Need suggestions to convince 17 month old to sleep later in mornings?

Question

Hi,

My son is 17 months old. He's never been a 'good' sleeper, but he generally sleeps all night without fussing now. My problem is that he wakes up an hour earlier than I really want to. I know, that's my problem, and I should get up, right? No - then he wakes an hour earlier than that! And then earlier ... earlier... seriously, I've tried that angle and he (and me too) winds up so sleep deprived it's pitiful. Right now I'm letting him cry until the time I deem to be 'morning'. But that's a really crummy way to start off every morning.

I've got the window blocked so nearly no light comes in, and a fan going constanly to try to drown out the sounds of the neighbourhood waking. I"ve tried varying bedtimes forward and backward. I've tried 'pushing' naptimes and I've tried cutting back on naps.

In short, I'm going nuts and hate my mornings. If I wake up before he does, I can't go back to sleep because I dread his wake-up time, then feel guilty for that!

I need suggestions! Thanks!

Thanks everyone so far! A few other details - I'm a single mom so no hubby to help in any way. I work full time, and just cannot afford a sitter for even one more hour a week. I've tried removing naps, and wind up with one unhappy little boy who still wakes way too early. I've also tried just getting up when he does - and he just gets up earlier and earlier. It got to the point where he was waking at ONE and every hour thereafter ... so that's a no-go. Taking him to my bed has the same effect. I'll give the snack at bedtime a try, and maybe try the idea of a radio that goes off just before I go in. I'll leave the question up for now, see what other responses I get, but I think a lot of you are right ... time is the only solution here.

Answer 1

Kids are so hard sometimes! I have a 17 month old boy too and just as I start to feel like I've got him all figured out, he changes and I have to start all over again. Here are some things that work for me:

1) Give him some protein for dinner (meat, cheese, eggs, etc.) They help him feel full longer.

2) Help him stay cuddly without getting too hot. Blanket sleepers in the winter and long sleeve jerzey sleepers in the summer (with A/C).

3) Don't expect him to sleep longer than 8 hours (maybe less, my first baby would only sleep 6) then put him to bed that many hours before you want him to wake up.

4) Don't get him out of bed until you're ready. Kids pick up on patterns really quick. If they usually get what they want when they cry, they will learn to cry for a really, really, really long time. Fortunately, they learn NEW patterns fairly quickly too. So if you make him wait, he should eventually calm down. (Be patient, it may take 1-2 weeks for him to get used to the new routine).

5) Put a sippy cup with water and some safe toys within his reach. That way he may wake up and play rather than cry. However, he will need light for this. Try a night light or maybe just some blinds that don't totally darken the room.

6) If you think he's having nightmares that wake him up early he may be too hot. Try giving him a big drink before bed and removing some clothing. He may also be waking up because he gets cold in the later morning hours.

Kids are so cute and great sometimes and such pill bugs other times. I feel for you. Good luck!!!

Answer 2

I totally understand.
The same thing happened with my two boys. They are grown up now. They used to get out of bed and come in my room at 5am wanting to start the day. What I did was....
I got a digital clock and I made a sign with a big 7 on it.
I told the boys to not get up before 7 , There were a couple of mornings when I had to point out that the number was a 5 and not yet a 7. It worked and I finally had good mornings. My sons learned to sleep until 7am.

Another Idea is to get him a clock radio. And set if for music at the time you want him to wake up. He will think it is wonderful.

Not sure if your son is old enough to understand it or not. It is worth a try.

Answer 3

Put him to bed an hour later or cut his nap time in half. A morning nap would be better than an afternoon nap.

Also, he may be not getting his energy out during the daytime... Make sure he plays hard during the day and does a variety of things, like working with puzzles, stacking blocks, throwing ball, dancing, etc. I'm not sure if he watches alot of tv, but if he does, cut the time down to 30 minutes a day or so.

Hope this helps
God Bless!




Do you let him "cat nap" during the day?

Answer 4

1) Cut his nap out altogether.
2) Feed him something very filling right before bed, like oatmeal. Maybe he is waking up because he is hungry... or he might go back to sleep easier if he isn't hungry.
3) When he wakes up in the mornings try putting him in bed with you, I know its a bad thing to start but if you want sleep badly enough... LOL!
4) Put a night light in his room with a light sensor on it. Tell him we can't get up until the light goes off! When he does that successfully reward him with a trip to the park or something. Mention frequently and tell everyone about it. Kids like to be bragged on and mentioning it all the time will help him remember what he is supposed to do.

Answer 5

There really is nothing that you can do. However you can try to get to bed early. My son was the same. He now goes to bed at 11:30 and is up at 6:45. He only takes one nap around 2 for about two hours. It is really hard but thats motherhood. Good Luck and get some sleep.

Answer 6

First off I am very sorry to hear about that and my heart really breaks for that family, that is something I hope no parent every has to go through. And to answer your question, what may seem healthy on the outside might not always be healthy on the inside, there could have been any underlying condition that the doctors never noticed, if the baby seemed healthy then there wasn't a reason to test her for anything. I could be a list of possibilities that killed her, and SIDS probably isn't one of them, most children are out of the SIDS range by 6 months, so that's probably not what happened... she probably just had something that no one caught until it was too late... that's a really scary thing, their all in my prayers!

Answer 7

Would you be able to bring him in bed with you when he wakes up? Maybe he could lay there with you and watch a show or play with some toys while you get an extra hour of sleep. Of course you'd have to shut your bedroom door and make sure everything's put up that he could get into, in case he'd try to crawl out of bed. And don't feel guilty about wanting to sleep in a little. It's tough work being a mom, and you need rest!

Answer 8

My bub is in bed at 8:30 and awake at between 7 and 8. Even when he wakes up at that reasonable time I still just want a little bit longer... Dont we all!!
However, my bub is 17 months also and I know there is no way to change his habbits... you put him to bed later at night he wakes up at the same time or earlier.
They sleep for as long as they want or need to sleep, dont leave him upset in the morning when all he wants is you. Get him up, pop him in bed with you for a snuggle, if he still has a bottle give it to him in your bed.
When im real tired and he is awake i just bring him in my room he will either rest with me or run around the room.
Hope this gives you some help

Answer 9

It sounds like he may just be going through a phase and you just have to ride it out by getting him up. I would suggest getting him on a stricter routine, where you get up ahead of him and wake him up to start the day (you will have to go to sleep earlier). Then, you can have more control over his day with scheduled events (playtime, breakfast, nap, etc.) and you will be able to put him to bed on a more timely basis. Remember, he is only 17 months and this to shall pass!

Answer 10

Ok you are trying to make your 17 month old to be older much older. He is 17 months. Th is is part of being a parent. Kids get up early.

The time you deem to be morning doesn't matter. He is a baby and needs his mom to be a mom.

Send him to bed a little later if need be or get a sitter. Go to a church and sign him up for the mothers mornign out programs and go home and go to bed for another 3 hours. Get a babysitter. Have your mom come over or your husbands mom come over. Take a nap with him.

But trying to force a infant to sleep more is nuts!