Little Boy Sleeps 5 Hours Per Day....Only Here 8.5

[Unregistered]

I have a little boy who started with me a few weeks ago. He comes in the morning around 7 am and he is just miserable. He is so miserable all he does is cry so I now feed him and put him back to bed. By 730 he is sleeping and sleeps for 2 hours. I was waking him up after one hour but all he did was cry and cry and cry so I started letting him sleep till he wakes up and he is better but only until about 1130 and then he starts again.

In the morning he comes in crying, around 11-1130 usually something sets him off. Someone has a toy he wants or he can't have his own way etc its just something sets him off and then thats it there is no stopping his crying. I have to put him in a separate room or he gets everyone else going as he just won't stop his crying. When I put him in the room he starts to fall back asleep. Lunch is at noon so I get him back up he has lunch much of the time he cries cause he does not like what I am serving and then after lunch around 1230 I have to put him back down. he sleeps till 330 mom picks up at 345

This is unreal. I can't understand why he needs so much sleep but without it he can not function. What can I do?

Thank you for reading this.

[MaryPoppins]

I had a little boy like this once and it was because his parents put him to bed at 10 & got him up at 6:30. He only ever got about 8hrs of sleep when he really needed to be in bed by about 8 or so. His mom was always too busy at night and wasn't about to schedule her social life around her child's schedule. She wouldn't nap him on weekends at all. I pretty much helped him get the rest he needed during the day so that he could make it through the evening with her. Mondays he slept about 6hrs while in my care...the rest of the week was more like 4 or 5. If he didn't get that much sleep, I'd mention it to mom and she'd be like well, we have this or that to go to so maybe he'll get a nap in on the way there. She wouldn't cancel anything to just stay home and get him to bed a little earlier. Not much you can do about it if they won't help their own child.

[cheerfuldom]

How old is he? Have you talked to his mom about what is normal for him?

[daycare]

I also have a little guy like this. In fact, he is my only one here today and he fell asleep at 10am on the floor while doing a puzzle. This happens almost daily. He will sleep until 3:30-4:30, if I let him. Except this child is impossible to wake up.
I talked to the parents about it. I tell them every time he falls asleep early, which is just about daily.

The parents (both) own thier own companies and are work horses. They never stop working. So it's easier just to let him stay up and put him to bed when they go to bed. Some times it's past midnight...

At first it would piss me off, becuase we couldnt go to the park or leave the site. But now that i understand that he's not sleeping enough at home, I am happy to let him get the sleep here. Telling the parents is not going to change squat. I just give him what he needs and work around it.

[happykidschildcare]

I have a 4.5 yr lil girl that comes tired and cranky at 7 am wants to go to sleep or lay down watching tv and then falls asleep. I try my best to keep her awake in the am so that she will sleep at naptime with all the other kids.
I talked with mom and she says she has a set bedtime but stays awake in her room late...viscious cycle with sleep patterns. Im hoping the weather change and the more outdoor activity we get will burn all that energy so she will sleep at night for her mom. I know tryn to keep her awake is a chore plus i get to deal with the cranky whiny's all morning. But over the years Ive noticed some kids just need more sleep, or at times they are going thruogh growing spurts they need more sleep, I know when its time to get up after naptime if they arent easily woken up I just let them sleep!

[Michael]

Sounds like a conflict between his waking and sleeping hours at home and at your daycare. Poor kid has jet lag.

[Unregistered]

Thanks for all the replies. How can I help him? He can not function if I do not put him for sleep?

[Evansmom]

Could he be anemic? I've seen kids who were anemic sleep more and more often than kids with normal iron levels.

[Michael]

Thanks for all the replies. How can I help him? He can not function if I do not put him for sleep?

Tell the parents they need to mirror your eat/sleep schedule. If you altered your schedule for him and the other kids would suffer. Maybe some other providers here will suggest problem/solution.

[daycare]

same here...;this kid can not function at all. he has actually fallen asleep on the sidewalk outside. After that happened, I told the parents that I want him taken to the doc with a writen reason from doc. parents came back and the doc note said. child needs to be put on a regular sleep schedule both and home and DC. I was jaw dropped by it and the parents did not care at all...

