Our boys are generally pretty good sleepers. They've shared a bedroom for most of their wee lives which has led to them both being quite heavy sleepers. We can change one's bed in the middle of the night, with the lights on, and the other will sleep through the whole thing. Lately though they're having issues, going to sleep late and waking early.
Little one likes to chat and keep big brother up for hours some nights. We seem to spend quite a bit of time grumping at them to go to sleep. I have a strong feeling of deja vu about this too. I may have even blogged something similar not long ago. Anyway it's gotten to a point recently where we've been separating them and putting one into our bed to go to sleep, then moving him back once they're both asleep. Finally last week we bit the bullet and have moved big brother into his own room (so long sewing/spare room). Sorry grandparents you might be getting an air bed next time you visit, we'll have to get a better one. So far the bedroom thing is working really well. The early waking eldest (often before six) is now able to read or play by himself without disturbing the wee one, which in turn means that he's getting at least another hour of sleep a night.
We watched a fascinating thing on TV (
Jo Frost Extreme Parental Guidance) about kids sleep and how it really affects their ability to think and complete simple tasks. They experimented on nine year olds who got an average of 10hrs sleep. When they reduced that sleep to 8 hours a night, the kids mental age went down to age seven. When they increased their sleep to 11+ hours, their mental age (in various psych tests) went up to twelve! Amazing huh? If you want to watch it yourself it's on the
TVNZ on demand site for about another week. Speaking of sleep it's almost midnight... I should go and get some! Goodnight x
5 comments:
we have a similar thing with our boys, we have four bedrooms, but four kids, therefore two have to share. We go through the same routine... whats semi working at the moment is reducing their time that they go to bed by half a hour everytime a warning to sleep (and stop jumping around the room ) is not listened too! When we had three kids it was so much easier at night time :) ahhh those were the days :)a
ah yes sleep issues here too we never know who is going to wake up where .... and dont you love how they sleep across the bed !!!
That's fascinating about sleep. I also heard that teenagers are not lazy for how much they sleep, they need more sleep during those years than at any other time in their lives. Sleep is so important!
My SIL has been encouraging me to put my two into one room, maybe I will hold off for a little longer!
Thanks so much for visiting Heart Felt and leaving your lovely comment. Your photographs are lovely and I'm enjoying getting to know your gorgeous family. xx
I can so relate to all this, my 2 boys share a room also, one goes to bed before the other as if we put them to bed together it is diabolical! but it seemed like it was taking the younger one longer and longer to get to sleep and so the eldest was getting to bed later too. Isn't it funny how no matter what time they go to bed they still wake up early the next day. I watched that Jo Frost show too and was amazed by the sleep experiment, the next day, inspired I put my Ben to sleep in the spare room about an hour before his usual bed time, what an incredible difference in him. Now we do it once or twice a week when he needs a catchup, is working out well.
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