430 am wake up

[peppajay]

Absolutely exhausted DS has a new wake up time of 430am since the clocks changed. Feels like lunchtime already. No amount of 3 mile beach walks, swimming or cycling makes any difference. We are all walking zombies apart from him who is showing no signs of tiredness at all!! Someone tell me it will get better. Think it is a combination of clock change and no school.!!!! Someone tell me it will get better!!!!!!!!!!

[QTPie]

How old is DS? What do you do with him when he wakes up at 4.30?

QT

[peppajay]

He is 4 and he come in my bed with me, to be fair he is quite good he lies with me and whispers his phonics, he is completely wide awake and by this time he seems to have had enough sleep. At 530 I put c beebies on and he sits there till 7 and watchs that, then we get up. He is not stroppy or tired but is making everyone else that way. He goes to bed at 715/730 tried keeping him up till 830 one night but made no difference he was still awke at 440!!!!

[QTPie]

I don't have a 4 year old (only a 2 year 9 month old), but we have always "enforced nights" - ie even if he woke at 5/5.30, then we would keep him in bed (ok, fairly easy, he stays in bed and one of us lies next to him holding his hand) until 7am. No getting up, no drinks/breakfast, no toys or books, definitely no TV. Pretty much "bore" him into adjusting his clock: might as well go back to sleep.

To be perfectly honest, I think TV at 5.30am isn't the best thing if you want to encourage himto sleep later.

Does he have a clock (gro clock or similar). At that age, I think that is what I would use (since they have the understanding). Explain that it is sleep time. If he does wake up before the time you set on the clock (7? 6.30?), then he either goes back to sleep or plays/reads in his room quietly. He doesn't come into you until the clock says so. And maybe do a sticker reward chart for not coming in until the clock days so? Friends have done similar and very effective.

QT

[helibee]

You poor thing. I have a just turned 5 yr old and he is plenty old enough to understand that 4:30am is the middle of the night. Your ds is at school so follows instructions perfectly well there. I'd tell him he can either lay quietly or go back to sleep in your room or his but no talking and no tv till his normal getting up time.

If he responds well to reward charts as lots of schools do them, I find 4 yr olds often more receptive than younger children. Either use an alarm clock such as the gro clock or you going in to his room to get him or him sleeping/laying quietly in your room until getting up time and tell him that he will get a sticker for completing this task. Only if he gets 5 stickers (or how ever many you think) will he get a treat/reward/fav film.

Hope he goes back to sleeping well for you soon