Delayed sleep
Karen
Our son is 8 years old. As a baby, he was awake more so at night, and
slept during the day. I learned to match my schedule to his, sleeping
with him during the days and staying up at night.
As he grew, my husband and I became more conventional in our attempts to
establish a bedtime. Our son was never left alone to fall asleep. In
fact, most nights, my husband and I would find ourselves taking shifts
to lay with our son for extended periods of time at what we thought was
a "normal" bedtime, but it was always quite late before he actually fell
asleep. Likewise, he has always slept in later in the mornings.
Since reading on this list, we have moved to allowing our son to set his
bedtime based on when he is tired, with the understanding that he needs
to play or read quietly if my husband and I are going to bed, ourselves,
to sleep. He will often wake me up when he is ready to sleep, because
he still finds the company comforting. This shift in our expectations
around "bedtime" has made our son much more content.
Our son is hoping to attend one week of karate camp next week, which
starts at 8:30am and runs to noon. We are trying to slowly adjust his
waking and sleeping times by half and hour so that the first couple days
are not too tiring for him, but he cannot seem to fall asleep earlier
than midnight or 1am, and has a very difficult time waking a bit earlier
in the morning. This seems to be distressing for him. Perhaps he is
fearful of us returning to our past bedtime schedule, which he really
didn't like.
Reading tonight, I found a disorder called "delayed sleep phase syndrome
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome> ." This
syndrome seems to describe our son's sleep patterns very well. My
question is if anyone has had this experience with delayed sleep
patterns, and, if so, how have you adjusted your lives to support your
child's sleep schedule and needs?
Thanks in advance!
Karen.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
slept during the day. I learned to match my schedule to his, sleeping
with him during the days and staying up at night.
As he grew, my husband and I became more conventional in our attempts to
establish a bedtime. Our son was never left alone to fall asleep. In
fact, most nights, my husband and I would find ourselves taking shifts
to lay with our son for extended periods of time at what we thought was
a "normal" bedtime, but it was always quite late before he actually fell
asleep. Likewise, he has always slept in later in the mornings.
Since reading on this list, we have moved to allowing our son to set his
bedtime based on when he is tired, with the understanding that he needs
to play or read quietly if my husband and I are going to bed, ourselves,
to sleep. He will often wake me up when he is ready to sleep, because
he still finds the company comforting. This shift in our expectations
around "bedtime" has made our son much more content.
Our son is hoping to attend one week of karate camp next week, which
starts at 8:30am and runs to noon. We are trying to slowly adjust his
waking and sleeping times by half and hour so that the first couple days
are not too tiring for him, but he cannot seem to fall asleep earlier
than midnight or 1am, and has a very difficult time waking a bit earlier
in the morning. This seems to be distressing for him. Perhaps he is
fearful of us returning to our past bedtime schedule, which he really
didn't like.
Reading tonight, I found a disorder called "delayed sleep phase syndrome
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome> ." This
syndrome seems to describe our son's sleep patterns very well. My
question is if anyone has had this experience with delayed sleep
patterns, and, if so, how have you adjusted your lives to support your
child's sleep schedule and needs?
Thanks in advance!
Karen.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra Dodd
-=-Our son is hoping to attend one week of karate camp next week, which
starts at 8:30am and runs to noon. We are trying to slowly adjust his
waking and sleeping times by half and hour so that the first couple days
are not too tiring for him-=-
If he stays up until he goes, he can go to sleep as soon as he gets home.
It doesn't "have to" be one way or the other.
-=-He will often wake me up when he is ready to sleep, because
he still finds the company comforting. This shift in our expectations
around "bedtime" has made our son much more content.-=-
That doesn't seem right and good for him to wake you up. Is there a way for him to just lie down near you and go to sleep so you can keep sleeping?
With my kids, as they got older and wanted to stay up late alone, the deal was always they could get us if they really needed us, but that sleep is important and it's good to let people sleep.
-=-Reading tonight, I found a disorder called "delayed sleep phase syndrome
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome> ." This
syndrome seems to describe our son's sleep patterns very well. -=-
The term "disorder" seems harsh.
I spoke with Kirby yesterday. He got a promotion at work, but the shift he will be on beginning August 7 is the harshest he's ever had. It begins at 11:00 and ends at 8:00 a.m. The reason he got the promotion is the guy who had gotten the position quit rather than accept those new hours, so Kirby's in as a senior in a group working something practically like a hospital's night shift.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
starts at 8:30am and runs to noon. We are trying to slowly adjust his
waking and sleeping times by half and hour so that the first couple days
are not too tiring for him-=-
If he stays up until he goes, he can go to sleep as soon as he gets home.
It doesn't "have to" be one way or the other.
-=-He will often wake me up when he is ready to sleep, because
he still finds the company comforting. This shift in our expectations
around "bedtime" has made our son much more content.-=-
That doesn't seem right and good for him to wake you up. Is there a way for him to just lie down near you and go to sleep so you can keep sleeping?
With my kids, as they got older and wanted to stay up late alone, the deal was always they could get us if they really needed us, but that sleep is important and it's good to let people sleep.
-=-Reading tonight, I found a disorder called "delayed sleep phase syndrome
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome> ." This
syndrome seems to describe our son's sleep patterns very well. -=-
The term "disorder" seems harsh.
I spoke with Kirby yesterday. He got a promotion at work, but the shift he will be on beginning August 7 is the harshest he's ever had. It begins at 11:00 and ends at 8:00 a.m. The reason he got the promotion is the guy who had gotten the position quit rather than accept those new hours, so Kirby's in as a senior in a group working something practically like a hospital's night shift.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Schuyler
Reading tonight, I found a disorder called "delayed sleep phase syndrome
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome> ."
How funny. I suppose things are made into syndromes so that they can be treated
on insurance, but goodness, being a night owl has become a syndrome.
I used to wander the house at night when I was a toddler. I used to sleep much
of the daylight hours away. When there were things I wanted to do that required
getting up early I'd get up early or stay up late.
"Perhaps he isfearful of us returning to our past bedtime schedule, which he
really
didn't like."
That may be an argument that he has more control, more awareness over his sleep
pattern than he actually does have. I can remember lying in bed desperate to
sleep. Knowing that I had to get up early the next day and the clock slowly
ticking away the time. As I've gotten older my internal clock has changed, but
there are still nights when sleep is illusive. The worst thing I can ever do is
to lie in bed hoping for sleep to come. The best thing is to read or to play on
my ds or to get up and go do something else for a little while. I don't have a
lot of control over my ability to go to sleep. Although, if you want to help
him, being more active in the day, running around and doing things, going
swimming, getting more physically tired may help him to go to sleep earlier. It
may not, though.
Schuyler
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome> ."
How funny. I suppose things are made into syndromes so that they can be treated
on insurance, but goodness, being a night owl has become a syndrome.
I used to wander the house at night when I was a toddler. I used to sleep much
of the daylight hours away. When there were things I wanted to do that required
getting up early I'd get up early or stay up late.
"Perhaps he isfearful of us returning to our past bedtime schedule, which he
really
didn't like."
That may be an argument that he has more control, more awareness over his sleep
pattern than he actually does have. I can remember lying in bed desperate to
sleep. Knowing that I had to get up early the next day and the clock slowly
ticking away the time. As I've gotten older my internal clock has changed, but
there are still nights when sleep is illusive. The worst thing I can ever do is
to lie in bed hoping for sleep to come. The best thing is to read or to play on
my ds or to get up and go do something else for a little while. I don't have a
lot of control over my ability to go to sleep. Although, if you want to help
him, being more active in the day, running around and doing things, going
swimming, getting more physically tired may help him to go to sleep earlier. It
may not, though.
Schuyler
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
BRIAN POLIKOWSKY
Now being used to sleeping late and waking up late is a Syndrome??
Forget about syndrome. I am a late sleeper that have waking up earlier for 3 months now ( or more ) and just in the last week I have been able to sleep sometime around 11PM. IT has taken me months to be able to sleep earlier than 1 or 2 AM.
I like staying in bed and reading until late.
My days are full of working outside, helping my husband in the farm, vegetable garden, I work out every morning and I play with kids go to the pool and still I like to stay awake.
