How to get 6 year old to sleep later

[mytimewillcome]

My 6 year old has always been an early riser. He can just about make it to 6am. He goes to bed at 8pm. Today he woke up at 5.45 and me and his younger brother were in a deep sleep so he is disrupting our sleep. He won't go back to sleep. I'm quite worried about my health being effected by this. I'm a single parent. Any suggestions?

It was 5.15am not 5.45 and if I try to put him to bed later he wakes up even earlier...

I feel your pain. My 4 year old is exactly the same. Have tried basically everything including gro clock and going to bed later which was a disaster. Up as if not earlier and even more tired to boot = super grumpy later. Sorry I've no advice but good to know we're not alone with early rising pain!

Sorry I can't help, but I will follow this thread with interest. My four year old is the same. We put him to bed about 6.30 though as it doesn't matter how late he goes to bed he will always wake up at the same time. (Around 5.30)

I don't know if the wake to sleep method works on any age (or at all!) but you could try stirring him lightly an hour before his usual wake up time. It's supposed to disrupt the sleep cycle without waking them up fully.

It does mean a few very early mornings for you although you may be able to go back to sleep afterwards. Good luck.

With my early riser 7 year old later nights do eventually make for later mornings but you have to ride through it (goes to bed at 9 now, gets up at 7). Otherwise if he gets up early he knows to read quietly/play in his room. At 6 he will be old enough to understand this, just make sure he has a clock in his room.

No advice, but at 6 I'd say he is old enough to get in with something quietly until 7. We use gro clock with DD (5) and if there is one star she is allowed to read books or colour or something.

We had this and nothing worked so we trained ds to get up quietly go downstairs and watch TV
If he woke his sibling they're were consequences

Bribery? I don't know... Our 6.5 year old is the same. I allow him to get up and watch TV, and then get up at 7 myself. But he likes company, and wakes me up on the way... He's usually up at 5.45am.

He needs to have a plan for what to do when he wakes early. So, staying in his room and quietly reading or playing until whatever time is okay to wake you and his brother. If he shares with his brother, then maybe he needs to go into the living room, or somewhere else, to read or play.

At 6, he is old enough to understand this. My DS, who is now 12, was a very early riser when he was little. We got him a clock, so he could tell when he could come in to us. He knew, of course, that if he was sick, or had hurt himself, or there was some other emergency, that it was all right to disturb us earlier.

I don't think you can expect them to have more than 10hrs sleep, that's a good amount. My son used to get up and watch TV for a while.

I always thought 8pm sleep time was quite reasonable for a 6 year old. Maybe I should try a bit later. But then that's precious time to myself being eaten into...! Might try 8.30. Funnily enough during the week he can stay in bed until 6.30 so it must be more exciting during the weekend for him. Gro clock has always been ignored. Thanks.

I think that at 6 he should be able to entertain himself quietly until it is time get up. Maybe set up a reward system for every day he doesn't ignore the gro clock.

So he needs to go to bed at 8 or it eats your prescious time to yourself and has to sleep later than 6 ornit will affect your health?

Really??

Yes really BertrandRussell. According to the sleep charts I've looked at 6 year olds are still supposed to go to bed at 7.30pm. And I don't think waking up at 5.15am is a good thing for a 6 year old at all. Do you?

8pm is plenty late enough for a 6yo. And I think you are entitled to enjoy your evening once the kids are in bed.

Agree with the other posters. If he chooses to get up at silly o'clock he must amuse himself quietly until 7am at the earliest - reading, story CDs, whatever.

And yes I am thinking of my own health as well because as a single parent I cannot get ill. Sorry if you think that's selfish.

Of course you need to look after your health. Why does waking up at 6 risk affecting it?

But anyway, at 6 he should be able to get himself up and watch TV until other people wake up. Leave him out some fruit and cereal. Set the tv to a channel you're happy for him to watch. Problem solved.

Why does waking up at 6 risk affecting it?

5:15.

Being constantly knackered does affect your health. It's not hard to grasp surely?

I agree that it affects your mental health, I feel the same when i dont enough me time and sleep but you say the gro clock gets ignored. I think maybe need to be tougher with him, at 6 he should be able to follow simple instructions and rules like this.

8pm seems too late. My just turned 7 year old would struggle with that time and is asleep by 7.30pm most nights. Wakes at 6/630am. Always been an early riser and later bedtimes have never ever worked

Only things that have worked for a decent nights sleep:

Cooler bedrooms with good covers. And not too cold in the early hours as this wakes him up even earlier. The best time he slept was when the boiler broke and I slipped a hot water bottle in with him at 10pm!

Loads of physical exercise. Way more than seems reasonable. He always sleeps better on holidays when we are out every day.

Me going to bed early and teaching ds to sneak out of his room when he wakes (he shares with his sibling).