So what do you do when your three year old gets up at five am?

[tholeon]

he wakes up, shouts loudly and wakes the baby up, and refuses to agree it isn't morning yet... He goes to bed at seven ish, no naps, so this just isn't enough sleep for him and he gets tired and whiny .. He wakes up in the night too wanting hand holding to get back to sleep which is a pita as am also up with six month old dd. He just doesn't like sleeping, considers it a complete waste of time in his exciting life, particularly since it involves being alone which he also hates. Am co sleeping and bf ing baby so her wakings do not disturb me too much but don't want to go on doing this forever and would like her to be a better sleeper than her brother one day.. But can't face letting her cry and hard to find time/ energy for gentler sleep training measures with ds to cajole into bed as well... Aarh! Do I need a night nanny??

Gro Clock?

Tell him it's still night-time and to go back to sleep. Good Luck

I've always just gritted my teeth and refused to allow them up (bar one time when ds1 was waking ds2 - only 2dc at time sharing a room). Then we went downstairs and made a bed on lounge floor and did boring no talking sleep vibes. Think with eldest think it went on for a couple of weeks for message to reach home.

I either cuddle him and hope we both fall asleep or we go downstairs, I turn the TV on and doze on the sofa while he watches cartoons.

i wouldn't put him to bed at 7pm for a start
later bedtime and black out blinds

Mine's the same, amd he always wakes baby up too!
Over the years i have pushed him to 6.20 most of the time with a GroClock and black out blind. I am also v boring before 7 am. I leave a cup of milk and some crackers by his bed when I go to bed and some toys on his floor which he can play with when he wakes up. The toys things works about once a month! I am praying DD is a better sleeper.

Mine went to bed at 7 at that age and slept till 6.30ish IIRC. Black out blinds help.

But all DC are different - I know DC who always woke at 5/5.30 and who still wake early now, despite being teenagers

Hi thanks for replies. Problem is he has to go to bed early because after the early start he really needs to. And he always wants a wee/ drink etc both of which he can't quite manage on his own so hard to ignore.. And he wakes baby up so then we all just have to get up but then we all get tired and grumpy! Gro clock worked for a bit but the novelty has worn off now... Have black out blinds...

Am hoping if he still does it as a teenager he'll manage without waking the rest of us up !

Back to bed until 6am and no messing about!

Ds could look at books/have a wee until the alarm went off but wasn't to wake the rest of the house.

Get an alarm clock and black-out blind. We told DS that he wasn't to get up until the alarm went off. We expected it to take weeks to master but strangely he did it the first night.

We recently stayed in a Travelodge and DS was awake and sucking his thumb around 5:30/6 (the time he used to get up) and then DP got up to use the toilet. I thought oh no, game over but he must have settled himself off back to sleep because we had to wake him at 8:30.

I think he used to stir at that time and just get up because no one had taught him to re-settle or that it wasn't time to get up iyswim.

Now, if he has a late night at the weekend we set the alarm between 9&10 and he actually stays there!!

If he's 3 then you could start a reward jar? DD is 3.1 and understands that when she 'stays in bed until the sun' (Gro-Clock) she gets a marble in her jar. She also gets marbles for other good behaviour and when it's full she gets a small treat (this time it's an Ivor the Engine DVD, all of £3).

Thank you all... We may try the reward idea...