Would love a lay in!

[vanessach]

I have a 5 year old boy who goes to bed at 8pm but will sometimes cry out for us until around 9/10pm (we go up and cuddle/reassure him but he carries on and gets into a state). He'll eventually fall asleep.
Then he'll wake up around 5:45/6am and will try to get into our bed/try to get into his brothers bed/wake everyone up by crying and shouting out for everyone and will not stay in his bed. We've tried everything from buying a gro clock but he ignores it, using a Reward Chart but this does nothing, resorted to threatening to throw a toy away because he's being so naughty and when we actually go through with it, he just screams, shouts and throws a tantrum. I make him sound like a monster but he's a very loving, affectionate little boy, it's just bedtimes are a terror! Any advice would be welcome. I'm hoping this is just a phase but it's been going on for around a month and we're shattered!

You have a boy who doesn't need a lot of sleep! I read this yesterday but didn't have time to reply.

We have 'late to bed' children. Some nights we just get into our pj's and say we are going to bed too. And tbh if we get them down at 10pm I'm in bed by 10.01

On the plus side, you are getting almost 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, which many people would kill for.

Days here start at 6am anyway, so 5.45 isn't that painful. (4.30, however, snortpig 4, is RUDE). I think that if someone doesn't need much sleep, then punishing them is a bit pointless, although I get your point that getting up and making a nuisance of yourself is not really on.

Have you tried getting up early and taking him out? It's very painful to haul one's arse out of bed that early but at least it's light at the mo' Perhaps running him like
a lively puppy will help him be a bit more tired? And if you go one morning DH can take him the next and you get your lie in. Bingo!

Anyway, I hope some of my ramblings are of use. Being horribly tired sucks. And spending your evenings consoling small children when you could be on mumsnet is just plain irritating :)