same time no matter what.
Hi K.,
I had this problem too when my son was younger. At age two and three he would often get up as early as 4:30 in the morning. It was so difficult. I walked around in a fog for the first three years of his life. I do know for sure that keeping them up later anticipating that they will sleep longer does not work. What that does is get them to a really sleep deprived state of mind. When adults are sleep deprived we are tired and cranky but kid that are sleep deprived get wound up and hyper and they can go for days and days like this. If anything put him to bed a little bit early.
I also never minded if our son crawled in bed with us. Actually my husband and I really enjoyed it. It felt safe and warm and comfortable that we were all snuggled together. If he crawled in to bed with us he would always go back to sleep for another hour or two and at least that got us to a more decent hour of the day.
Do not worry though, like every other stage they go threw....this shall pass. My son is 7 years old now and sleeps in until 8:00 am every day, just in time to get ready for school.
He very rarely wants to crawl into bed with us anymore :(
Best Wishes for a sleep filled night.
~M.
I have actually read that there is a connection between hours of television viewing and hours of sleep in young children. One study found that the more tv your child watches the shorter their duration of sleep. I would try to cut out the tv for a week and see if that helps. I've been letting my kids watch tv quite a bit lately, and my kids are usually impacted the most when I let them watch a lot of tv in the late afternoon and evenings.
Maybe your child is waking up because he wants to watch a show or really does feel hungry? When my kids get up early, I tell them that they can play quietly, but no tv or food until after 8:00. My daughter used to wake up because she was programming her body to crave milk first thing in the morning. My daughter is 4 and she gets up between 6-6:45 no matter what time she goes to bed at night.
Good luck!
When my son was around 2, he had no concept of time. We plugged a lamp into a timer, and told him it wasn't time to wake up until his light came on (to the time we set of course....for us was around 7). He's 4.5 now, and recognizes his numbers. He has a digital clock with big numbers and knows he's not allowed to get out of his bed, turn on lights, play, etc., until it's "7 dot dot" (a way to differentiate b/w the 7's after the colon...). It's worked perfectly!
My daughter is two and thre has been numerous times where she has been up between 5-6am and that not her normal. She would wake up and tell me cereal. She too was hungry. I would tell her okay, lets eat your cereal and then after we will go back to sleep for a little bit okay? Always, and I mean always, this works. You have to mean business when you say that. I don't mean be mean about it but don't ask questions tell him whats gonna happen after he eats. She never slept in our bed at night and never will. However, after her early mornings I woould tell her you have a choice. To take a nap in mom and dads bed or in your bed for a little b\c its way too early. I thought that I screwed myself for doing that but it turns out now that every time she gets up early, shes very hungry and I never tell her to back to sleep b\c if shes hungry Im not gonna deny her food. We get hungry and what do we do.....we feed ourselves, right??? Always now if its early she eats, she'll go to sleep in our bed or sometimes she goes in hers. And this doesn't affect her night time routine. I would ask yourself, whens the last time he eats before he goes to bed??? He could be waking up just b\c he's hungry. Think about what he eats during the day and whens the last time he had food in his stomach and maybe all it is is that he might need a snack before bed. I give my daughter her milk and crackers and then we brush our teeth after. Hope I helped a little.
It's totally normal. You just have to stick to your guns and pretend it's still the middle of the night and MAKE him go back to bed. My 2yo would get up at 530 every morning if we let him, but he has learned that he needs to go back to sleep due to some very vigilant teaching on our part. Your son knows that you gave in once when he said he was hungry, thirsty, etc...so he thinks you will again. Some moms will make you feel like you are neglecting him by making him stay in bed...but to those moms who make a HUGE ordeal out of every peep, I say 'you need a full night's rest and so does your baby'! :) You are not teaching your son that you will not come for him, or meet his needs, or that he will be left alone in a dark cold room....please!!!! It will only be a few days (a couple weeks TOPS) and he will learn to be content in bed (awake) and confident that you will come for him when it is time to wake up....and go back to sleep. I PROMISE!!! The crying and saying he hated his bed is just a way to get to you...my 4yo has tried the same thing! It will pass but you've GOT to be firm!!