My son is just like me. He wanted to go to bed early last night. It was around midnight and it took him 2 and a half hours to sleep. He was upset he could not sleep but he has been going to be late and is used to being up.
So I am going to wake him up in a little to help him go to bed earlier tonight ( maybe). What helped him last night was a book on his Iphone . He put his headphones and was able to relax and drift to sleep. But I did not think about it until it was after 2AM.
Oh and my son has done many things early in the morning even with little sleep. He does prefer to be rested but it has never hinder him from going places or attending stuff he wanted.
Alex Polikowsky
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Forget about syndrome. I am a late sleeper that have waking up earlier for 3 months now ( or more ) and just in the last week I have been able to sleep sometime around 11PM. IT has taken me months to be able to sleep earlier than 1 or 2 AM.
I like staying in bed and reading until late.
My days are full of working outside, helping my husband in the farm, vegetable garden, I work out every morning and I play with kids go to the pool and still I like to stay awake.
My son is just like me. He wanted to go to bed early last night. It was around midnight and it took him 2 and a half hours to sleep. He was upset he could not sleep but he has been going to be late and is used to being up.
So I am going to wake him up in a little to help him go to bed earlier tonight ( maybe). What helped him last night was a book on his Iphone . He put his headphones and was able to relax and drift to sleep. But I did not think about it until it was after 2AM.
Oh and my son has done many things early in the morning even with little sleep. He does prefer to be rested but it has never hinder him from going places or attending stuff he wanted.
Alex Polikowsky
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Karen
Syndrome and disorder are harsh terms. I can see that naming his sleep pattern a disorder or syndrome is not useful, as it suggests a problem. I do see it as a problem, but I can recognize that it is *my* problem, but his reality. I want to support his reality, and get over my seeing this as a problem.
It is great to read about how others have lived with sleep cycles that are later. I would welcome more examples. Thanks again.
Karen.
(Sorry for the wacky formatting on my original post. I'm not sure what happened there. I can see it must have been difficult to read.)
It is great to read about how others have lived with sleep cycles that are later. I would welcome more examples. Thanks again.
Karen.
(Sorry for the wacky formatting on my original post. I'm not sure what happened there. I can see it must have been difficult to read.)
plaidpanties666
"Karen" <semajrak@...> wrote:
---Meredith
>> Our son is hoping to attend one week of karate camp next week, whichWas that his idea or yours? When Ray was keeping odd hours, but wanted to do something early in the day for awhile, he didn't want to do any kind gradual change. It was easier for him, less stressful, to just deal with the sudden change in hours. The excitement of whatever he was doing was enough to compensate for the lack of sleep. That's one of the advantages of being young, sometimes ;)
> starts at 8:30am and runs to noon. We are trying to slowly adjust his
> waking and sleeping times by half and hour so that the first couple days
> are not too tiring for him
---Meredith
Robin Bentley
> Was that his idea or yours? When Ray was keeping odd hours, butThis was true for us, too. Getting up earlier in preparation for
> wanted to do something early in the day for awhile, he didn't want
> to do any kind gradual change. It was easier for him, less
> stressful, to just deal with the sudden change in hours. The
> excitement of whatever he was doing was enough to compensate for the
> lack of sleep. That's one of the advantages of being young,
> sometimes ;)
getting up earlier wasn't exactly incentive!
Getting up early for the real thing was a different story. If Senna
wanted to go and do something important to her, she'd get up, no
problem. If she had trouble waking for a particular event or class, I
knew something else was going on (she didn't really want to go or she
had something else she preferred to be doing instead).
BTW, at that age (8) we looked for classes that suited Senna's
schedule (martial arts, gymnastics or horse riding in the afternoon,
for instance). She was not ready for full-day camps, away from me, at
that age. But each child is different.
Now that Senna's 16, she makes her own adjustments to her schedule,
depending on what's happening. Sometimes, she goes to bed earlier for
a few days, sometimes she doesn't. She's got it worked out for
herself, though. Just like my husband or I do! And I've been known to
survive quite well on very little sleep and still do what I want to do.
Robin B.