Bedtime - Louisville, KY

My six yr old had a late bday as well. He just started kindergarten earlier this year. He stopped napping consistantly at 5. I would try eliminating the nap and if all else fails I would suggest removing the toys from his room so that he will be bored and possibly sleep ealier. Good luck.

J.

I am having this same problem with my 3 year old. He has always wanted to sleep with me and up until about 1 month ago we bought a new home and he loves his new room and will stay there playing and wanting to sleep in there too if i turn a movie on for him. Well the first 2 nights no problem he fell asleep without no problems. The Last couple of nights he will still be awake at 12 or 1 coming in and asking for me to put a different movie in for him and Ill tell him that it is very late and he has to lay down and go to sleep that i have to get up at 4 to go to work. Hell say ok Ill tuck him in and 1/2 hour later he is in the there again talking to me wanting to play or for me to come play. I thought the movie thing was gonna work but now im not so sure...... but if i dont let the TV on he is back in my bed and that is a problem.

I know what you are going through. Our daughter turned 5 in September and has never slept well.

First of all, I would talk to the daycare or possibly find another one. Our daughter's last daycare would also require them to lay down for 2 hours, which was ridiculous for her. She hasn't needed more than 8 or 9 hours of sleep per day in years. We switched her into a preschool program (that is also daycare). They have studies in the morning and afternoon and only have a 1/2 hour quiet time. The teacher is very good about letting the kids stay awake as long as they are quiet during this time. I think the teacher is more aware of not needing a nap, too, because the class is specifically set up for 5-year olds who missed the kindergarten cutoff date (Mikah was 12 days after the date).

Secondly, I have found that bedtime rules have to be very consistent. We would put her down at 8:30 and sometimes she too would be awake until 11 p.m. However, she is not allowed to get out of bed, kick the walls, or make noise (except quiet singing or whispers). We tell her to lay still and be quiet or she will get a spanking (and she has on occasion). We have tried lots of tricks and some will work for a while, but then we have to change. For example, for a while, we had a t.v. in her room and she could watch a video. This worked for maybe 6 months. Then she started using the video to help keep herself awake, so we stopped that. We have also tried music. She has a computer in her room and we will put a CD in the drive and let her watch the flowing patterns of the Windows Media Player. Then I would start making her lay still and quietly for a while before I would give her the music (20 minutes or so). Sometimes we just have to keep after her, and she doesn't get anything. She has gotten better and she can now usually fall asleep by 10 p.m. We don't fret if she's not in bed at exactly 8:30, but we always shoot for around that time.

The other thing we have tried with her is different herbal remedies. Some people have luck getting their kids to go to sleep with Melatonin. It wasn't very helpful for us, but it was worth a try. Some people give their kids Benedryl, although then you may have a hard time breaking the habit. There was also a supplement recommended to me at the general nutrition store, but I don't remember what it was right now. For us, the best thing is for her to lay still. If she wiggles, she will keep herself awake.

You can try talking to the doctor, but ours never had many suggestions. Good luck! I know it is very difficult - the lack of sleep of one reason we waited five years for another child.

C.

Sounds to me that the 2 hour nap is probably the problem. he is too old for that. Talk to the day care techer and tell her that instead of a nap you would like to have you son just have a quiet time...let him sit and look at books or draw...something that will not disturb the other kids, but still give hime a chance to wind down. just explain that is causing a problem with his sleep patterns at home. if that still doesn't improve...try pushing his bed time back a little bit...maybe to 9 or 9:30. or doing something relaxing 30 minutes or so b4 bed...read a book, take a warm bath.

I would most definitely get rid of the nap!!! He is too old for a nap. He could have 2 hours of "rest time" where he plays quietly, but not a nap. That, I could almost gaurantee, is the number one cause of not sleeping at night. Also, have a heart to heart with him about it being sleep time, not play time.

Hi D.!
I went thru the same thing w/ my son at age 5, the nap has a lot to do with it. Maybe you could speak w/ his daycare and ask if he can sit and do quiet activities(draw, color, look at books) while the other children sleep. I also started a bedtime routine that starts at 7:30 w/snack and 1 last cartoon then at 8 we brush teeth, read a story finally at 8:30 it's lights out(he also listens to a tape of soft music that seems to help relax him)He still every once in awhile will go thru an insomnia phase for a day or 2 then we are back on track. Hope this helps!

Could be his diet (caffine, sugar, food dye in popular kids foods - red 40, yellow 5)? Sometimes warm milk before bed works too.

I always say when in doubt check it out. A call to the doctor couldn't hurt...but I think that most kids go through phases of insomnia at some time or another. I would set some ground rules like he has to stay in bed but he can take a flashlight and a book with him. Eventually he should come out of it, but it's always best to check with the doctor just to be safe.