HELP - 3 year old waking early (very)

[annobal]

A friend of mine has a problem with her ds1. For the last year he has been waking at 5ish and then going all day. He has always been very active but he does get very tired and grumpy and does need more sleep, just refuses to. Putting him back to bed and telling him that it is not time to get up is the start of a game. They now have a 10 week old ds2 and are severely short of sleep.

My friend thought it was a phase at first then it would be solved by putting him in a bed, then it would be solved once he started nursery. Nothing seems to be helping and she welcomes any advice.

[Yorkiegirl]

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[divedaisy]

Sounds like a question for Supernanny! My son (3 in Jan) gets up most mornings at 0630. I have a baby gate on his bedroom door so he can get up and play in his room but not get into any harm. What time does your friends child go to bed at? COuld he be hungry? Or unfortunately he may just be a child that will get up at that time - his body clock may be set. Try black out curtains they kept ds in bed for a while longer. Or superglue to kep him there...LOL!!

[annobal]

I think he gets up to go to the toilet and decides that it is getting up time. I'm pretty sure that they have not done much and they let him come into their bed, where he creates havoc and winds himself up into a bit of a frenzy. Baby gate is a great idea but then he can't go to the toilet (he won't go on the potty any more). I think they've let it go on for so long that it has become a habit and now it's going to be v hard to break. If they shut their bedroom door he just screams at the door until they cave in and let him in - the problem of course being that they always eventually give in to him and he knows this...

[winnie65]

I am watching this avidly as my 2 and a bit year old does the same. He is up at 5 every morning and screams himself blue at the stairgate on his door. He is still in a nappy thank God, but he just screams and screams. I get up, put him back in his bed, tell him it is too early, but he just screams back at me saying he wants to get in my bed. He carries on like this for 10 minutes or so, goes quiet for about 10 minutes then starts again and we repeat the whole process about 4 times until 6 when we decide we might as well get up. I wouldn't mind having him in the bed with me for a cuddle, but he fidgets, yells for his milk and telly on and won't settle. Maybe I should just give him some milk? Don't want to give into his demands really, but this has been going on for so long, so any thought?

[Bozza]

Annobal I think your friend needs to be tough. I would get either a bunny clock or a light on a timer (thats what we use) and set it for a reasonable time (maybe start early and gradually move it to a reasonable time) and tell him that he is not allowed up until the light comes on. My DS is 4 and his light comes on at 7. If he needs to go to the toilet before that he has a torch by his bed and finds his way to the toilet and then goes back to bed. OK he rarely manages this without waking DH and I but the principle is there. Actually as often as not its just a few minutes to 7 and we are awake anyway. But they will have to really enforce this.

[annobal]

Thank you - that is great advise and I will mention this to her. I think the problem will be in them being tough as they tend to give in after about 10 minutes screaming (this has been a repeated pattern).