Over the course of the last few months, it seems my son has been waking up more and more often, coming into my room with the words "I can't sleep", there is no patterned time, or event that happens before bedtime. I walk him back to his room, and tuck him in and he goes back to sleep right away. Two nights ago, he didnt come in, but I woke up the next morning to find him outside my room, sleeping on our family room couch. He swears he doesnt remember going out there. This morning I woke up to find that the bathroom light was on (right outside his bedroom door), his door opened and his night light on.
I have spoken to him several times and he says he doesn't know why hes waking up. He is watching some tv before bedtime (disney channel or nickelodian), going to bed usually by 10 latest (summer time gets to stay up a little later). Eating habits, behavoior during the day etc, haven't changed. We split the time with his dad, who I have a good co-parenting relationship with, his dad said he hasn't noticed anything unusual. He said he had woke up a few times in the morning to find him on his couch as well. His dad did say he turns on a occilating fan in his room at night, he thinks the noise of that helps him sleep. We have a ceiling fan in his room at our house.
Is this a growing thing? An insecurity thing? Something else? Has anyone experienced this and what questions should I be asking to get a different result?
Doesn't sound like any
Doesn't sound like any routine changed or major changes BUT, you may want to re-examine what has been happening lately and if anything has upset him.
If not, then I would not be too concerned----but this is coming from a mother that 4 of my 4 dc wake up in the middle of the night and watch tv, read, play, get something to eat, etc. I am the same way as is my mother, and a few of my relatives on my mother's mother's side of the family. We call ourselves the vampires! :) BTW, your ds is old enough to have the night rules laid out ---no going outside, no using the phone, no eating ( I did not let my dc eat at night until they were 12 but still no turning on appliances)
Does he have any problems
Does he have any problems going to sleep when he first goes down? Does he fight it or prolong bedtime?
Also, is he going to the bathroom when he wakes up? I just wondered if there's any chance he wakes up because he has to use the bathroom and then is reluctant to go back to bed in the dark (the bathroom light made me wonder).
GopherGirl is a discussion follower. She lives in the West Valley with her husband and two boys, ages 4 and 2.
You might try one of those
You might try one of those "white noise" machines that play a variety of different sounds (the ocean, etc.). You can set a timer on it. Have him turn it on when he goes to bed, and, if he gets up in the middle of the night, have him turn it on again.
It could just be that he doesn't quite know what to do when he wakes up and it's still dark outside.
My 4 year old son all the
My 4 year old son all the sudden started doing something like this. He would wake up crying and we would go into his room to check on him. Sometimes he would also come in our room, or downstairs if we weren't there. He wouldn't be able to articulate what was wrong (still half-asleep, we think) and would go right back to bed. In the morning, he wouldn't remember doing it. This went on for about a month. We ruled out that it was probably the change in our house - we had a new baby. However, we couldn't exactly figure out how to explain to him that this change was the reason why he kept waking up. SO we gave him some coping strategies before he went to bed. We told him that he was safe, first of all. We gave him one of his sister's stuffed animals and told him, when he woke up he could snuggle with that. He hasn't woken up crying since and everything seems to be fine. He asks every morning, however, if he did wake up crying. He says, "Wow, I guess my sister's animals really do help!"
Kinder-Mommy is a kindergarten teacher and a mother of 2!
Is he too hot or too cold?
Is he too hot or too cold? My 8-year old was doing that and eventually turned out she would be hot or cold and get up.
There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one!
Is he going to bed tired?
Is he going to bed tired? Some physical exercise during the day helps almost everyone sleep better. Maybe reading instead of TV would help tire out his brain instead of just his eyes. How about some pillow talk before you kiss him good night?
Walking him back to his own room is perfect. In the morning, you two could have a conversation on what he can do if he can't sleep. Let him come up with some ideas and you can suggest some. Keep a book handy for him to read, have him imagine a story in his mind, relive a favorite day or vacation. Give him some tools so he can learn to handle the middle of the night problems on his own.
soccermom of a 12 yr old boy and 15 yr old young lady