I had a thread a while ago, started and posted to in the midst of a complete bedtime breakdown.
Essentially, my DS who is almost 7 doesn't sleep. He has never been a great sleeper and we have tried everything from white noise to co sleeping to cio to sitting in his room to essential oils and all sorts. We have a consistent bedtime routine, of bath/shower, book and bed but despite this DS is never asleep before 10pm. We start bedtime at around 9pm as a result and I sit for about 30-40mins outside his room door (door open) until he nods off. We progressively moved his bedtime later as, at times, I was sitting for almost double or triple the amount of time before he nodded off.
During the night he wakes like clockwork at 2am and then 4am, sometimes only 4am if I'm lucky. He is taken back to bed and I sit until he's asleep.
We've been to the gp twice, school nurse, HV and a sleep clinic who have told me I'm doing all the right things and he'll grow put of it eventually. No medication will be issued.
He is up before 8am every morning and is bright as a button all day, no behavioural issues. The later bed time isn't affecting him and he regularly gets between 9 and 10 hours a night.
I'm due a elcs in 4 weeks (26 days). I hurt and I'm tired and I'm not sleeping (once DS wakes at 4am I'm up for the day, thank god for mat leave!). Tonight we skipped the story and instead I told him he could finish watching Matilda, which ended just there. My mum text me and I told her about the film. She has proceeded to go off on one and told me it's lazy and so on and so forth.
Aibu to let him do this once for a bit of a break? He isn't awake any later than normal and he actually sat in his room, alone, at night time for the first time ever. He's nodding off now so won't be out of sleep.
I'm really unsure when it comes to bedtime, for all the reasons listed above.