Tweet
Sleep (Or Lack Of It) At Home?
Hi everyone. I have a question regarding how to handle the issue of kids not getting enough sleep at home.
I am unlicensed, so just have one little boy right now. He is 2.5 and does NOT get enough sleep at home. A kid his age needs 12-14 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period (national sleep foundation) and he doesn't even come close to that. On a good night, he will get 9 hours of sleep a night (9:30pm-6:30am). But sometimes she'll tell me he didn't fall asleep until 10pm (or later!). Also, a new issue the last month or so has been him waking up at 4:30am and screaming and refusing to lay back down. So he ranges between 7-9 hours per night, which is crazy.
He gets to my house at 7:15ish, so on days like that, he'll already have been up for almost 3 hours before he gets to me. When that happens, I put him right back to bed and although he would sleep for hours, I usually wake him up after 2, so he can have breakfast, play outside and still get an afternoon nap as well. So on days where he gets 7 hours at night, if I nap him for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon, he's STILL getting less then he should, but at least close to it.
So my problem is with mom. Although she has never flat out said she doesn't want me putting him down for morning naps on days where he got no sleep the night before, she has made remarks that let me know she only wants him to take a 2 hour afternoon nap and that maybe he's not sleeping at home because he sleeps too long for nap. However, I know this is not true because I have had him spend a few nights here in a row as well as an occasional night here and there and he will sleep 12 hours straight at night for me (8pm-8am) and he'll still take a 2 hour afternoon nap, getting him a much needed 14 hours of sleep in 24 hours.
I tried keeping him up as normal when he came once after being up at 4:30 and he was a terror, so there's no way I will deal with him until afternoon naptime when he's been awake since 4:30am. So, when she tells me he's been up since 4:30, down he goes back to sleep.
I've explained to mom that sleep begets sleep and I think he wouldn't wake up so early if he was actually getting a full nights of sleep and regular naps. I honestly think he's overtired, which makes it even harder to sleep. She only naps him at home if they happen to be home - it's not a priority. I've sent her emails/links, I've offered to borrow her a really good book on sleep, but it doesn't do anything. She always says they are going to work on getting bedtime earlier, but they never do. Maybe once in a blue moon, but nothing consistent.
I don't want to term him. I have no problem putting him down for a morning and afternoon nap if he only got 7 hours of sleep the night before. He generally behaves very well for me, goes to sleep very easily, and is a generally great kid. And with the exception of this sleep issue, the parents are fantastic. I will say he is a completely different kid for his parents - hits them, yells at them, etc. But he doesn't give me any problems. I just wish I could get his parents on board with a consistent sleep schedule.
Any advice? Does anyone also have kids that come sleep deprived? What do you do? TIA
I am unlicensed, so just have one little boy right now. He is 2.5 and does NOT get enough sleep at home. A kid his age needs 12-14 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period (national sleep foundation) and he doesn't even come close to that. On a good night, he will get 9 hours of sleep a night (9:30pm-6:30am). But sometimes she'll tell me he didn't fall asleep until 10pm (or later!). Also, a new issue the last month or so has been him waking up at 4:30am and screaming and refusing to lay back down. So he ranges between 7-9 hours per night, which is crazy.
He gets to my house at 7:15ish, so on days like that, he'll already have been up for almost 3 hours before he gets to me. When that happens, I put him right back to bed and although he would sleep for hours, I usually wake him up after 2, so he can have breakfast, play outside and still get an afternoon nap as well. So on days where he gets 7 hours at night, if I nap him for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon, he's STILL getting less then he should, but at least close to it.
So my problem is with mom. Although she has never flat out said she doesn't want me putting him down for morning naps on days where he got no sleep the night before, she has made remarks that let me know she only wants him to take a 2 hour afternoon nap and that maybe he's not sleeping at home because he sleeps too long for nap. However, I know this is not true because I have had him spend a few nights here in a row as well as an occasional night here and there and he will sleep 12 hours straight at night for me (8pm-8am) and he'll still take a 2 hour afternoon nap, getting him a much needed 14 hours of sleep in 24 hours.
I tried keeping him up as normal when he came once after being up at 4:30 and he was a terror, so there's no way I will deal with him until afternoon naptime when he's been awake since 4:30am. So, when she tells me he's been up since 4:30, down he goes back to sleep.
I've explained to mom that sleep begets sleep and I think he wouldn't wake up so early if he was actually getting a full nights of sleep and regular naps. I honestly think he's overtired, which makes it even harder to sleep. She only naps him at home if they happen to be home - it's not a priority. I've sent her emails/links, I've offered to borrow her a really good book on sleep, but it doesn't do anything. She always says they are going to work on getting bedtime earlier, but they never do. Maybe once in a blue moon, but nothing consistent.
I don't want to term him. I have no problem putting him down for a morning and afternoon nap if he only got 7 hours of sleep the night before. He generally behaves very well for me, goes to sleep very easily, and is a generally great kid. And with the exception of this sleep issue, the parents are fantastic. I will say he is a completely different kid for his parents - hits them, yells at them, etc. But he doesn't give me any problems. I just wish I could get his parents on board with a consistent sleep schedule.
Any advice? Does anyone also have kids that come sleep deprived? What do you do? TIA
Wish all parents knew that!
Comment