aibu to think my 3yo must need more than ten hours sleep a day- i certainly do!

[bedraggledmumoftwo]

So dd1(3) has completely dropped her nap. She goes to bed 7-730, has a gro clock set for 630am, and three (yes three) different blackout blinds/ curtains to make her room as dark as possible. Yet here I am again, completely knackered since she was shouting her head off at 530am. And she is clearly knackered too and driving my impatient self mad with c constant tantrums that I put down to tiredness!

Particularly tired this morning as I stayed up to see my dh (only until 11). During the week I go to bed by nine to stand a chance, but I am at my wits end. I let her drop the nap assuming she would sleep better at night, but now she is still waking with the lark and driving me insane!

I don't think 530am is that early. Its the time I get up for work in the week

I agree, it sounds completely normal to me too, we are up for work/school every week day at this time.

Dd1 didn't nap once she turned two. She went to bed at 7 and woke up at 5.30. Thankfully Dh is an early riser so he did the early mornings.

Dd is 24 now and still gets up really early. She was the only student in history who was up and working by 7 every morning.

Some people are just like that. unfortunately

5.30 feels like the middle of the night to me. Everyone is different.

op, has it occurred to you the problem might be with you? 10 hours is a huge amount of sleep for an adult to require. Do you have a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, etc? i think 8 is the maximum most adults want, although many of us have a lot less.

My DS1 doesn't need much sleep either - he's 9 too and has a similar routine as Eva's DS.
He dropped his nap at 2.5 went to bed at 7.30 and was up at 5.30am most mornings. We ended up getting a TV for our room and a little chair.
www.amazon.co.uk/Gepetto-Armchair-Children-Toddlers-Removable/dp/B00TCKNFVA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433577095&sr=8-1&keywords=foam+chair

He would just sit and watch TV for an hour or so and DH and I would doze.

Karbon - OP only had 6.5 hours of sleep last night not 8. 11pm-5.30am

At this time of year with the very light mornings I think lots of dcs' routines are 'out'. I wouldn't classify this the same way as usual 'sleeping problems'.

Ime 10 hours is normal for a 3yo so if you want a 6.30 wake time then she'll need a 8.30 bedtime.

DS now 11 has never needed sleep! Newly born he slept two hours at a time it from 7 weeks was sleeping through from 8-7. However he NEVER slept in the day ...
He now has 7 hours a night and is never tired. It has been really really tough (and has been a contributing factor in me and his dad separating as whenever had an evening to ourselves - I would never tell him that obviously).

Can you persevere with the gro clock? It has been miraculous for us. DS2 used to be up between 4 and 5 and would often wake DS3 as they share a room.
We bought the clock in January and this morning they came into our room at 6:30 when the sun came on and went back to their room until 7:00 as we were both still half asleep.
I lay out toys to play with and put a drink in their room when I go to bed.

I also persevere with naps if they are really tired. Occasionally DS2 is horrendous after his morning at Nursery. He cries at everything.
I lie in bed with him with the radio on and 9 times out of 10 he falls asleep and is better for it.

If she went to bed later, would she sleep later in the morning? 5.30 is horrendously early.

My DD sleeps from 9/9.30pm until around 7am. She has just turned 4. It seems a ridiculously late bedtime to me, but she really doesn't need more sleep. If we get her to sleep any earlier than she wakes in the middle of the night and is awake for a couple of hours.

I also need 10 hours sleep. I am perfectly healthy. I just need that amount to feel rested and happy.

My DS is 4.6 only gets 10 hours, no matter what time we put him down. He ignores his gro-clock completely now, despite any bribes / threats we try.

Ideally I'd go to sleep soon after he does, but I have so much to do between then and when I actually go to bed well after midnight. I'm chronically knackered!

If you are sure she is still tired, have you tried still insisting on a nap some days? My DS2 is 3 and while he can go without a nap if he does it for more than a couple of days straight he starts acting overtired. So weekdays I insist on a nap (he protests like crazy but when in bed does actually sleep) and at the weekend he goes straight through. Still sleeps at bedtime ok.

Won't fix the early mornings but might help the behavour. Some kids just aren't ready to drop their nap until a bit older.

My ds has never been a 12 hour nighter - even when he dropped his naps he would still do he 10-11 hours a night. He wakes up happy and doesn't seem tired in the day.