4year old cosleeper waking everyone up
HELP!! I just don't know what to do anymore. My 4.5 year old (E) is waking everyone up in the morning, including his 2 year old brother (J). E sleeps in his own bed, in his room most nights (his choice). Around 6 or 7 a.m. he typically comes over to our room and if it's closer to 6, he goes back to sleep until 8. But if it's closer to 7, he makes every single noise possible. It wakes us all up. J (2 years old) wants to sleep longer than that. I want to sleep longer than that. E SHOULD sleep longer than that (the days he does this, he is a zombie by 3 and he is in school until 4 so evenings are rough because everyone is sleep deprived).
I have explained before bedtime that he is welcome in our bed IF he goes back to sleep, but if he wants to be up or can't fall back asleep, he has to stay in his room and read quietly or play quietly. I've explained at 6 a.m he needs to go back to sleep in my bed or he can go back to his own room and read or play quietly. I admit, I've yelled at him that early in the morning. I'm just not a morning person - sorry. I just don't know how to get it through his head that he can't come in there if he's going to make noises that will wake everyone. On top of it, with two growing boys and me expecting #3, our bed really can't hold 5 anymore (DH, me, E, J and my growing belly and pillow supply). DH can't help much as he is gone during the week during this time (leaves for work around 5) and on weekends, he's just going to go military that early-he has no patience for it (trust me, he tries, but is so tired, it just comes out mean and nasty) so that leaves me. But I can't get up and move E because J will freak out and I'll never get him back to sleep. And E won't listen and leave the room without melodramatics. It's time for this to end because with a new baby on the way, who I want to cosleep with, I just can't see where a 4 year old will fit physically in a queen size bed. The only other solution I see is getting up and taking my 2 year old with me to E's room and sleeping there. But once baby comes, I'll be taking two babies out of the room. That doesn't seem right either. How do I get E to see his actions are disturbing everyone?
I know 6 a.m. may seem like a fine time to wake up, but it just doesn't work in this family. And J will not stay asleep without me right there, we've tried that. I just don't know what to do anymore. I really need everyone to sleep until around 8, or at least, I need everyone to play quietly or sleep until then.
If this is fruitless, tell me so I can get in the right mindset about it all. Right now, I'm raging inside over it.
I have explained before bedtime that he is welcome in our bed IF he goes back to sleep, but if he wants to be up or can't fall back asleep, he has to stay in his room and read quietly or play quietly. I've explained at 6 a.m he needs to go back to sleep in my bed or he can go back to his own room and read or play quietly. I admit, I've yelled at him that early in the morning. I'm just not a morning person - sorry. I just don't know how to get it through his head that he can't come in there if he's going to make noises that will wake everyone. On top of it, with two growing boys and me expecting #3, our bed really can't hold 5 anymore (DH, me, E, J and my growing belly and pillow supply). DH can't help much as he is gone during the week during this time (leaves for work around 5) and on weekends, he's just going to go military that early-he has no patience for it (trust me, he tries, but is so tired, it just comes out mean and nasty) so that leaves me. But I can't get up and move E because J will freak out and I'll never get him back to sleep. And E won't listen and leave the room without melodramatics. It's time for this to end because with a new baby on the way, who I want to cosleep with, I just can't see where a 4 year old will fit physically in a queen size bed. The only other solution I see is getting up and taking my 2 year old with me to E's room and sleeping there. But once baby comes, I'll be taking two babies out of the room. That doesn't seem right either. How do I get E to see his actions are disturbing everyone?
I know 6 a.m. may seem like a fine time to wake up, but it just doesn't work in this family. And J will not stay asleep without me right there, we've tried that. I just don't know what to do anymore. I really need everyone to sleep until around 8, or at least, I need everyone to play quietly or sleep until then.
If this is fruitless, tell me so I can get in the right mindset about it all. Right now, I'm raging inside over it.