I know, part of that is my fault. I stay up until midnight at the very least, often until one thirty in the morning, writing. My personal time doesn't begin until after nine in the evening, and I use it to recharge in a variety of ways.But I also stay up late because I know Jake will be up at least twice before midnight, and I don't like the idea of him roaming the house without anyone supervising him.
We have a system right now. I'll stay at my computer writing and he will get up at ten and midnight to get a drink, then I will put him back in his bed. It doesn't matter if there's water in a cup (or twelve cups) right next to his bed within arm's reach. He still gets up and searches for me. I've tried ignoring him and letting him sleep on the couch, instructing him from my chair, tucking him in and singing a song, and getting angry. None of it will keep him from getting out of bed. Sigh.
Recently, he's also taking a pit-stop in the bathroom, which is exciting for us who have been potty training him for like FOUR YEARS now. He's becoming aware that he needs to pee in the middle of the night. Baby steps.
Once I go to bed, I cross my fingers and hope he doesn't get up. Locking him in his room is frowned upon. And I have a lock on our front door that is similar to the hotel locks at the top. It's kept him inside thus far.
Usually, he'll come crawl into bed with me sometime between two and four in the morning, and I spend the rest of the night with his face pressed next to mine, and him breathing on my face. Drives me crazy. And I sleep horribly. Most days I'm a walking zombie and I try to squeeze in an hour's sleep toward mid-day.
But he's seven and a half now. I'm getting tired of him sleeping in my bed (and so is my husband!). We've tried weighted blankets, different pajamas - and no pajamas. Making his room cold, music, white noise, fans, and other things.
Now, we've completed our third sleep study and are meeting with the neurologist to get him fitted for a c-pap machine for sleep apnea. I have NO idea how I'm going to get him to sleep with the thing on, but I'm desperate! I'm crossing my fingers and hoping it keeps him asleep. Because I don't know how much longer I canzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz