5 year old waking up 5:30 everyday

[Anonymous]

Give me all your tips. The 5:30am wake up is killing me.

Newly 5 year old DD goes to bed around 7:30-7:45 and is regularly waking around 5:30-5:45. She sometimes plays quietly in her room until the ok to wake clock changes (6:45) but will frequently cry about being bored or come to our room and talk, play, ask to watch something.

Would melatonin be helpful here? What am I doing wrong? She's exhausted and cranky at the end of the day

[Anonymous]

Is she figuring out reading? My kids always woke early during developmental leaps even at that age.

We just push through - it’s usually only a month or two, but I hope you get more proactive advice here!

[Anonymous]

Try a later bedtime that might help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try a later bedtime that might help.

This is the worse advice

[Anonymous]

On the weekend, I’d let her watch tv/iPad so I could sleep. During the week, I’d get up and start my day.

You could try to adjust her bedtime to 8, but it may not work.

Melatonin allows for easier falling asleep, not longer sleep times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Give me all your tips. The 5:30am wake up is killing me.

Newly 5 year old DD goes to bed around 7:30-7:45 and is regularly waking around 5:30-5:45. She sometimes plays quietly in her room until the ok to wake clock changes (6:45) but will frequently cry about being bored or come to our room and talk, play, ask to watch something.

Would melatonin be helpful here? What am I doing wrong? She's exhausted and cranky at the end of the day

Tire her out during day. Running hills jump rope etc

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't allow watching anything. She can get up, get herself dressed, brush her teeth, make a bowl of cereal, and play with toys or read a book or draw if she's bored. She's 5 not 2, give her a morning routine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try a later bedtime that might help.

This is the worse advice

Not really, i don't know of any 5 years olds at all with a bedtime lower than 8:30

[Anonymous]

Melatonin helps fall asleep, but not stay asleep.

If you give in to her crying/begging to watch something before her clock turns the right color, then she's learning to do it again next time. I would adjust the clock to 6:15 for now and don't let her do ANYTHING outside her room until that clock turns. Staying in her room until the clock turns means she gets to choose a show when she's allowed. Coming to your room before that means no screens until after lunch.

Be consistent. Don't give in. Then once she's sleeping again, you can slowly move clock later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try a later bedtime that might help.

This is the worse advice

Not really, i don't know of any 5 years olds at all with a bedtime lower than 8:30

My kids both were in bed by 7:30 at that age and slept fine.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

Thanks! I tend to start my day at 6 so I can get showered and ready before she is up. That way when she is up I will be ready and able to get her breakfast, etc. When she is coming in our room at 6:00 even she's asking for breakfast while I need to be showering and that pushes the whole morning back

What time does your 5 year old go to bed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

Thanks! I tend to start my day at 6 so I can get showered and ready before she is up. That way when she is up I will be ready and able to get her breakfast, etc. When she is coming in our room at 6:00 even she's asking for breakfast while I need to be showering and that pushes the whole morning back

What time does your 5 year old go to bed?

Wake up at 5 then. Prep your body for the disaster that awaits at 5:30

[Anonymous]

My almost 5-year-old goes to bed that early most days, so ignore those who say bedtime is too early. She also has very, very active days (camp all day, then "swimming" for an hour several days a week when her older sister has swim team). If she gets out of bed before her alarm clock turns green I flatly point out that her alarm clock isn't green yet and put her back in her room. We don't hang out, we don't chat, etc. She rarely leaves her room early now--she knows that I will just put her back in her room until the appropriate time: there's no playing together, snuggling, etc. until her alarm is green (at 6:30).

[Anonymous]

Some kids are just early risers. My son woke up at around 5:30 every day until around age 11. He's 13 now and still wakes up around 7:30 on his own. Much earlier than his peers. He has always gone to sleep around the same time as his siblings that all slept much later. So I don't think it is the bedtime or activities, just a natural inclination to be an early riser.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try a later bedtime that might help.

This is the worse advice

Not really, i don't know of any 5 years olds at all with a bedtime lower than 8:30

NP here. 7-7:30 pm bedtime is pretty common for age 5.