Anyone else deals with sleep issues at age 4? My son is 4.5years old. It seems like since he’s turned four every few weeks, he hits a “phase” of not being able to fall asleep. He acts super tired in the evenings and still gets in bed at 7 pm but will lay there awake until 9 pm. I have no idea why because he seems very tired, so I’ve never considered changing bedtime. A couple of months ago, I got him a gro clock because he was also hitting “phases” of waking up crazy early. The clock helped tremendously with that, and he stays in his bed until the wake-up time. I would love advice or to hear from other parents who have gone through sleep issues at this age. I will add that he does not nap, we get lots of outdoor time and our evening routine consists of dinner, bath, PJs, a tv show, books/snack, and then up to the bathroom and bed. It’s been the same routine for years
When it’s bath time put lavender bath oil, use the lavender soap and give him a small cup of sleepytime tea w/ a lil honey. This should be the last activity as you put him into bed. TV stimulates and causes restlessness.
Maybe try Melatonin 1mg gummies for kids. All natural sleep aid. Consult your doctor first, of course.
My first child required so little sleep it concerned me enough to bring it to his Pediatrician’s attention. When I did so, he responded with a smile and said, “ some people require less sleep than others, he will naturally find his rhythm, allow him to do so” Today that “ Baby” is A Captain in a very busy Fire Dept. Often going without sleep for 24 hours or more.
Maybe he’s overtired and really needs a daily nap.
Make sure nothing has happened to him. See if he feel safe
Try a child’s dose of Melatonin. It’s over the counter and there are several children’s products to chose from. It has helped me tremendously and my daughter started my grandson (9 yrs) and it’s really helped. Melatonin is a hormone our body produces in the brain. Very interesting to research.
Had these issues with both kids. I turned the tv off 30 minutes before bed then allowed my kids to have books in their rooms to read if the couldn’t sleep. Worked quite well. They couldn’t get out of bed but could read. I also let them play with a stuffed animal as long as the stayed in bed. Brings good memories listening to them from the hallway🥰
Bed time lotion and bed time bad we use it on all are grandkids when their over tried and fighting their sleep
My son, who is 9 now, had the same kind of sleeping issue also, so I can feel how tired you are. I’ve, on the other hand, never found solutions. I used to take him for a drive when he woke up like 3 am. Now, I have let YouTube babysit him.
I use moshi music app for both kids and they still use it.
Lavender bath before bed or defuse with lavender
Have you tried some sleepy time bath soaps, lotions, etc? Or maybe some decaf sleepy time tea? Some soft music or white noise?
Yeah TV SHOWS SNACKS AND THEN BED TIME NO PHSIYCAL ACTIVITY NO RUNNING NO JUMPING NOTHING ??? CHILDREN NEED TO BURN THEIR ENERGIES FOR SOUND SLEEP !!
As a nurse and a mom I would highly recommend using melatonin for a few weeks to help reset the sleep clock on your child. I used that every year with my kids to get back into the fall/school routine when we blew it out of the water during summer. It helps to regulate the sleep cycle. My kids would use it 2-3 weeks at a time until the sleep pattern improved then only as needed. Give it to them about an hour before bed time. It’s not an overnight fix but in a week or 2 you should have a routine again.
7 seems pretty early. Going to bed that early I’d expect my kids up by 5AM That’s 10 hours of sleep. If he’s not falling asleep until 9 I’d be adjusting the time for bedtime to like 830-9.
All my kids had a 9pm bed time and up at 7am and my children stopped napping at 2 by there own choice. They just stopped, so I adjusted the sleep schedule and it’s been great.
Give him kids melatonin
This is me…as an adult. I started doing this…same age. Nothing works and meds suck imho bc the side effects. I wake up feeling worse like hungover. I Just deal with it. I always have. It goes on for months until i stay up so late i reset.
My dr recommend melatonin for my four year old… I give it just for naps during the day because he wouldn’t nap and was so tired and grumpy and then for bed time he was so overtired he couldn’t get to sleep … but the melatonin did wonders he got a nice nap where he was relaxed after and sleeps better at night …
I’ve heard melatonin works great on kids. But he may just be a sucky sleeper. I always have been. I take ages to sleep and ages to wake up (and I’m a heavy sleeper). I also go through cycles of insomnia and cycles where I will wake up 3 or 4 times in the night.
It’s because you’re putting him to bed at 7. Change his bedtime.
