HELP! Child who won't sleep

[buzzy bee]

I know this isn't strictly CM related because it's about my DS (2) but he wakes up at 5.30am (still tired) and won't go back to sleep and then he'll only nap for about an hour in the day but wakes up still tired.

He is tired and grumpy all day and it's driving me crazy. I'm not getting enough sleep as a result, and I'm pregnant so I'm tired enough anyway. He has tantrums and is irritable all day.

I don't know what to do. Any advice pleeeaaase????

[rosebud]

Could you try some kind of reward system to get him to stay in bed in the morning a bit longer? Its a difficult one because at 2 they don't have much concept of time. Perhaps give a sticker if he stays in bed until "its time to get up" and then when he has 3 stickers give him a more substantial reward. The clocks go forward at the weekend so it will be darker in the morning again so he might sleep a big later naturally then.

[buzzy bee]

Could you try some kind of reward system to get him to stay in bed in the morning a bit longer? Its a difficult one because at 2 they don't have much concept of time. Perhaps give a sticker if he stays in bed until "its time to get up" and then when he has 3 stickers give him a more substantial reward. The clocks go forward at the weekend so it will be darker in the morning again so he might sleep a big later naturally then.

Thanks for the advice. He will stay in bed if we keep putting him back, but he won't go back to sleep. He is definitely still tired and is then grumpy ALL day.

[loocyloo]

big hugs.

been there :rolleyes: my Ds was a '5oclocker' when he was little ( about 18mths). my friend lived round the corner and had a 5oclocker as well. i could see she was up & vice versa ... we used to go and have cups of tea in our pjs at each others houses!

all i can offer is that despite black out blinds, rewards, later bedtimes etc he still woke early, but did grow out of it, by about 3. now he is almost 10 and takes for ever to go to sleep at night and dislikes getting up in the morning! :rolleyes:

we had a bunny clock, ds did learn, about 2 1/2 that if bunnys eyes were SHUT, then it was time to stay in bed, but if bunnys eyes were open it was getting up time. ( but we did have to train ds not to come and tell us that bunny was still asleep :rolleyes: )

good luck x

[QualityCare]

Is he still in nappies it could be that he wakes at that time to do a wee try changing it kiss night night and back to bed.

[handeme]

I have exactly the same problem with my little boy who is two on Friday.

He was quite poorly and ever since then just doesn't sleep, he can fall alsepp as late as 9 and then get up at 5-5.30. His mood is awful, tantrums and lashes out at everyone.

In the past three months he has probably slept through the night and gone to bed at a decent time once.

I have eye bags on my eye bags! C x

[nikki thomson]

I know this won't make you feel better one bit but some children are just early risers, i wouldn't move bed time to later as I think it just makes it worse as they'll still wake up early. My ds was an early riser but he did grow out of it but I was lucky as he was my first and I didn't work so would get up with him, potter round the house, washing on/Hoover etc make him breakfast and then by about 8.30 he was tired so would go back to bed and so did I till about 10.30/11 and then we'd start the day.
Failing everything else I find a soundproof box works wonders (you can't hear them ) lol. X

[buzzy bee]

I will try the nappy thing - hadn't thought of that.

I wouldn't mind if he was an early riser - I am one myself... I just know he hasn't had enough sleep because he's tired and grumpy all day. Maybe I should put him to bed earlier and then he still might wake at the same time but at least he'll have had more sleep???