Sydney has been sleeping in her big girl bed and doing SO well this week. She's been in bed with us pretty much since she was born, so this is a HUGE step for ALL of us. She's taken to her bed like a fish to water. She goes down with not much fuss at all. My problem....

She has been waking at 5am! (Then, DH or myself has to go in with her.) I'm wondering if I am putting her down too early. She's been going to sleep around 8pm. Keep in mind that she's used to staying up much later with us. Should I put her to bed later and gradually make the bedtime earlier?

This morning, she didn't fall back asleep after our 5am visit. She was exhausted by 9:30am and took her nap at 10am! So, now our schedule is really off.

I'd love any suggestions. Thanks!

By Autumn on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 01:21 pm:

DON'T let her take a nap after 4:00 p.m. Don't let her have anything to drink at least an hour and a half before she goes to bed. Perhaps, feed her dessert and give her a drink at that time. Make sure that she's not hungry when she goes to bed. Put an extra blanket in bed with her, or maybe a big cuddle toy. And try to put her to bed as late as possible. You plan to go to bed at 11? Put her in bed at 9. Hope some of this helps.

By Tonya on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 01:39 pm:

I would say keep her up later. If you are up until 11pm then keep her up until 10pm if she is willing. Then you have that last hour for her to fall asleep before you go down. 8pm is too early if you ask me. Timmy is in bed at 8pm because he ahs to get up at 6:30 to go to grandmas so i can go to work so by 8pm he is ready but on none grandma nights he is up until 10am then he sleeps till 8-9 the next day.

By Melanie on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 01:57 pm:

Eve, I will be the odd one here! LOL. I would not recommend putting her to bed later. Once you start that, it's really hard to go back. I've watched kids walking into preschool and kindergarten still half sleeping because their bedtimes are late. Our bedtime routine starts at 7:00 for all three kids. Dh and I can enjoy our evenings together. And all three wake up happy and ready to start their day. And I have never once had to wake them to get them ready for school.

I agree with Autumn about no late naps. But beyond that I think you and dh are doing the right thing. You are encouraging her to go back to sleep when she gets up early. Eventually she will be doing that on her own.

Hang in there!

By Colette on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 02:24 pm:

I wouldn't put her to bed later either she might get overtired and then you'll have even more problems and I think Autumn made a great point about late naps. Give it a little while and I am sure she will get used to sleeping a little later, like til at least 6a. Good luck!

By Debbie on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 02:28 pm:

Melanie, I am with you. I have a 4-1/2 yr old and a 2 yr old. We do bath time at 7:15 and then they are in bed getting story time at 7:30. Both of them are asleep by 8pm. Both of my kids sleep until 7am. My 2 yr old takes a 1 to 1-1/2 hour nap each afternoon. If Syd is used to going to bed later, then gradually changing her bedtime might work better.

Eve, is she teething?? My 2 yr old is getting his back molars and on the days they are really bugging him he gets up early.

By Sunny on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 02:32 pm:

I would tell my kids they weren't allowed to get up until the sun "woke" up. Now, of course, I can't pry them out of bed in the morning!

Try different things: later bedtime, shorter naps during the day, etc. It will work out!

By Karen55 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 02:34 pm:

I agree, you are better off making her bedtime earlier, and no naps late in the afternoon. As she gets older, your schedule *will* change, in fact, it will be constantly changing from here on out. :-)
Establish your current routine, she will adjust to it.

By Mechelle on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 02:39 pm:

I can't add anything to this one.............I do agree with Autumn.
How I do with my kids, when they get the summer vacation and stay up later, I gradually break them back into thier usual bed time a month before school starts back.. If she is used to going to bed at 11:00, put her to bed at 10:30. It might take a couple of weeks, when she gets used to that knock it down to 10:00 and so on.

