3 yr old gets in our bed at 4am

[RainbowFlowers]

My 3 year old gets in bed with me at about 4am which up until now I was OK with since I just went back to sleep and enjoyed the morning cuddles. Now that I'm pregnant I struggle to fall back to sleep. Plus I want him staying in his own bed before baby arrives.

I'm not sure how to go about it. I cant bare the thought of doing controlled crying at that time in the morning. I'm interested in how others do it. What's works? What hasnt?

Thanks

Anyone?

Have you tried a gro clock? My 3 year old understands once the sun comes on he.can come into our room

How awake is he when he gets into your bed ?

I used to just direct my eldest back to bed, with talk of big boys sleeping all night in their own bed and coming in in the morning for a cuddle.

@moita yes I think I'll get one. Did your little one take long to get used to it? Or did they have it from when they were young?

@pumpkinpie01 he's quite awake sometimes he tried to say good morning and wake me up and I tell him it's still bedtime then he goes back to sleep. He doesn't have a naps anymore and goes to bed at 7:15pm.

@mebelface yes I don't know why I think of the extreme of controlled crying when he's big enough to take instructions. Did he eventually stop needing to be told to go back? How old were they?

Mine is 3 and also comes in our bed every night recently, around that time. I'm due our next one in 2 weeks too 🤦🏻‍♀️ I don't mind it too much as he's always been a good sleeper, and don't want to push it too much in case he's anxious about the new baby. He has a gro clock and understands not to come in but he ignores it and comes in anyway and says he misses me 😂 Interested to see how other people have tackled this

My DD was doing similar although calling out to be brought into our bed; I started giving her a cuddle in her own bed instead and over a few nights reduced the time that i spent doing that. At 3 I’d consider some kind of reward chart for staying in his bed if that would get his interest.

I was always just really grumpy with them ie: don't make them welcome. You can come in bed for 5 minutes and then go back to you own bed. At 3 I think I walked them back, gave them a kiss, and left. At 4 they had to go back on their own. I was always quite firm, even when they were very young, that unless something is very wrong, even if you are awake, you stay in your bedroom and don't disturb.

Have you tried putting him back in his bed ? A reward chart for going back to bed with no fuss - 7 ticks and a treat at the end of the week ?

@moita yes I think I'll get one. Did your little one take long to get used to it? Or did they have it from when they were young?

No it was a recent thing and he understood it very well. I don't think he would have 'got' it when he as young. Like you I was struggling to get back to sleep

Oh trust me I am grumpy!!

Yes stickers is a good idea.

Thanks all

Update: so we used a gro clock for the first time last night. We bought it together and read the book that came with it. I explained it all to him and said he would get a sticker if he stays in bed, I also mentioned about getting a present after 5 stickers but tbh I think that bit went over his head.

So at 4amish (I didn't check the time as it annoys me and makes me less likely to fall back to sleep) he starts crying while staying in his bed saying he wants to go to big bed( that's what he calls my bed). So good that he remembered what I said and that he didn't try to come in mine. I tried to console him and get him back off to sleep in his own bed but he just kept crying. So hubby came in and gave a more strict approach and instructed him to lie down and go to sleep which worked. I think hubby got up with him once more and then at 7am he was so excited that the sun was yellow and came to my bedroom.

I'm exhausted as I didn't sleep at all since he woke up the first time but I feel theres light at the end of the tunnel. I imagine that after a few nights of this he will get it. I just hope I have more success at getting him to settle as I don't want hubby to do it every night as we were going to take turns.

Lol wow sorry for long post. Thanks everyone for your tips. X