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Original poster

Do I need to keep her up?

21 replies

Runway · 23/03/2021 09:35

My 6 year old has suddenly started waking about 5:45-6 in the morning. She’s always been a good sleeper and was previously waking 7-7:30 which was fine but 5:45 is too much! Thing is she seems really wide awake so I’m not sure she can sleep more. She’s usually asleep by about 8-8:15 but I’m wondering if I need to keep her up later?

Any advice?

OP posts:

jessstan2 · 23/03/2021 09:42

If she isn't tired, do keep her up later. Of course, you can't do that if she is half asleep and miserable (which I hope she isn't). I always let mine stay up with us until tired and never had very early morning wake ups after the baby era.

In the meantime, encourage her to stay in bed (apart from going to toilet0, and amuse herself for a while, at six years old that shouldn't be difficult. I expect she has plenty of things in her room to occupy her.

LagneyandCasey · 23/03/2021 09:48

I agree with pp. At her age she should be able to stay quietly in her room for a while until the rest of the house wake up. As long as it's not for hours, 30 mins is probably enough. Get her a clock and show her the time she can wake you up. Make sure she has plenty to drink. Thicker curtains might help with light and to block out noise outside, the bloody birds are cheeping at 5am around here!

LadyCatStark · 23/03/2021 09:57

It’ll be because the mornings are getting lighter and the birds are singing really early! The clocks go forward next week so hopefully that will reset her!

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Original poster

Runway · 23/03/2021 09:59

She’s very tired by about 7:45 and ready for bed.

She doesn’t wake me up at 5:45 but her being ‘up’ disturbs my sleep. She will play or watch the iPad but I don’t love the thought of her watching something for 2 hours before we even get up......I tried stopping her using the iPad in the morning and then she wakes me up about 6:30 saying she’s so bored!!!

OP posts:

Blueappletree · 23/03/2021 10:00

My dc never went to bed before 9. Sometimes way later. Still wake up refreshed and full of energy. Some children are like that, I think.
Also my dc was early riser too, but he got that he needs to keep quiet until certain time from early on. So he was allowed to read the book quietly if he can't sleep at night, or if he got up too early, he understood that he needs to play or read quietly in his room.

Original poster

Runway · 23/03/2021 10:01

She has a blackout blind and a gro clock and she understands it all. It’s just she doesn’t want to be alone for hours in the AM unless she’s on the iPad and now she’s waking earlier she is.....hopefully the clocks will help...

OP posts:

jessstan2 · 23/03/2021 10:32

@Runway

Aw bless her. She wouldn't be content to snuggle up in bed with you and go back to sleep?

Original poster

Runway · 23/03/2021 13:00

Ha ha - she’d agree to be quiet and then every 2 mins she’d tell me a ‘fact’!

OP posts:

jessstan2 · 23/03/2021 13:06

Oh blimey! All I can say is, it won't last Runway.

Starisnotanumber · 23/03/2021 14:04

The clocks change this weekend so maybe that will help.

Suzi888 · 23/03/2021 14:09

Can she read? What about some books at bedtime that she can read, should make her sleepy.

TalesTheCat · 23/03/2021 14:10

When the clocks go forward on Sun she will be waking up after 7 instead of 6 anyway

starbrightstarlight8888 · 23/03/2021 14:13

What time do you want her to wake up? If she's up at 5.45 then half an hour on her ipad would be OK wouldn't it? 6.15 / 6.30am is surely expected when you have a child? I get up at that time for work anyway.

GrilledCheeze · 23/03/2021 14:16

If the has a groclock can you set it for say 6:30 and she is allowed to watch the iPad then? So if she wakes before that she has to play quietly no iPad?

Triffid1 · 23/03/2021 14:16

If she's very tired by 7:45, why is she only going to bed at 8:15? Personally, I'd be aiming to have her in bed, lights out etc by 7:45.

DD is a great sleeper. She's also 6. But even now, if she goes to bed too late, most nights she will then wake up earlier. Put her to bed at 7:45 and she sleeps straight through until 7:30. Put her to bed at 9 and she's awake at 7.

GrilledCheeze · 23/03/2021 14:17

Mine naturally wakes around 7:30 but on a weekend we don't want to get up until 9. He is allowed to read from 7:30 and from 8 is allowed to get up quietly and go watch TV/his iPad downstairs...

AmelieTaylor · 23/03/2021 14:17

Shame she's not here! Birds always wake me and at the moment that's about 5:15, which I'm fine with, but they get earlier & earlier....

Don't keep her up later, it won't help, you'll just have a more tired, more emotional child to deal with.

As you say, she understands & probably means well, but after a while gets lonely/bored unless she's absorbed with the iPad. So it's up to you to choose the lesser of those two evils!

It would be an easy choice for me as I'm awake too, but I can see the temptation to let her stay the iPad!

But it is a lot of screen time every morning and I don't think it's good for them personally, would she listen to audio stories?

My parents (in the olden days!!🤣) bough me a small portable transistor (radio🧀) do I could listen to Sunday morning childrens' radio stories. I thought they were great! They were just smart. 🤣

Thefaceofboe · 23/03/2021 14:44

It might sound stupid but like pp has said, maybe she’s going to bed slightly too late. I have heard that can cause early risers!

olivesnutsandcheeseplease · 23/03/2021 15:01

Sounds like she's going to bed too late and being allowed the iPad in the morning. My 8 year old would definitely wake up early if he was allowed screen time!
Read in bed only until parent come to get her maybe. Hopefully the clocks springing forward will help too

Original poster

Runway · 24/03/2021 15:03

@starbrightstarlight8888 no I don’t expect to wake up at 6:15 just because I have a child! She’s never woken up this early before so I’m trying to work out why she is now.

@Triffid1 she goes to bed then because up until a few weeks ago she was going to bed about 8 then staying awake until about 8:30 - she’s now tired earlier because she’s suddenly waking so early.

@GrilledCheeze yes that was always our set up. This is why the sudden early wakes are annoying!!

OP posts:

Triffid1 · 24/03/2021 16:32

It sounds like her routine has changed for some reason. You say she's 6? Year 1? Has she just gone back to school after lockdown? In which case, this might be a case of exhaustion from school? DD and a number of her friends have all come down with colds and her teacher and I were chatting and agreed it's partly the shock of mental effort required of coming back to school. Certainly, when DD started reception, she went from needing about 12 hours a night to closer to 13. It was just for the first term and then she settled down again but it was a bit of a pain for a while as I had to have her in bed, lights out before 7!!

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