Alarm Clock

We use an alarm clock that gradually lights up over a period of about half an hour before the music goes off at 7 AM. Michael gets up at the same time every day. But, like every other normal adult skill we have achieved, it took work to get Michael to this point.

Ten Years Ago

Ten years ago today, Mikey was up way too early. Once he was awake and downstairs, there was no chance of me getting him back to bed…so we went with it. We embraced the season, turned on the tree lights, and Mikey watched a Christmas movie on his iTouch.

When You’re Frustrated

When sleep is rare, it can be incredibly frustrating as a parent.  Sometimes, you’ll feel upset and if you’re like me, you’ll scold your kids (un-helpfully) to try to get them back to bed. I can tell you from my own mistakes, this never works because when you scold your kids, it wakes them up even more – their little hearts are beating faster and they’re even more wide awake.

On this day, ten years ago, I was more proud of my reaction.  Take the opportunity to enjoy the quiet time with your child so they are actually getting a little more rest before the day begins.

Not Sustainable

It’s not healthy to be missing so much sleep (for you or your child), so I did prioritize teaching Mikey to stay in bed until his alarm went off each morning.  

In addition to Michael’s light-up alarm clock, we used social narratives, gentle reminders and a consistent sleep schedule to help in the process and now our family gets a decent night’s sleep most nights! Progress!!