~L.
I would put him to bed earlier. Children who are well rested will sleep sounder and longer. :o)
Make sure he has a filling snack with a drink before bed. I would limit his television...it seems like he is watching too much, he should only be watching a half an hour a day or so. My daughter at three started getting up early as well...so we bought her an alarm clock shaped like a castle and Cinderella sings when it goes off (they have "boy" alarm clocks too). We told her she had to stay in bed until Cinderella sang to her in the morning and that worked like a charm!
He may have fluid in his ears that creates a sensation of pressure when he is lying down, enough pressure to wake him. Sore throat. Stuffy nose. Acid reflux. There could be a number of "hidden" medical issues behind the sleep issues.
Don't get in the habbit of letting him watch tv when he wakes early. That will be a very hard one to break. Instead tell him it's not time to wake up and he has to stay in his room. I've seen Amy's advice before and agree get a clock for his room. You can color a picture,take a pic with a camera or draw the time he can get out of his room. (He can match the times even if he can't tell time.) This is esp. helpful on the weekends. I work 2nds sometimes and tell the kids they can't wake me until a certian time. And sometimes it works.
Good Luck.
Well, it could be several things: The time change, night terrors, or a growth spurt. Have you changed anything in his diet? I always give my son a little snack before bed and that seems to help him sleep. The only way my 3 yr. old will take a nap is if I go for a drive with him. I find myself doing that quite often as he really does need a nap. However, on the days that he naps he will not go to sleep until at least 11pm and I get up with my daughter at 6:30 am. It makes it a short night for me. Three year olds are so unpredictable. So many changes going on with them. I wish you luck. :)
Its probably just one of those unfounded fazes. but anyway make sure that you are not using his bed is a form of punishment during the day. like sending him to timeout in bed for 10 min. He could be associating his place of rest and alone time as a place of naughty time and could make him feel uneasy!
also remember to cut food and liquids out at an early appropriate time so he has time to digest and relax before bed and is not being kept up by sugar!!!!Limit t.v time !!!
Also try to establish a routine example- bath time, brush teeth, story, sing soft song, kiss and snuggle ,than LIGHTS OUT! when they can depend on whats to come every night you establish stability and confidence in his young mind! good luck! I was up with my 9 month old ALLLLLLLL last night! I feel for ya!
My son is an early bird too. My best advice to you (I'm afraid) is go to bed earlier too! He's probably not going to change until he is a preteen! Yikes.
Try putting something interesting in his room that he has permission to play with until the appointed time to get up. Make it something he doesn't get all of the time. Don't put it in there until he is asleep (but tell him there will be a surprise in the morning or something so that he knows the deal.)
Good luck!
S.
I just had a thought, no advice bc I was one of the Moms who let them lay on the couch and watch T.V while I laid on the floor lol! The thought was...has anything changed schedule wise for either you or maybe even a neighbor that leaves for work at 5:30 am? Maybe there is some sort of noise waking him up. Car door slamming dogs barking. Worth checking into.
I am so with you - I have a 2 1/2 year old and for the past week she has been getting up at 5:30am like clock work. Last night I kept her up late till 9pm (usually she is in bed at 8pm) and nope it did nothing. I am so tired and I am also cranky which is not good. I am hoping to get some advice from people, she does take a nap each day for about 2hrs. The other day I woke her up after an hour hoping to keep her sleeping in later in the morning and nothing.
Well I am glad to hear someone else is in the same boat! Hopefully soon we will get some sleep
K.
sounds like he is having a growth spurt, and is waking up because he is hungry and thirsty.... try a pre-bedtime snack, with a lot of protein, so it will last the night.
good luck, L.
I saw it mentioned once and wanted to stress that the less sleep kids get, the less they will sleep. I know this sounds backwards, but it is right. He might have gotten off schedule because of a growth spurt, or whatever, but now I would start putting him down early and get back to your normal schedule.
Good luck! Sleep is so important!!