By Tunnia on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 02:58 pm:

Since she is used to staying up much later it's going to take her a little while to adjust to a new sleep pattern. I wouldn't let her stay up later, but be consistent with the new routine and she will adjust, just give her time.

By Truestori on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 03:18 pm:

Eve,

I am the terrible mommy on the boards...LOL

I have never been strict about bedtime. All of us usually settle down around 8 and read or watch t.v. together and then off to bed we go! I have always allowed my kids to sleep with me...becuase it has always felt like I could get a better night sleep. I do remember Lotte's transformation to a Big girl bed and she would wake at the crack of dawn. I would just bring her back to bed with me, she eventually feel asleep again. It is all an adjustment so try a few different scenarios! Keep her up until 9, maybe take her somewhere to tire her out and try the 8'oclock thing again etc...Goodluck its all the typical toddler stuff...

By Palmbchprincess on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 05:48 pm:

Kids that are going to bed too late or not getting enough naps wake up too early, oddly enough. I just read an article about a problem like yours and the advice was to make sure she goes to bed early enough, and takes naps. I don't understand it but that is what the docs in the article said.

By Jewlz on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 11:04 pm:

i believed in routines no matter what my kids would go to bed at 730 pm no matter where we were or what we did ... they take a blanket with them and just lay there head on my lap if for some reason we werent home ... maybe shes ready to give up one of her naps if she takes more than one ... its just about adjustments and takes time ... tell her its to early and give her a book to read show her how to pick one out for herself and climb back in bed if she gets up
early ... things that are acceptable to do that early in the morning ... in time this will settle down ... ur schedule will change also ...
one final note when i got married at 16 if hubby wanted any ... he had to get it by 9 pm or he didnt get any my mom was so strict on bed times i didnt dare stay up lol and was hard to break that habit lol

By Laurazee on Friday, January 31, 2003 - 12:34 am:

We try to stick to the 7:30 p.m. bath-book-bed routine, too. DS still wakes up at the same time, no matter what time he actually goes to sleep (and sometimes he's up playing for a long time after we put him to bed...but at least he's in bed!)

By Dana on Friday, January 31, 2003 - 12:20 pm:

Well, I'm not the the most common answers here. For me, we were not on a busy morning routine. My husband doesn't go to work until 10:30am, and I'm slow to move in the morning. I enjoy my morning time alone with them both asleep.

When DD's schedules changed, in any direction, I just tried to go w/ the flow. If she woke at 5AM each day, then later to bed would be fine with me. Not real late, just later than 8PM. When she was an infant bedtime at 1AM was the time. When she was a baby she went around 11PM. As she got older it moved to 9:30pm. Again, we didn't have active busy morning schedules. We (dd and myself) are SAH and make our own times.

NOW, however, we DO have things to do at 8AM, so bedtime is no later than 8:30pm. We start routine at 7:30 (dinner doesn't start til 6:30, so that is as early as I can go).

I say do whatever fits your schedule. If you and DH are late night folks, then a couple hours later for DD is fine. Be flexible and only do what fits your needs. If you NEED to wake early each morning, absolutely no late bedtime, but if that is not an issue, then don't worry about it.

As for those who don't have a bedtime (meaning these kids who are sleepwalking thru school) that is a whole different issue. If you need to be awake in the AM, then you need to go to bed early.

By Annie2 on Friday, January 31, 2003 - 11:51 pm:

Eve, how many hours was she sleeping before? Does she have to be up at a certain time for school?
Make one change at a time. Getting her sleeping in her own bed is a huge adjustment. When she is used to sleeping in her own room, then gradually decrease lights out.
Please take this bit of mother's wisdom. Try your best to get your child on an "early to bed; early to rise schedule".
My son is a night owl. He thrives on staying up until 11 pm and then sleeping until 11am. He has been that way since the day he was born!
However he is in K now and has to get up at 6:30. So I must put him to bed by 7:30, at the latest...or he is a wreck in the am.
Make small changes and your daughter will adjust.