How can I keep my 4 year old son in bed all night?

[sawyerphin]

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[legalbeagle]

There is an alarm clock (I think jojomamanbebe sell it, but if not you will find it on the internet) in the shape of a rabbit's head. When you press the button down the rabbits ears go down and it shuts its eyes. You set the alarm for, say, 7am, at which time the rabbits eyes pop open. You could get him the clock and tell him that he has to stay in his bedroom until the bunny opens his eyes, and if he does, he can have a [insert fav treat eg chocolate buttons - something small and cheap but tempting). If he doesn't you will take away his [insert fav toy] for the day. I know some will disagree with bribery, but desperate times........

[sawyerphin]

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[legalbeagle]

Here you go:

http://www.bunnyclock.com/

Good luck!

[hpsaucey]

Have to put a damper on this but I've had a couple of friends who used these. They said it worked for a while - week or so - but then for some reason didn't. I guess just the clock on its own isn't the answer. Having said that tempted to get one myself anyway as they look so nice!

Good luck

[minder]

Hi Sawyerphin,

What's happening during the daytime with your son? Guess he wouldn't be at nursery etc. now as they all closed. Keeping him awake during the day is the aim with most 4 year olds then winding down from, say, 7.00? Have you tried the book, bath, then to bed approach?

He probably needs to be in bed by 7.30 - 8.00pm. Sorry can't remember as it was so long ago my 16 year old was like this. He was terrible for sleep and as you can see I'm still a nightowl all these years later due to lack of sleep! My two younger daughters slept like logs so it must be a boy thing.

You say he has just started coming in at every hour. Could be he is worried about dark etc. (have you a nightlight thing like a plugin). Does he ask for anything like milk, water, toilet. Make sure he been to the toilet before bed and restrict lots of drinking as this would wake him. I suppose you are probably doing this anyway so sorry if it sounds obvious.

Like you, I couldn't have a four year tossing and turning with me all night (some are fine with this) so you need to be really firm with him and maybe reinforce this message during the daytime.

Maybe try a sticker method or reward chart during the daytime to remind him.

Good luck.

[helena handbasket]

We tried a similar clock but it was Thomas the train. It was okay for a few days but he then he'd wake up and yell at the clock "Wake up! Wake up!. Not exactly what we had in mind, and the clocks are pricey!

Sooooo, we put a baby goat on his door. It was also a safety issue with so many stairs in the house if he was wandering around in the dark in the middle of the night. He seriously tested the gate issue (as he does with everything, just his nature) but he quickly learned he wasn't going anywhere so he might as well not bother.

I think the trick is that you go to them. If he gets up, you march him right back to bed, no discussion and no cuddles. If he's anything like my son it could take a hundred times, but eventually they just realize it's not worth the trouble.

Be prepared for the heartbreak factor though! I once went to check on him and found him fast asleep next to the gate, little hand poking through the bars. I felt horrible! But then he always managed to somehow find his way back to his bed after that so maybe he decided that was not much fun!

It's hard when days turn into weeks, weeks into months, then you realize it's the "norm" and you're exhausted. We have had some success with sleep issues, but it has never been easy or simple. We have done the same bath/story/backrub low lights etc etc since he was four months old but some kids just make you work a lot harder than others! We've had to work hard for every single good night's sleep we've ever had! And just when you think you've nailed it, they change the rules again.

I'm convinced that mine will go from "can't get him to bed" to "can't get him out of bed" one day.

Good luck!

[Jessie]

Sorry Helena I pictured a tiny little goat guarding the door for a second. Made me chuckle.

Endless problem I have, this in-the-bed business. My little one is 4 and I am single and also way too soft on him, so he gets away with it. Not too bothered though - don't think it's the end of the world he's in my bed some nights. We talk about him not doing it and he agrees big brave boys should stay in their own bed. Looks like we've reached a compromise to have a torch next to his bed and our bedroom doors open so if monsters do come he can easily find me. Hmmm. We'll see.

[Fuschia]

A goat, that's the trick!!

I must say, bribery works best with son no 1 (6) on all issues.

Buy a toy, put a puicture of it at the top of the chart, toy on wardrobe, target of stickers to get the toy... (small toy = 10 stickers for a littlie?)

You can get stickers that say I ate my veg

Good at bedtime

stayed in my bed all night

etc etc

[toast]

Sorry if already mentioned but......

Bunny clock!!!

If you introduce it right and make it his little friend it can be magic. Saved our bacon when son no 2 arrived.

Keeps them in bed in the mornings too.

I got mine on t-internet but i saw one in jo jo mama

[toast]

Sorry, just read whole post.

My clock still works a year on. We didn't use bribery just as a tool so that he knew when it was time to get up (how else would they know!) It did have to be totally out of his reach though outherwise he would have woken it up himself.

[Curly]

As soon as he starts school you might find this stops. Some recently published research shows that children who are more active during the day sleep longer at night. I'm sure we didn't need the research to tell us parents that but you may want to think about increasing his activity.

My son woke hourly until he was five. Only going to school broke that pattern.

[Indigo]

The secret is a full tummy and daily excercise. Boys often grow in "spurts" and they suddenly need more food during the day. Try adding extra food on his plate and see if he eats it. Think about extra fruit as snacks as well. Make sure that he goes out every single day (even in the rain) because the outing and the exercise will stimulate him and tire him out. My mum told me all this and it really worked for me. On rainy days, I would hunt out museums and indoor play centres and pottered around the garden to make sure we were out in the fresh air.

[womanofdulwich]

here here Indigo- treat boys like Labradors was some early advice I received- and it is still true 90% of the time!

[Mellors]

Stair gate so they can't escape?

[duncandtessa]

We have a stair gate and a bunny clock!! Seems to work fine and she now wants to have the gate shut at night - think it makes her feel a little safer. We also have stairs right outside her door that you really wouldn't want to tumble down. There are 2 types of clock though as I did my research before spending out. The one we have is also like a night light and has a picture of a bunny in bed, which is lit up and then when we set the alarm (7am) the light flips to behind the bunny who is awake and running through the park and she knows its time to get up.

It is now built into the bed time routine of turning the clock on to make sure bunny is ready for bed (which of course he always is as that's the way it works if you turn it off during the day).

This has worked for us now for around 8 months and we just get woken in the morning with cries of 'the bunny's AWAKE!'