One of the hardest parts of parenting to adjust to once you have passed those early weeks/months of night feeds is when for months/years you have been treated to full nights of sleep and then suddenly your little one starts to wake early. Sometimes this can begin with Potty Training when they have become more aware of their need to visit to the toilet, sometimes it can be a move to a new bed/bedroom, a new sibling or a change in daily life, like starting nursery. Sometimes it can just be the lure of breakfast, or the desire to play with their toys. Whatever the reason, for parents it’s HARD! You’re all cosy in your bed, enjoying deep sleep or a dream and suddenly you’re dragged kicking and screaming from your slumber by the little person(s) in your life. I personally have found these times even harder than those early months of breastfeeding through the night (something to do with the hormones?).
Luckily, there is help in the form of #TimetoWake Sleep Time Mickey. A special bedside light and clock, a reassuring friend who helps to train little people into when it is #TimetoWake and when they should be sleeping. Remember, at this stage in their life they generally are unable to tell the time so they need something visual. The Mickey Mouse nightlight is a colourful, inspiring and interesting design for young children with the buttons on his tummy displaying the moon for sleep time and sun for when it is #TimetoWake.
The times are easy to set-up by the parent using the buttons on the base of the light so you decide when is an acceptable #TimetoWake. If you find that your little one is waking at 5.30am. You might want to start with a wake up time of 6.00am and then as your little one adjusts to following Mickey’s lead you can adjust the clock one week at a time by pushing the time back 10 minutes at a time until you have extended their sleep to the desired time.
In general they say that changing a child’s behaviour takes three days so you will need to persevere. If they insist on getting up before the sun glows, tell them “Mickey says it’s not #TimetoWake up yet” and lead them back to bed. Don’t be tempted to fall into a conversation with them, just give them the one instruction and then leave the room. Provided you don’t give in, they will eventually understand that this is how things will be.
We have been going through a similar situation with Beanie Boy. He has been sleeping well for years but in the last few months has been climbing into our bed around 5.30am and insisting that Daddy take him downstairs for breakfast. We have been using Mickey for a couple of weeks now and I think the fact that Beanie Boy has started school and is used to ‘rules’ has worked well in our favour as he has quickly fallen into step with Mickey. On the odd occasion that he has come through before 6.30am we have asked him if Mickey has said it’s #TimetoWake and he has responded “no” then climbed back into bed, not getting out again until either we wake him up or Mickey’s ‘sun’ is glowing at which point he calls out “the sun is shining now”.
Next week I am hosting a Twitter Party with fellow bloggers Lilinha and Jacinta on 2nd November from 7pm to 8pm. We will be talking about sleep routine tips and tricks so if you have any failsafe tips you want to share OR if you’re hoping to learn a thing or two, come along and join in the fun. We will be joined by Special Guest: Chireal Shallow, Child Sleep Psychologist and there will be opportunities to win prizes too. Don’t forget to save a search for #TimetoWake so you don’t miss out on the conversation.