breaking the early morning wake up habit?

I need some tips and advice about breaking the early morning wakeup habit. My kids are waking up about 4:30 every morning and it is doing my head in. We have tried keeping them up later, feeding them more, feeding them later etc. The biggest problem is that because they are so tired in the evenings, they are falling asleep any time between 6 and 7pm and the cycle starts again.

I am a big believer in sleep promoting sleep and and very aware that they are not getting enough- on average about 9 hours a night for my 4 yo and 2 1/2 yo, which I really believe is not enough, especially as both of them generally don't sleep in the day.
I am finding that their behaviour is just disgraceful and getting worse as their sleep debt get bigger, we are all frazzled and snappy.

DH and I have decided that we are going to have to have a big crack down on this, as we are both exhausted, we have another baby due in Oct, and it is all getting just a bit overwhelming. We are going to try having some really late nights (well late for them eg. 8:30) and then being tough on them in the mornings about staying in bed to 6am.

So any tips of things you have tried that have worked? Or things that you have tried that have not? I really need to believe that you can actualley change sleeping habits.

:doh: lost my post!!

wtih DD1 at aged 3 we gave her an alarm clock, covered the last two numbers and told her she couldnt get up until she saw the number 7, she wasnt waking as early as your kids, but it worked after a few weeks, now she wont get out of bed even if we say she can, until 7am

We went through the same thing, we have given dd1 a torch and she keeps a book within reach of her bed. She also has a nightlight/soother that plays music that she uses and water. Since we introduced the torch she has stopped getting out of bed and will read until she goes back to sleep, now she gets up at 7.30. It's tricky with the bed time, our girls are in bed by 7.30pm, their dinner is 5.30 - 6.00pm, it was a bit later so dh could be there but dd1 would have meltdowns. I found later bed times just made her worse for some reason.

I went alarm clock too!
I found a clock online for kids with two sheep on it, one up walking in the daylinght and one asleep in bed at night. One half is illuminated at a time so you switch it on and the sheep asleep is illuminated. When the clock (on the back) reaches the time you set (7.30 in my house) the other half illuminates so the day sheep can be seen.

It took about 3 days for DD to work it out at age 2.2, I would say she can't get up until the sheep wakes up. Now she might wake early, but waits until the "sheep is awake". Brilliant!

where did you get that alarm clock? great idea.

I have a 3.5 year old and a 20 month old they sleep in the same room. I was told by Tweedle sleep school to leave them in there room until a certain time you are happy with. My kids i knew needed sleep, So i set my time for 730.. So even now the kids wake they know that they stay in bed.. either talk to each other etc.. Until I come open the door at 7:30. They also both go to bed at 730 and nap during the day for 2-3 hours.

They are much happier kids having been well rested and not overtired.

Good luck.

Google globetrotter clock and you should find it. I think the brand is 'kids sleep'. I bought mine on ebay but the online shop prices are about the same.
DD loves it and packs it when she goes on 'holidays' to Nana's house!

And Black rose, we have a torch also. I introduced it to DD when she went through the 'I can't sleep cos I'm scared' phase. The torch made all the differnce - another thing packed when off to Nana's!

Oooh, I LOVE the clock idea :D

I gave my DS2 (who is 2 1/2) a Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium cot toy that lights up and has music and bubbles. I told him it is a special toy just for bedtime and he is allowed to press the button if he wakes up too early. I told him he is not allowed to get up or call out until he hears that mummy or daddy is up, but he can play with the toy while he waits. This has worked fantastically, he presses the button to play the music and watches the bubbles and lights, then falls back asleep.

Good luck :D

Some kids just always wake up early. My sisters three DSs STILL wake up before 5am - and the oldest is 12.
My sister has survived this by using the alarm clock method, too. Once they were old enough to tell the time they were given a clock and told they could not leave their bedrooms until 7am. They were allowed to get up, turn the light on and play quietly but they were not allowed to wake up their brothers or -- most importantly -- their parents.
The no disturbances before 7am was part of a bigger rewards system, with points awarded for good behaviour. The points could be redeemed for things like new toys (small ones) or trips to the movies.

The funny thing is I am now suffering the opposite. DD sleeps in, sometimes til 10.30. But she won't go to sleep at night. Sometimes she won't sleep until after 10pm!

I am googling the clock now! So glad I found this thread, just hope that it will work with DS (just turn 2). It is so exhausting getting up, sometimes 4:30 and trying to get him back to sleep

Thankyou