Sleep perchance to dream
Tessa. She is sweet and sassy and laid back and difficult and in her own little world. She makes me laugh every single day. She cracks herself up too. Steve says she is a mini-Michelle. In most ways, I can’t deny that.
She loves her sleep but since I finally converted her crib to a toddler bed last month, she is drunk with freedom. She wakes up early and instead of rolling over and going back to sleep until a sane hour, she wants to get up and see what’s shaking (nothing – we are all sleeping!). She even wakes up before Sabrina many morning – and Sabrina just doesn’t sleep. We’ve been trying different ways (short of one of those kid proof knob covers or a baby gate – not really wanting to lock her in) to keep her in her room in the wee hours so that she gets more sleep. Because, much like momma, Tessa without enough sleep is not pleasant.
She also fights sleep at nap time when she goes to school. I think there is just too much to look at to waste time sleeping. I can always tell when she doesn’t nap at school. On those days, about 15 minutes after I pick her up, she turns into a demon who can not be pleased. She’ll stand in front of me and demand to be up on my lap. The second she touches my lap she’ll scream “NO!” and jump down. Lather, rinse, repeat. With everything . Until bed time. Yes, it is a joy.
One day last week, I decided to let her play with her sister’s Mobigo. She was entranced and almost happy despite having no nap. But after 20 minutes, this is what I found:
She never passes out in random places. I wish I could make her understand how important sleep is.
Adorable. This sleeping concept is just so hard for them to grasp. Sleep = Good. Seems simple.
My husbands co worker has a night light with a sun and a moon on it (it is apparently a timer). He put it in his kids room and told them they cant come out until the sun is lit. We are thinking of one when the time comes. The co worker has had good success with this. Just a random thought for you.
The scary thing is, we as grownups, would pay money to take a nap in the middle of the day, right?! I WISH someone would make me go to bed for 2 hours a day. LOL Ah youth…totally wasted on the young!
My almost 5 year old daughter (who has always slept the bare minimum for her age) is finally recognizing that she is a bear without enough sleep. She will tell people let me sleep or I’ll be crabby, etc. I still have to sit with her and help her relax/hold still and then she is out. She is in afternoon preschool this year so no more naps, which she’d be fine without if she’d sleep more at night. It’s been interesting finding a good routine. Good luck.
P.S. We’ve found a snack and drink sometimes helps the afternoon crabbies too.
She’ll figure it out in about ten years. You know, when it no longer really matters to you if she gets enough sleep or not. Which, GRRRRR. Kids!
Oh Michelle, I know this story so well. Serena never liked naps or sleeping at night and still when she’s tired she can be a beast. (no naps anymore since she’s in Kindergarten, 5-6pm can be tough until she eats). All I can say is “this phase will pass”. When kids are tired there is no reasoning with them. I would sometimes trick Serena into a nap by letting her sit on the kitchen counter, hug her and gently rock. That getting out of bed early thing I can’t help ya with. Serena has always climbed into my bed sometime in the middle of the night and she wakes up with me. I don’t even hear her. I know someone who used that nitelight with the sun and the moon and someone also gates her kids in their room and they can play. I couldn’t do it but it may work if you make it enticing somehow.
No advice. Just feeling your pain. I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep since I took mine out of her crib. Wish I had waited for her to touch her toes at the end!
Oh, in my house, this just wouldn’t be pretty!!! Early to rise children ake for a grumpy mama!!
I am sure you have tried, but what about putting her back in her room, back in her bed over and over?? But, without losing your mind!!! UGH!! Good luck. OR, putting the crib back?? Maybe that is what she still needs/wants. We lured Reese out at 4 🙂
That picture is absolutely precious
Love pics of little ones sleeping in random places. I take those pics when I can too. The boys are starting to fight their afternoon naps too, but then eventually they give in, just a bit later than I would like them to nap though. They haven’t moved to big boy beds yet and I’m not relishing that thought. I think we may have to separate the boys to keep them from playing and fighting until they pass out.