How to know what time a child gets up ?

[Babieseverywhere]

Our DS doesn't sleep well, often has bad dreams or just wakes up for no reason. Often comes to our bed to sleep, which is fine.

He use to wait on top stair on the upstairs landing until a parent or sibling woke up in morning and would go downstairs with him.

But with the lighter mornings he is getting up earlier and earlier and the draw of the computer is worth the fear of going downstairs on his own. So last week he had been up 'two videos watchings' (an hour) before daddy got up at 5 am !

How do we find out what time he is getting up, I'm worried he isn't getting enough sleep and too much screen time.

Any ideas or am I worrying for nothing ?

He is 5.8 yo if that makes a difference.

I suspect screen time isn't a good substitute for sleep. Can you install a gate? Give him a quite sleep friendly activity to do if awake until a certain time? Maybe wlsome sort of day night clock he should use to know if he has to stay in bed or if he can get up yet. My dd is 4 but the sleep support agency we use stress the need to teach her that night for sleeping, and failing that, for staying in bed and resting. We were told to stop tv on waking as it was too much of a draw to get up whenever she woke at night

We have safety gates but he can open them. Like the idea of a night clock.

I wonder if DH can tell the computer not to work until a certain time ?

Community ot might help install a bigger more effective gate if that's something you'd like. We've discussed making adaptations like this for kitchen eventually w them

Thanks. Will try and cut off computer access in morning if I can.

Could you password lock the computer?

A gro clock has worked well for us, they can play in bed when they wake up but there is no getting up until 'yellow sun'.

Guess I am worried what he would do without the computer....best scenerio he would sit in the top stair waiting for everyone to wake up for a few hours OR restart waking me up at silly o clock.

You can get a motion sensor alarm to go by bed / his door / landing etc which goes off when someone walks across the beam to let you know he's up, or a mat sensor which goes off when he steps on mat. OT (social services not NHS) can provide but they are easy to get on ebay / Amazon etc for a few £. That way you can hopefully catch him and put him back in bed in time. We used to have a mattress on the floor by DS bed and would camp out there and keep putting him back to bed.