My kids won't sleep...HELP!!!!!?

Question

I am the mother of four children - ages 10, 8, 4 and 10 months. The 8 & 4 year old WON'T SLEEP. I used to put them to bed at 9:00-9:30 and they would sleep until 8:00-8:30. About a month ago they both started getting up around 5:00am and not going back to sleep. I have tried everything - I have tried making them take naps during the day; I have tried putting them to bed extra early so when they get up at 5:00am they have had enough sleep (but they don't fall asleep at night until 9:30-10:00 anyway); I have tried letting them stay up extra late so they will be tired enough to stay asleep in the morning (but they rise at 5:00am anyway); I have even tried boring them to sleep by making them stay in thier beds for the better part of the day with no TV or toys (but they lay there awake). I really am out of ideas for a solution to making sure these kids get enough sleep - 7 to 8 hours is not enough. My 8yr old was walking around yesterday with red, puffy, bloodshot eyes- HELP US!!!!!

Answer 1

Have them sleep in seperate rooms with tv off?

Answer 2

If they are sleeping as soon as they go to bed and waking at 5.00 am they are getting at least 7 1/2 hours sleep a night. What time is sunrise where you are? If they awake when it becomes light try thicker curtains in their room. What triggered this pattern off?If it only started a month ago try to think of something that happened then that may have caused it.

I, personally, would seek the help of a doctor and possibly a child psychologist to see if there is something worrying them.

DO NOT make the mistake of giving them any drugs or medicines without madical advice but you could avoid giving them certain foods and sweets that cause hyperactivity. Avoid chocolate and sweets with red or orange colouring at least 4 hours before bedtime. There are lists of such foods on Google. Here is an example:-

Some artificial food dyes and preservatives may trigger hyperactive behavior in children.
Chemical preservatives called ‘benzoates’ and four specific artificial colors (tartrazine, sunset yellow, ponceau and carmoisine) may trigger hyperactive behavior. If you want to avoid these products, you’ll have to do some ‘detective work’ when you're reading food labels. Since there are no government regulations that require the specific names of each food color or preservative to be listed on food labels, the labels may only say “artificial color” or “preservatives”. Some common foods known to contain benzoates and colors include: canned soups, convenience-food mixes such as puddings and cake mixes, jams and jellies, flavored coffee, syrups and yogurts, soft drinks and sauces such as barbeque sauce, candies and chewing gum.

Artificial food dyes and preservatives may trigger hyperactive behaviour in all children. When food additives are cut from a child's diet, it's often the less nutritious sugary foods that are removed. This results in healthier, more nutritionally balanced eating in general, which can lead to better behaviour. The improvement in the child's behaviour is a response to a more nutritious diet.

Answer 3

The fact that they both get up at the same time.... and appear to be sleepy during the day, kind of points to something external going on. Paper boy, trash collector, noisy neighbor, somebody outside waking them up.

If it was just one child, it could be a phase or something, but 2 kids it must be external.

Change sleeping arrangements around, see if sleeping in a different room helps. To break the "cycle" feed the kids some cookies and water before going to bed (carbohydrates and no proteins) if there is nothing to wake them up, their bodies will keep them asleep and extra while longer.

Answer 4

Hitting and disciplining are 2 countless issues. And if executed sparingly and as considered one of those discipline, infants do no longer affiliate spanking as hitting. i became into spanked as quickly as in a brilliant mutually as, as a little one, in no way did I affiliate my fathers discipline with hitting others or being a bully. And at 5'10 and able to bench 250lbs in intense college, i'd desire to have wiped the floor with fantastically lots everybody I felt like. you may desire to have some very undesirable examples which you're drawing out of your person infants, yet for those that're in charge and desire the ideal for his or her infants can use this very efficient form of discipline devoid of crossing the line and inflicting anger matters with their infants. *** Hitting interior the face isn't discipline and that i certainly think of which you will have been abused and for this reason can't affiliate the version***

Answer 5

try food!!

give them a nice warmed ham sandwich and tea(or other hot drink, i liked warm milk with sugar in it!), the warm food right before bed will help make them tired!

then just put them in there rooms at 9.30 and tell them to go to bed, if they get out go into there room and put them in bed by hand if necessary, keep doing it till they fall asleep, then tall them that they are not allowed out of there room until 8.00!!

thee must be a reason why they are walking around when they are so tired, there must be a reason for them to keep awake, a toy or something on TV or something, try figure it out and then take away the distraction!!

good luck!

Answer 6

Have you tried having the kids play outside? I would let them go outside and run around, or go to a playground and get some fresh air into them, even if its cold, bundle them up and play outside together for a couple hours.

I bet the fresh air will tire them right out and you will all be sleeping comfortably

Answer 7

my little bro had the same problem. My mom got a play-set and let him play all day.don't give them naps because it makes them less tired and the won't go to bed on time. Allergies could also be a factor . I'm allergic to dust/mold and my doctor gave me nose spray and now i sleep better. Other than that you know your children the best so its up to your intuition.

Answer 8

You said this just started a month ago, maybe your children arer having allergy problems, medical problems. My best friend has severe allergy problems, they found out when she was around your 8 year old's age. She couldn't sleep at night cuz in her room, there wuz so many things that bothered her. All this allergy problems. I used to have the same problem as your children though. Maybe they have a lot on their mind and they need to let it all out. I know your children are very young but you should try talking to them, or maybe let them see a counselor. If they do have a lot on their mind, they need to let it all out. Or, maybe, they are scared to death by something. But something is going on in their head, and they need to let it out emotionally in a way.

Hope this helps!

Answer 9

at five in the morning put them back to bed. and make them stay there with little talking just put them back for a week or so and they will probably catch on.

Answer 10

Are they dypraxic? I am and i have bad sleeping trouble. Try sleeping pills that dont conains drugs, or even more freindly Warm Chocolate Milk.