I had the same issue… i took my kids in to their dr n he said sometimes they hit lil growth spurts n messes up their sleep or appetite… he suggested i give them kids melatonin (he suggested zarbees cuz its all natural n a small amount) he said only do half to start or a whole one if it doesn’t work… sleep them at the same hour every night(so they get into a routine with the melatonin n sleep) did it for about 1-2 weeks only n took it off… after that they would go to sleep at the same time n stay asleep without the melatonin… good luck momma hang in there n have some coffee n patience im sure ur doing amazing 
I would not recommend changing his bed time. Kids this age NEED at the very least 12-13 hours of sleep per day. It seems like he may be overtired. Try offering a nap. My five year old goes to bed at 7:30, sleeps until 6:30am and gets a 1-2 hour nap at 11. Melatonin may help get him back into a routine.
Growth spurts? Idk, i give my 4 year old melatonin on nights that are harder for him and he is out without much of a fuss.
You’re 0putting him to bed at 7PM, it’s still light out, hes probably confused.
Try young living essential oils…they have all kinds of kids oils to help with everything…my daughter who will be turning 2 uses the sleeptime oils and shes out for the count…also change his bedtime from 7 to 8 or 830
Maybe because he’s getting older he doesn’t need as much sleep. If he sleeps in late then that will effect it to.
Dont be doping your child to get him to sleep. Just change his bedtime. I use to always put my child to bed around 9 pm.
If I put my 5yr old to bed at 7pm she would be up at 3 or 4am
My niece gets to the point where she’s so tired she can’t sleep…I know sounds weird but think she’s just so tense from being SO tired she can’t relax. Maybe instead of afternoon nap, your little can just do a 45 min rest time….just to look at a book and relax
Mine watches tv to go to sleep. If anything cut the eating before bed.
Maybe it’s because it’s still light outside when he goes to bed so in his mind it’s not night time. I’d suggest getting black out curtains for his room!
Don’t worry, momma, plenty of kids watch tv before bed and have a snack and sleep just fine, it’s not always that.
Melatonin. My son has never been a good sleeper. When he started school, he’d be awake late at night and would be grumpy getting up for school so I started giving him melatonin and it’s helped. If I don’t give it to him on weekends, he’s up all night. He is almost 8. My girls never had this problem so it was new to me.
Maybe 7pm is just to early for bedtime.
My son has that problem. He’s also got adhd. His doctor and I communicate on a monthly basis about his medication and sleep schedules. My son takes low dose methylphenidate in the morning and high dose melatonin at night. We cut off internet at 8:30 he’s 9 so I see that as a decent time. It might help to decrease the blue light filter on the tv I’ve noticed it helps my kids if I set evening settings to warm.
Each of my 4 were different with their sleep patterns (My oldest would fall straight asleep, #2 wide awake all night (If I would have let him), #3 either I had to lay with him until he fell asleep or wake up with him crawling into my bed, and #4… well, I didn’t get more than 3, maybe 4 hours until she was about 3 1/2 years old. No matter what I did, her sleep schedule would work it’s way back to sleeping like she was a 3rd shift worker - during the day, ugh. Thankfully I wasn’t working then). Some things are consistently argued about in parenting groups… I can only say what helped me -my oldest is 23 and youngest is 9. (I see you are doing some of them and other parents have also advised…) - Keep a bedtime routine, adding lavender is a wonderful idea if it works for him (It never worked for #4 
). Some kids are sensitive to electronics/screens. In my experience (with #2 & #4) they would only fall asleep watching a movie (I kept it to the same one… hoping they would get bored but also one they enjoyed). You could also try reading a book instead of T.V. (This worked with #1 and #3). I read the same book every night and as they got older age 4-6 they would “read” the book (from memory). Goodnight moon is a great bed time book (This was #1’s and I have a collectors edition to give to her when she has kids). #3 was sensitive to electronics so after reading his book I would lay/cuddle with him (it had to be completely dark with a nightlight that was in the foyer, leaving his door cracked a bit so it wasn’t pitch black - and so he could see his way to the bathroom) for about 10-15 minutes that it took him to fall asleep then ninja my way out from under him & out of his room 
. I was never the type that could let my kids “cry it out” at bedtime (nap time was another story… up to a point) and have read countless books on the subject that started 19 years ago when #2 was almost a 1-year-old and not the easy sleeper like his sister, #1. My 3 younger ones were sensitive to it still being light outside. Room darkening curtains helped a lot with this (until we had a neighbor who would let their kids play outside- yelling, laughing, etc). You could try making his bedtime later. Even stating at 7:30 pm, if that doesn’t work, 8 pm. I always found it easier to adjust their schedules at 15-30 minute intervals. White-noise can help with some kids, even something as simple as a small fan. A humidifier or EO diffuser can help (there are some that have dim night lights and/or allow you to add drops of EO - like Lavender, Chamomile (German chamomile or Roman chamomile), Geranium, Marjoram Sweet, Mandarin, Cedarwood Atlas, Patchouli, Clary Sage, Chamomile Roman, and Blue Tansy, or if they have a cold there are others that can help (you may want to check with your ped.). And with my hardest sleeper… (#4) Rocking her, singing, humming (likely because I did this while pregnant with her) and then what finally helped (suggested by her ped.) was Melatonin. Even at age 9 she still will sometimes need this if she had stayed up later on a weekend or at a sleepover, to help get back to her regular schedule. Sorry about the book… I know how frustrating it can be when they have trouble sleeping. Every kid is different. Finding what helps is a game of trial and error. Hopefully this helped a bit. Good luck!
