So, my oldest two boys, 5 and 3, share a room and they love it. But lately the three year old has taken to popping out of bed and turning the overhead light on. It has happened for about three nights now, when I go in to check them before I go to bed there they are, sound asleep with all the lights on. I have told my three year old not to do this, but it is obviously not getting through. Now they have a nightlight, dream lights and they have eachother. So I was wondering if maybe I should really stand guard and put a stop to this,but then I don't know, is it really a big thing? I was thinking of maybe putting a low light lamp for them to go to sleep with. They honestly go to sleep muh better with the light on!! Weird, but it seems to help them, I just don't want them to create a situation where they can't go to sleep in the dark. Any thoughts or ideas?
About 3 is when kids become fearful of things that go bump in the night and monsters under the bed. He may have said anything but maybe he is simply scared. Have you tried talking to him about it?
I also sleep much better with a nightlight of some kind. Now, I just decorate with ambient lighting. I use a string of lights woven into a flower swag over my dresser. So much cooler than a nightlight.
Am I missing something, but I am not understanding the problem. They like the light on. Not a problem IMO.
I'm sure they'll be able to sleep in the dark sooner or later. Try putting a dimmer switch on the lights. Then you can leave them on, but low.
Yes - a low lamp is great idea. Can he verbalize why he wants it on? Is he scared to sleep in the dark? A special stuffed animal and a low light might help. We had a similar situation, but instead of turning a light on, our youngest would scream for me. It happened a couple of nights in a row and I learned that when my older son fell asleep first, his deep breathing "sounded like a dragon" to my little one. A low light didn't bother the older one and let my little one confirm, when in doubt, that it wasn't a dragon - just his brother. :)
My guy like the lights off when he's ready for bed so I don't know why your son is doing it, but I'd ask him. My cousin's youngest would turn the overhead light on every night, too, and when she asked him why he said he didn't want to be alone. He was with his older brother like your son, so she didn't get it. She asked some more questions and found out her older son always went to sleep first, and the younger one didn't like being awake in the dark "alone."
Of course you can try the low light. Doesn't mean it will stop them from turning on the overhead though.
Have they always had all those lights in their room? Nightlight, dreamlight (whatever that is... I really am not sure), etc.
If you are okay with the other lights, I am not sure what the big deal is about the overhead, unless it is a ceiling fan that has half a dozen bulbs and is runs up the electric usage or something. Then just go with a lamp, and just tell them, it is the lamp only.
Have you asked the 3 yr old why he has been doing it? That might help you decide how you want to handle it (or whether to ignore it). Is he potty trained? Does he want more light in case he needs to get up and go to the bathroom during the night? Has he had a scary dream recently? Seen something spooky in a movie that happens in the dark?
My son used to like me to leave the light in the hall on (I would pull his door partway closed so the light wasn't glaring into his room though. Then I would just go turn it off after he fell asleep. Eventually I started delaying turning it on, or I'd come turn it off before he was fully asleep. And it became a thing of the past.
My daughter has never wanted any kind of light (and we never had nightlights in their rooms, even as infants). In fact, she asks me to turn off lights in the family room sometimes, if they are shining too much light into her room at bedtime.
My four year old turns his light on too. It seems to help him sleep better so I just ignore it even though it drives me crazy. Up until recently he always slept with the lights off and door closed. I think it may be a developmental thing as his imagination is really active these days.
My 3 year old does this too and I just leave it alone. I just go in and turn it off after they are asleep. The dreamlight helps but I think just having that extra light really reassures him. I don't have a problem with it.
I did start a sticker chart and each night if they do their bedtime routine w/out trouble, they get a sticker. In the morn, they get another one for sleeping all night in the bed and then at the end of the week with enough stickers, they get a prize. I made this system up and it is really helping bedtime routines. They used to have trouble playing and going to bed later then they were supposed to---now they go in and turn out the light and just sleep like little babies.
My kids (8, 5, & 2) all have the energizer plug in flash lights. They read a little or talk a little and then turn them off and fall asleep. My youngest usually leaves her flashlight on.
if i were you i would ask your 5year old if it bothers him, if not then i wouldnt make a huge issue out of it.. of course if your older one says its annoying or he has a harder time falling asleep with the overhead light on then you need to do what you can to prevent the little one from doing it .. either way though, id still ask the 3 year old why hes doing it.. just remind him he has his nightlights and his big brother and theres nothing to be afraid of (if thats the case)
I dont' see what the big deal is. Just check on them when you go to bed and shut it off. My kids are 16, 13 and 10 and I STILL check on each of them when I go to bed. Good luck.
My kids always had little clip on reading lights at the head of their beds, from the time they were around two. They were allowed to keep those on after I said good night but they had to be quiet, stay in bed and "read" no playing allowed (well snuggling with stuffed animals was allowed!) Some nights I would stand outside the door and hear them whispering the silliest things to each other which was beyond precious. Most nights they turned them off themselves but sometimes they would fall asleep with them on and I would go in and turn them off. The room was dark save for a small nightlight shining in the hallway. They were always really good about bedtime and I think this routine helped that :-)
My eleven year old does this, I told her she was wasting electricity and that is harmful to the environment. She stopped. Not sure if that would work for a three year old though.
Just seems to me the reason has to be important to the child.
It's not healthy to sleep with the light on. It interferes with the circadian rhythm.
My kids went through this stage. I simply bought a pull-chain socket adapter so I could control the light at the ceiling, taking away the control of the wall switch. It screws into the light socket, and then you put the bulb inside. After I tucked the kids in, I'd reach up and pull the switch, turning the light off until I turned it back on in the morning.
Here's what it looks like: http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-1406-I-Outlet-Socket-Adapte...
My 8yo went through a period of about 3 months awhile back where he would get up and turn the hall light on. We ended up just turning the hall light on for him when we tucked him in. It just made him feel better. After he fell asleep we turned it off. Now he doesn't need it on anymore. He's gone through this a few times. I figure if it makes kids feel better (and sleep better) to have the light on, then leave it on. The phase will likely pass.
we had this problem and fixed it by pulling the chain connected to the ceiling fan. kids can't reach it so not a problem.
if you don't mind the light on then leave it but we didn't like the lights on.
I would let it go, really. Turn it off and go back to bed yourself. My DD has a dreamlite and nite lite and just prefers to fall asleep with the "big light on". I turn it off when she falls asleep. If it gets them to sleep, is it worth the fight? I would wait for them to be a little older and tell them "lights out". At 3 and 5 I think it's OK as long as the 5 yr old is OK with it.
