can't get to bed early myself!! (have a toddler, constantly tired)

[missabc123]

hey all, not sure where to post this (sleep seemed right but is it a baby sleep forum?)

having real issues regulating my own sleep, have a toddler (2y 4m) and am a single parent with little help from the ex and no local family.

as much as I try to go to bed early I can't seem to do it. I have tried but once he's in bed it's "my time" and I can't drag myself away from the computer / TV until I have had a proper "me" break.

Little one wasn't a brilliant sleeper from birth and after two years finally sleeps mostly through the night - (he has his own toddler bed in my room - coslept since birth and then recently transitioned to his own bed next to mine; half way through the night he climbs into my bed).

He still wakes me up in the middle of the night to come into my bed, albeit briefly. Sleeps from about 8.45pm to 7am (sometimes 6.30, sometimes 7.30), usually with a couple of short wakeups. I have blackout curtains etc to try to keep him asleep as long as poss.

Would love to have him in his own bedroom but not practical in my small flat right now...also not sure he would go for it yet as we have always co-slept. (Drove me crazy in the end - so glad he is in his own bed for at least part of the night!).

Usually I go to bed about midnight; with a short wake up in the middle of the night (or two) this leaves me exhausted in the morning at 6,30 / 7ish when the little one starts waking up. Never get a lie in as a single parent.

I know it's a terrible habit and I should be in bed about 10.30, I just seem to wake up a bit about that time!!

Does anyone else have similar issues, or advice? Tried so hard to get up before little on in the morning to get stuff done but don't seem to be able to.

Also have terrible habit of watching ipad in bed under the covers to go to sleep. Bad I know!! Read all about the interruption to melantonin etc.

Arg. Hope sleep is coming one day.

[BinToHellAndBack]

I'm the same. Not a single parent, but DH is often working nights so I'm frequently home alone after the kids are in bed (and they wake LOTS).

I can spend the entire day on the verge of nodding off every time I sit down, but come bedtime I magically wake up and want to relax with some tv/internet browsing.

The obvious answer is just don't have any screen time, but I find that too hard and end up telling myself 'just 10 more mins', or 'tomorrow'. Stupid really!

The only compromise that helps is having a cut-off time for things like MN that keep your brain ticking over (say 9 or 10pm). Then I put something quite boring on to watch, something that I can just about muster a bit of interest in so as not to change to another show. Non-competitive cooking shows work well for me .

I watch on the laptop and jut reach and flip the lid down when I can feel my eyes struggling to stay open.

Reading is also soporific, but I find I'm actually too tired to focus on it (oh the irony!) and want to just stare mindlessly at the tv instead.

[Yikesivedoneitagain]

I'm the same - my kids are so wild it takes me bloody ages to feel unwound, and i feel fed up not having much time alone after having them hanging off me all evening. I'm going to try a 'bedtime routine' for myself - telly off at 10, teeth, face and drink of water then read in bed. I just can't function anymore!

[missabc123]

yikes - that's the ideal - it just feels boring to go to bed at 10!! That said I would love to have the dedication to do it!!

maybe it has to become a habit then it feels ok.

when I was a kid my mum used to send me to bed at 6.30pm - when little one is a bit older will send him to bed that early too (he can read in bed if he wants). Then it might be a bit easier!!