Chase has never been a late sleeper in the morning, but he usually wakes up between 6:30 and 7:00. However, this past week he has been waking up VERY early. For 5 straight mornings he has woken up before 5:30 and this morning he woke up at 4:45.
I tried letting him cry in his room, but after 30 minutes, his cry sounded like he was terrified and I couldn't bare it anymore. I tried laying in his bed with him or offering to let him come lay down with us for a little while, but he wants no part of that. As soon as I open his door, he jumps out of his bed and runs out of his room asking for juice and breakfast. But I know he's not starving b/c he doesn't really eat most of it until later on in the morning.
And to make matters worse, he will no longer take a nap for me. He has figured out how to open his door, so 15 mintues after we put him down for a nap, he runs out ready to play.
I have no idea what to do. Both mommy and Chase are very sleep deprived and it makes for some tough afternoons and evenings.
Does anyone have any advice or suggestions? Please tell me this is just a phase!
4 months ago
6 comments:
Michele, it probably is just a phase. Gavin was the SAME way. HE still does not sleep late. During the day, tell him that he has to "rest" in your bed or his bed and let him lie in bed and watch TV for a little while. He will probably get drowsy and fall asleep - then turn off the TV. Make a deal with him and tell him "If you do____, the deal is that you need to take a rest later". Gavin used to always agree! Good luck!
Definitely a toddler phase!
Libby started getting up early about a month or two after we switched to the big girl bed (and then again after we moved). The first time, I'd just return her to bed and tell her it wasn't morning yet and she had to stay quiet for her bear. Later I showed her the number "6" and and told her if she didn't see this number it wasn't time to get up. Worked.
Naptime... good luck there! Libby hasn't napped every day for almost a year now. But we do have "quiet time" She's allowed to read books and play with her puppies on her bed . She has to be quiet so Logan can sleep (next door, but he hears her if she gets crazy). She's to the point now that if she's too tired she'll ask for a nap. but if not, by 2, "it's quiet time" Works most of the time. Not always though.
good luck! Hope he's done with this before baby 2 arrives!
Does he know numbers? A clock works for my girls. They know that they can't make a sound or come out of their room until the clock says 7:00 (they wake up well before this time, but they have to stay in their room) Also can't come out of their room from nap time until the clock says a certain time. Now it is mainly rest time, but they still have it almost every day. They do have to be quiet. I didn't start this with them until they were three, but would have started sooner if I had thought about it or read about it. (Baby Blog Addict has talked about it!)
We had a tough transition with the napping when we were in big girl beds. I had to stay on top of them and not give up!
Hoping you get some sleep soon!!!!
Kaden is the same way. Usually he wakes at 6:30 or 7 but lately he's been waking during the night and climbing in our bed several times. we always bring him back. but around 5am we usually just keep him. it's crazy b/c none of us sleep well when he is in the bed but we are so tired from getting up all night with him. i'm hoping he gets out of this soon too. i haven't tried the clock yet but I think I might soon. Good Luck.
The clock worked wonders for us for a little while. Jack would wait til exactly 7 to call us, but it's not working much anymore. I feel like I'm in the same boat as you now. Yesterday it was 6:15, but this morning it was 5:19. He was so awake at that time. I've tried to convince him to stay in his room and play until 7, but some days (like today) there is no convincing.
We actually have the lock on the outside of his door. It was like that when we bought the house. Jack's upstairs and we're down, so we lock him in at night and listen for him through the monitor. It might cause a melt down, but you may want to consider turning his doorknob around. It's also a good idea, so he doesn't lock himself in his room. Make sure you have a key inside the room and above his door in case he locks it and shuts the door while you are both inside. That happened to us (luckily Scott was home and let us out), so we have a key inside the room.
Michele, I feel your pain! Parker has not been sleeping as well either.
He cries at bedtime and wakes several times during the night. We transitioned him to the big boy bed several months ago and took his pacifier away so I'm sure that has something to do with it.
The only advice I can give is to try to go to bed soon after you put Chase down for the night. It's definitely a phase they go through during the toddler years, especially once they've made the transition to the big boy bed and can come and go as they please.
When Connor went through the phase, I took his nap away and tried to take him to the park every afternoon. In the summertime we would swim too. He was so tired at bedtime that he practically fell asleep when his head hit the pillow and did not wake up until the sun came up. So I guess my other advice would be to play hard!
Good luck, and don't worry too much. I think it may be comforting for you to know that it all kind of fell into place with Connor when I came home from the hospital with Parker. My first night home with Parker was the first night Connor slept through the night. I awoke completely panicked, thinking that something must have happened to him.
Oh, and similar to Jennifer, we use a door knob cover so that Parker can't wander through the house in the middle of the night.
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