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How can I correct my 4 year olds sleep pattern

3 replies

Arren12 · 20/10/2021 18:09

Hi all,

My 4 year old has never slept through the night and has never napped well. Even as a tiny baby she could have been awake 23 out of 24 hours. Shes very active at all times and I have never really seen her still. As far as im aware she has no sen but we are watching this closely as my older child is autistic and has other medical and additional needs. Eldest probably has ADHD but we have not been for assessment yet.

So youngest is 4 in two weeks and goes to nursery 30 hours and sometimes with a childminder after but only 3 days per week when I work. I know its a lot for a little one but she really loves nursery and gets more out of being there than spending my non working days with me. Its only 9 till 3 on those days.

Her sleep is all messed up and we seem to have tried all sorts to fix it. All her life she has been up in the night wanting to play, she rises for the day at 4.30am. She often falls asleep at inappropriate times and misses meals. We do all we can to keep her awake but she will cry and scream and fight you to go back to sleep. We keep nighttime dark and don't allow play. We have a routine and a grow clock. Its so hard. There is no set pattern to her sleep. She will be active active active then crash then sleep an hour or two then active again. She often sleeps over dinner and then runs around till 2am. Its exhausting.

My older daughter kicks off at every bedtime but will fall asleep eventually and stay sleeping till 7am.

I don't think we are going wrong I just think we have a child that requires little sleep but we can't keep up to this.

I feel bad that she often misses dinner and worry about this. But at the same time she can't have dinner at 9pm.

Has anyone had little ones like this.

OP posts:
Babyghirl · 20/10/2021 18:53

@Arren12
Can you or dp take her for a walk while the other makes dinner to keep her a wake, or get her to help you to prepare and cook it have dinner get her to maybe help with wash up might enjoy playing with water.

Then bath then bed with a story and try to get her to know that after bath it's bed time and not play time.

Arren12 · 20/10/2021 20:07

Thanks @Babyghirl I have managed to keep her awake this evening and I'm doing everything I can to do this the rest of the week. We do try but she often falls asleep stood up even.

OP posts:
WithABiffBangPow · 20/10/2021 21:18

No advice, just sympathy and a bump.
Hope it gets easier for you

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