[nannyde]

You probably aren't going to get them to change but you can build his sleep into your schedule unless you need to leave the house.

Can he go right back to bed the minute he hits the door and sleep until ten? Then have him up two hours and back to bed until a few minutes before his Mom gets there?

It sounds like they are either keeping him up late or they are allowing him to stay up after they go to bed?

Could he be staying up watching tv after they go to bed?

[SandeeAR]

I have a 16 mo, that recently went from 2 days a week to 5 days a week, due to some changes in Dad's job. He use to keep him the opposite days of me while Mom worked 5 days a week. He worked 2 on, 2 off.

She was commenting how good he was since he was coming here everyday. He has always been a good kid, they are doing a great job with him. But he was sleeping better at home, not as cranky, etc. She realized it was b/c he was on a regular schedule here everyday he was here. Before, he was on my schedule and then Dads schedule. Dad's was to sleep late, eat whatever, and take a nap sometime.

She ask for a copy of the schedule I keep, so she could put him on it on the weekends too. Maybe you could get these parents to realize, that you have him more days than they do. And that if they would put him on your schedule, it would be so much better for him.

[Unregistered]

You probably aren't going to get them to change but you can build his sleep into your schedule unless you need to leave the house.

Can he go right back to bed the minute he hits the door and sleep until ten? Then have him up two hours and back to bed until a few minutes before his Mom gets there?

It sounds like they are either keeping him up late or they are allowing him to stay up after they go to bed?

Could he be staying up watching tv after they go to bed?

He comes in at 710 am has milk, toast, cereal or oatmeal of which he eats very little and then he is sleeping by 730. I swear........he is in at 710 eating by 715 in bed by 725 and out like a light by 730.........Sleeps until 930. Then by 1130 he is done! And I mean D.O.N.E. Really done. He needs sleep by 1130 but he needs to eat...he cries at lunchtime cause he does not like my homemade meals.........so back to bed at 12-1230and he sleeps until shortly b4 mom picks up at 345 This is just not right!

He is not able to participate in anything. What do I do?

[nannyde]

He comes in at 710 am has milk, toast, cereal or oatmeal of which he eats very little and then he is sleeping by 730. I swear........he is in at 710 eating by 715 in bed by 725 and out like a light by 730.........Sleeps until 930. Then by 1130 he is done! And I mean D.O.N.E. Really done. He needs sleep by 1130 but he needs to eat...he cries at lunchtime cause he does not like my homemade meals.........so back to bed at 12-1230and he sleeps until shortly b4 mom picks up at 345 This is just not right!

He is not able to participate in anything. What do I do?

I know a lot of providers who would love to have your problem. If the family needs to hire out someone to host his sleeping then you have to ask yourself if you can accomodate it or not.

You can try talking to them and ask them to make sure he gets a good night sleep and a doc appointment to make sure there isn't a medical reason for it but that's about it.

If he's cleared medically and they just don't want to have him sleeping on their clock then you have to decide if you can host his sleep.

[Unregistered]

I know a lot of providers who would love to have your problem. If the family needs to hire out someone to host his sleeping then you have to ask yourself if you can accomodate it or not.

You can try talking to them and ask them to make sure he gets a good night sleep and a doc appointment to make sure there isn't a medical reason for it but that's about it.

If he's cleared medically and they just don't want to have him sleeping on their clock then you have to decide if you can host his sleep.

Honestly its an easy dollar for me but this is not good for this baby boy. That is what bothers me.

This little boy is missing out on so many wonderful things that he can be doing during the day but he really needs to be sleeping because he can not funtcion if he is not.

He is cranky and miserable. This afternoon when mom picked up and I explained his problem at drop off is because he is tired she said. "oh I was wondering if there was a problem here " This really pisses me off. I have 8 kids and none have problems. All come in the am and mom drops off and all are very happy to be here. I told her. He IS TIRED!