I've always had a lot of luck with this site, so we're coming for advice again. Last Spring we went on vacation to the family cottage (not the first time either) and somehow our daughters started waking up between 5:30 and 6:00 every morning. Their 3 and 4 and the normal bed time is 7:00/7:30. We tried to correct it when we got home and made them stay in bed until it was time for the oldest to get up for school. Mostly they would stay in their room but talk and play with each other. Summer hit and we decided that they might as well get up. This would allow my husband to get a few more hours of sleep before I left for work. Now, however, the oldest is in PM Kindergarten and doesn't get that much needed afternoon nap and will often fall asleep after being picked up. Plus because of homework (yes in Kindergarten) she doesn't go to bed now until 8:00. We would like to try to get them sleeping until at least 7:30/8:00 in the morning. We've done special "stay up late nights" where they are up sometimes until 10:00 (these are rare and very special) and they still get up early!! Does anyone have any suggestions with how to get them to sleep later? We're going to try getting them an alarm clock and set it with the time that they can't get out of bed until - but that doesn't mean that they'll sleep until it goes off! I would really like them to sleep later. Thanks!!
V., It sounds to me like they started waking to the sun rise. Try putting up pull down blinds that are made to filter out the light in their bedrooms. Raise them up when it's the time you want them to wake. Good luck.
Hi V. - I think you have got your kids into the habit of getting up so early because you put them to bed too early. If your daughter goes to bed at 8 the latest you can expect her to get up is 7. I know you said that you sometimes let the kids stay up until 10 and they still wake up early but I don't think once or twice is going to reset their body clocks. My sister also put her kids to bed very early when they were young and had exactly the same problem with early risers. Why don't you try 8.30ish every day and see what happens? My five-year-old kindergartner goes to bed at around 9ish and sleeps until at least 7.30 or 8. Good luck.
Putting them to bed later will NOT make them sleep longer...in fact it often backfires and they get up earlier. Try darkening their room. Worked like a charm for us!
~L.
I have dark blinds for my kids rooms. Whenever I forget to pull them down they wake up earlier. By that age this is the amount of sleep they need including naps:(from the internet)
Toddlers
(1 - 3 Years) Total Average:12 - 14 hours
(Naps: 1.5 - 3.5 hours)
Preschoolers
(3 - 5 Years) Total Average:
11 - 13 hours
Are they still taking naps? If they are limit the time they sleep and don't let it be too late.
If they are not I think you should stick to the bedtime that works best for you but it should be around the same time ech night and establish a routine. Maybe 8 will be better so if they get 11 hours in a row without naps they will probably wake up at 7, and for sure the first one will wake the other.For us is shower for everyone, reading, Twinkle twinkle little star song (my kids are almost 3, 5 and 7 and they still want the song) and sleep.
Going to bed later doesn't make them sleep more so I try to avoid that because they'll be extra tired and sleep even less.
Good luck from a mom that loves to sleep too!
LOL, usually it's the other way around. Whatever schedule you choose, stick to it. Same bedtime every night. Some kids are just early risers. My son can go to bed at midnight and still wake up by 6am all on his own. Make sure they have quiet things to do until you get up.
If you want them to sleep longer, put them to bed later. The problem with this is that a year from now when they are going to school, they will need to get up early to have time for dressing, breakfast, collecting their things for school and possibly packing lunches. If they are naturally morning people it will be much easier on you and them to keep it that way. If you read some of the previous requests on this site you will see how difficult it is to get a nocturnal person to function and prepare in the mornings. A life long battle. I know, I am a nocturnal person but have to function early in the day. My two sons are both nocturnal and my daughter is a morning person. She was absolute heaven when it came to school, I never had to wake her up in the morning. Even in high school if she was ill she would get up and then pop her head into my room and ask if she could stay home. I say count your blessings dear and maybe adjust your schedule a bit for a couple of years it will be worth it.
I can relate to your kids. I wake up as soon as it starts getting lighter outside, no matter what time I go to bed. So, you could try a darkening shade or insulated curtains. Also, as we get closer to winter, it will be getting light later and your kids will probably adjust accordingly.
Good Luck!!
it seems crazy.. but you could try putting them to bed earlier..
daylight savings time ends in early november so that might reset their sleep patterns too..
do they have "black out" curtains in their bedroom? this makes a big difference, esp with influencing their biological clock!
