Wakefulness (toddler, aged 3)

This is becoming increasingly an issue.

We have a 3-y-o who was the most placid, sleepy baby in the world until she was about 2 years. Suddenly she has begun waking in the middle of the night and wants to watch alphablocks on YouTube (I admit, it is mildly addictive, I have been sucked in myself).

It's 4am now, this is becoming ridiculous. She is sleeping in a bed now, and if I try to put her down, she just gets out and we will find her still awake at 7am.

My mum says to just ignore it, but we don't want her getting into bad sleep patterns that are out of sync with our own.

Anyone else experienced this? She's regularly exhausted after lunch, and naps when we need to be off doing activities.

On the one hand, I found her habits hilarious during lockdown, but they're becoming a bit impractical.

Anyway, back to Alphacblocks for me.

shesty

Honestly? No Alphablocks, YouTube or screens. Back to your bed (or wherever she sleeps). Repeat ad nauseum. If she is still awake at 7am that's fine, but the message will get through after a week or so of being returned to her bed. It's just completely rubbish for the parents while it lasts.
Is she in ECCE, or starting it in Sept? That often sorts them out!

looksee

'No Alphablocks, Youtube is switched off now'. What Shesty said.

Its a phase, it will pass. Eventually. Meantime, no middle of the night entertainment. A quiet, non-exciting story at most.

cherryghost

We got a training clock, something similar to this. Its programmed to go to 'sleep' at half 8 at night, and 'wake up' at 8 in the morning. My toddler has learned she gets rewards for staying bed quietly (stickers in a reward chart, fill the chart she gets something nice). She just sleeps through the night now. Sometimes she wakes up early, she just reads a book and goes back to sleep.

shesty

shesty wrote: »

Honestly? No Alphablocks, YouTube or screens. Back to your bed (or wherever she sleeps). Repeat ad nauseum. If she is still awake at 7am that's fine, but the message will get through after a week or so of being returned to her bed. It's just completely rubbish for the parents while it lasts.
Is she in ECCE, or starting it in Sept? That often sorts them out!

Yeah, definitely. I have shown her my phone a couple of times when she did it, but that only came later. This has been going on for a while, but got really bad a couple of months ago.

Her Mum and I aren't too happy about her being awake on her own in the house at night for obvious reasons, and we even sometimes put her into our bed, which previously was against the rules. Thought she might sleep better, nope.

She's obviously not tired enough, which is odd because on these long summer evenings we're always outside, she's got a dog who she is always chasing after, and she does seem tired at bedtime. She just gets this burst of energy at 4am or so, I can't explain it. I hope it's a phase.

Cherryghost that sounds like an excellent suggestion. I'm going to look that up. Thanks.

fits

Hopefully it’s a phase. My just turned four year old was waking up around four for over a month in January and February. It’s an absolute killer. All of a sudden he started sleeping again. I wondered if it was growing pains.

shesty

We go into a lighter phase of sleep around the 4am mark naturally.:) most of mine went through this phase at a younger age, although they are waking earlier at the moment with the bright mornings. If she is in a light phase of sleep, combined with the dawn chorus and the light, she'll be awake buzzing at that time - has often happened to me as an adult.


She will sleep through it eventually, just keep bringing her back to her bed and saying it's time for sleep. I mean don't get me wrong it's horrendous for the parent but hopefully she will get the message quickly.

starlady1

Is it possible it is the sun rise that's waking her? You could try blackout curtains.

Cyrus

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Yeah, definitely. I have shown her my phone a couple of times when she did it, but that only came later. This has been going on for a while, but got really bad a couple of months ago.

Her Mum and I aren't too happy about her being awake on her own in the house at night for obvious reasons, and we even sometimes put her into our bed, which previously was against the rules. Thought she might sleep better, nope.

She's obviously not tired enough, which is odd because on these long summer evenings we're always outside, she's got a dog who she is always chasing after, and she does seem tired at bedtime. She just gets this burst of energy at 4am or so, I can't explain it. I hope it's a phase.

Cherryghost that sounds like an excellent suggestion. I'm going to look that up. Thanks.

She is tired alright kids that age need 12 hours sleep minimum in a day, does she still take a nap? You just need to stick to the plan and make it as unexciting as possible for her to be awake.

We found white noise was very good with our two as well.