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Sleeping Beauty was a Night Owl

I know the truth about that slumbering princess! Everyone just thought she was eternally snoozing away. In reality, she just stayed up every night and was so exhausted during the day she couldn't help but snore away the daylight hours.

That's what's going on in this house with a certain little girl. It's no wonder Sleeping Beauty is her favorite among all the princesses out there. Behold, B the Night Owl:




All of these pictures were taken at various times of the day. I only wish I could get one of her sleeping through Primary (and about to fall off her chair.)

Last night, again, B was up until at least 1 am. If this was a once-in-a-blue-moon event, I wouldn't worry so much. But it's getting to the point where she nearly has a meltdown every morning when she has to go to preschool, and she has huge dark circles under her eyes, the kind I have never before spotted on a four-year-old. I've tried waking her up early and keeping her awake all day long (which is a nightmare for everyone around her) and yet it still doesn't reset her internal clock. Even without a nap, she gets some kind of freaky second wind about 9:30pm. It's especially eerie because it coincides neatly with the absolute end of my ability to stay awake.

I've tried lying down with her in the dark, to hopefully encourage her to settle down. (This is what my mom does when B sleeps over at Grandma's house.) Unfortunately, since this is always the point where I fall unconscious if I am still for even a second, it just ends up with me asleep and my daughter playing all around me. (While I don't even hear a thing, I'm out so deep.)

It's even worse because I am fighting an inherited trait, I think. Terence, his mom, and his grandma all find it more natural to stay up until past midnight. Is your sleep cycle genetic? But what is B going to do when it comes time for kindergarten? She is going to have to learn how to get up in the morning, regardless of any natural inclinations. Help, I'm desperate for suggestions!!! Is there anything I can do? Has anyone been through this and found something that works?
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by: Kim said…
When Ashlee was little and I was pregnant with Jessica she would stay up til 1 or 2 in the morning and then be back up again at 6am. She also would not take a nap. After a month or so of this I was exhausted. We went in for a check up and I asked the doctor what to do. He told me to give her benadryl at about 9pm. (back then benadryl had a little bit of alcohol in it, but it still makes me drowsy when I take it for allergies) This was wonderful. She fell asleep at a decent hour and slept all night. We did this for quite a while each night. Luckily none of my other children have had this problem but I would have tried it on them if needed. Good luck
April 13, 2010 at 3:20 PM
Ashlie Dalton said…
i've had similar problems with cole actually. except he is in a crib (still), so he can't do much but lay there and talk to himself.
we put him to bed at 9 and he usually stays up until 11 or even midnight (sometimes i'm asleep long before him). then he wakes up around 3 or 4 and talks to himself for an hour or two. strange!!! he does this 3 or 4 nights out of a week, and always has since about 9 months.
i asked his doctor what to do about it and she said to give him melatonin. it's an herb that triggers the body for at least 8 hours of sleep. so, i think it's really safe and won't cause your body to depend on it.
i haven't tried it yet because i'm hoping he'll grow out of it on his own, and since we can just shut the monitor off when he wakes up, it doesn't bother us much. but if i had to get him up at a certain time in the morning for school or whatever, i would probably start doing it.
i hope you find something that works. if you do end up using melatonin let me know how it goes because i might give it a try here soon.
good luck!
April 13, 2010 at 3:42 PM
Heidi said…
I had forgotten about melatonin. I took it on my mission when I had a horrible case of insomnia one month. It worked for me, but I don't if they make it in a form Brie would take. (Mine came in little pills to dissolve under the tongue.) Maybe I'll try melatonin first and Benadryl next.

Thanks for the ideas! And I'm glad I'm not the only who has dealt with this.
April 13, 2010 at 7:02 PM
Abby said…
You say she gets her second wind at 9:30 at night. Is she staying up until 9:30 or is she waking up at 9:30 and staying awake? If she's waking up at 9:30 after she's already been asleep for an hour or two, I don't know what to tell you. If you're keeping her up until 9:30, that might explain it. If kids don't go to bed at a good, reasonable hour (between 7 and 8:30 at night) they get so overtired that they do indeed catch a second wind and it's impossible to get them to sleep until ungodly hours. Try putting her to bed earlier and see if that works. If it's the other kids keeping her up, put them to bed earlier, too. Bedtime is hectic trying to get everyone in bed by 8:30 (I have to start with the youngest at about 6:45). If nothing else, you'll have more of your evening to yourself. But it does work. My kids sleep far better the earlier in bed they are.
April 14, 2010 at 6:16 AM
Heidi said…
Oh, we're already an early bedtime family-- since we have to get up so early for school, bedtime is 7:30 sharp for all the kids. I guess I meant that if I manage to keep Brie from falling asleep all day, she does settle down at bedtime (and even fall asleep sometimes) but by 9:30 she's wide awake and ready to go for the next five hours.

It happened last night, even. I put her down at 7:30, she fell asleep, which was a miracle in itself, and then by 9:30 she was up again. I don't understand it.
April 14, 2010 at 6:50 AM
Stefanie said…
Chloe struggles with going to sleep. I got this book at the library, the Sleep Easy Solution. The website is http://sleepyplanet.com/
Chloe has done better, but I haven't been as consistant as I need to be with "wind down" routine.
April 14, 2010 at 7:43 AM
Abby said…
What do you do when she wakes up? Or rather, what does she do when she wakes up? Does she get out of bed and run around or what?
April 14, 2010 at 9:47 AM
Heidi said…
She gets up and plays in her room, or she runs around the house, or she goes and gets some food, or she gives her toys baths in the bathroom sink, or she gets herself something to eat or sometimes she comes and stands next to my bed and stares up at me until I wake up in a panic wondering who the heck is breathing on me. Stuff like that :-)
April 14, 2010 at 5:24 PM
Heidi said…
As for me, I'm usually asleep. (Sometimes she'll stay quietly in bed to lull me into false security.) If I'm not, she is constantly trying to sneak around me and I'm yelling at her to go back to bed. Not the most effective, but at that time of night I am beginning to lose all rational thought.
April 14, 2010 at 5:26 PM
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