Our hero seems to have decided that sleeping during the nighttime hours is not to his liking. As one would expect, these forays into the wee hours of morning are taking their toll on everyone, including our young hero himself. His mother and I are at wits’ end trying to figure out how to get him to bed at a reasonable hour.
We’ve tried the short nap tactic. This results in a very cranky kiddo who is still more than willing to stay awake until 01:00. Not letting him take a nap works in some instances, but in others he simply wakes up after a few hours ready to go until 02:00 or 03:00. Keeping his mind busy seems to be the best way to get him tired, but there are times when he simply doesn’t want anything to do with either one of us, so this too can be a problem.
As for today, I’m going with the short nap coupled with at least one hour of solid playtime just before dinner. Perhaps that will help him to nod off a bit easier. It’s difficult for him right now, since he’s used to playing outside, but with the weather in the 30′s (currently it’s 32 degrees, or 0-C), that’s not really an option.
Do you have any insights you can share with us? Is there some way you’ve managed to get your little one to sleep more easily? I’d love to know.
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Tired parents are no good!!! I swear by a set routine. Every night the same. Dinner, brush teeth, shower or bath, story time or minutes in bed, light out. This is what we have found over the 6 years!
Judy,
I wish it was as esy as that here. I work from home, so super-rigid schedules are hard for me to maintain. I’ll work on it, though. Maybe it will help in the end.
Do you bathe him before bed? Sometimes that relaxes them enough to help. Does he tolerate scents? Lavender in the bath water is very soothing. Hopefully this is something temporary? *hugs* to you, I know it’s not easy when they aren’t sleeping well and when they need to be.