Grumpy 4 1/2yr old getting up at 5.30

[helsbels03]

help! My dd 4 1/2 yr gets up at 5.30am every day. I have tried everything to keep her in bed later - blackout blinds, special toy in bed, daytime/night time clock etc. But she is incredibly tired during the day, grumpy and irritable. I don't want to punish her for her STROPS as I know it is a result of her tiredness, but am running out of ideas. She goes to bed at 6.30 every night, and has a rest or sleep after lunch. Any ideas?

[whomovedmychocolate]

Exercise and lots of. She needs to run around for at least an hour a day, possibly more.

Also check she is drinking enough/not constipated. Often little children wake at night with tummy pain if they are dehydrated or constipated.

[whomovedmychocolate]

Oh and drop the naps and don't let her go to bed till 7pm. Talk to her, read her stories to keep her awake.

[Kitsilano]

If she has an hours nap during the day that's actually 12 hours sleep. My dd slept 7.30 -7.00 at that age and that seemed fine. Maybe her bedtime is just too early?

[helsbels03]

Going to try trampoline after dinner (and during the day as alternative to dvd to keep her going more) as also read on another post about being outside before bed. Will also make sure she has plenty to drink although was beginning to wonder if she needed the loo and that was what was waking her?

[helsbels03]

We are keeping her up a bit later by being outside, she is still waking 5.30. Think I could manage that if she wasn't so tired during the day. Anyone any thoughts about her using trumps to get attention. I have noticed she only has them if I am there. Notat friends houses and never at school

[Tgger]

What happens if you tell her to go back to sleep at 5.30? Think you need a strong message that it's still night-time then and she needs to stay in bed. Maybe she needs to get up for a wee but then go back to sleep?

Also, re the strops. Punish no, but she could go to her room and keep them to herself, no need to inflict them on the rest of you (and then she won't get any attention either . We do this with our 4.5 year , iold- a certain amount of ignoring strops then "go to your room and calm down".

You need to drop the nap completely and yes, long walks/swimming recommended. Does she walk to and from nursery etc?

[sneaker]

Was the daytime/nightime clock no good? It was the only thing that worked with us, along with big treats for staying in bed until 'daytime' lamb was awake. It took ages, as we started the clock off at 5.30 , and then a few days later it was 5.40 and so on. It's now set to 7am. The one we have doesn't make a noise, so it actually doesn't wake her if she is asleep. Hello 7.13am this morning!

[helsbels03]

Yes we walk to nursery every day plus swimming and gymnastics each week. She has never been a good sleeper so I suppose I should be glad for the sleep she has!!!

As for telling her to go back to sleep, she screams and shouts which we ignore and close her door, but usually this wakes dd2 and ds and then everyone is up!!!

She has tag books in her room that she looks at until I say she can get up.

Trying a new sticker chart tonight that she made herself this afternoon.

[Tgger]

Good luck with the sticker chart- hope it works.

I guess much better to do positive re-enforcement thingie than punish, but if it really doesn't work I would probably go quite hard line and do something like ban television for her or some other thing she will really miss if she shouts and screams at 5.30- this is not acceptable behaviour (to quote super nanny!!). They are old enough not to behave like this (IMHO).

I am very lucky that DH has been very strict on the "you don't get up until 7 o'clock" rule with DS (4.5). Generally he doesn't wake until about this time, but if he does just a reminder from DH and he'll stay put- looking at a book sometimes until 7.

We were having issues with getting ready for nursery and I started a points make prizes (stickers, then treats...) system this morning- one point for getting your clothes, one for getting dressed etc and it's amazing how they go for it- they both got dressed really quick! So different from our normal battles so fingers crossed it works for you too!

[helsbels03]

Set her night time clock to 6.00this morning and she didn't shout til it changed. Usually she changes the time so that it shows morning! We have the peppa pig one and it does make a noise as it changes. She is loving the novelty of her sticker chart this morning.

[sneaker]

Ah well done - positive steps!

[Tgger]

Excellent!!