Talk to his doc. But yea tv stimulates the brain making it hard to fall asleep. Or try melatonin. Or adhd or add could be coming into play.
It all depends on what he is sensitive too… electronics, food, noise, light can affect him. Try a few things for a few days. Like no electronics atleast 30mins before bedtime. Do that for a few days. If that doesn’t work try something else,also for a few days. Also…if he’s napping during the day maybe remove the nap or don’t allow him to take long naps.
Whatever bedtime you set him at is your choice. If light is bothering him turn them off. Get darker curtains.
I give my child 1gm of childern’s melatonin, and I have white noise playing in the background. It’s also good to give your child about an hour so before sleep time to calm down from the days activities…
7pm is just too early in my opinion
Kids get restless, sometimes it just happens. He could be over stimulated. You didn’t say what time he wakes. I would try some down time during the day, even if its just 30 mins or so of TV.
Get rid of that clock for starters. Imagine waking up in the morning but being forced to stay in bed because mommy wants another 2 hours of sleep. Be a parent and actually get up with your kid instead of using a freaking clock to babysit your child
My daughter has had a lot of sleeping issues. She would fight her sleep at night and wouldn’t stay asleep (with no naps). So it felt like she was a newborn again. We had to talk with her doctor about it because melatonin did the opposite for her. It made her more awake then tired. She also has allergies, so at first the doctor thought that was the cause. Well after almost 2 years we got her to see a sleep study doctor. Find out she needed her tonsils and adenoids taken out. After that was done. Her sleeping got better. She still has a few nights here and there were she has trouble staying asleep but she says it’s because of her dreams.
I would chat with his doctor and see that they say.
My son and daughter-in-law gives their children melatonin. It puts them to sleep.
We had our evening meal, bath and pjs and story time. I read to them from books with interesting stories. Each child had his/her own blanket and pillow. They liked to be on the floor while I read to them. Wish I could remember some of the book. We enjoyed several of “Hank, the cowdog”, stories. I changed my voice for different animals and people.
My great grandson stay awake all night. Don’t have an answer just concerns.
I found with my children and grandchildren that they usually slept better with a nap. Children can get overly tired and then not sleep.
Maybe switch it around. Watch TV , then a snack, bath and a story to fall asleep to.
I am the same way, I’ll be exhausted and go to bed and I am suddenly wide awake. But if I go to bed later, the same thing happens and I’m just more exhausted in the morning. Keep your routine, unfortunately you’ll have to just ride it out.
Try a j& j lavender nite time bath. Right before bed. It worked on my grandson. Worth a shot
Sounds like he may be over tired. A quiet time in afternoon might help.
Try Dr. Teal’s Kids Sleep Bath
Try letting him stay up later
If the bedtime routine is as you state I recommend switching it around to see if that helps. Bath, pjs (the nighttime/lavender bath and lotion) and then in bed with some books read to help wind down (possibly with soft relaxing music) right before bed. Possibly do a short walk after dinner.
If he appears tired in the late morning/afternoon have some quiet time and if he falls asleep a little nap. Daycares and even in kindergarten there is some relax time for kiddos so this could help him.
Not sure how dark his room is at night but if you don’t have black out curtains maybe use them to block the light out if you want to maintain the same routine.
I remember the rough bedtimes at that age and I sympathize with your struggles!
My daughter has sleeping issues and she is 4 we would put her to bed around 8 an she would not go to sleep till 10-11 pm so we were turned on to melatonin gummys an I will stand by them they are all natural an they have been a life saver
Tv sand snack might wind him up. A bath with relax him.
It’s is a stage that he is going through as he gets older now play tym must increase bathtym the after supper and then some warm milk and lights out. Children this age needs me
Metal and physical tiredness to sleep band an evening bath should help with that
Do you have blackout curtains in his bedroom fir these light nights and mornings. I cant get to sleep if there is any light in my room. Nor can I sleep if there is too much perfume about as in bubble bath, fabric softeners, plug ins , candles etc. In the house.
Give a tubby with lavender scented Epsom salt before bedtime and eliminate tv.
I’ve never understood why everyone is so set on a time for kids to go to bed. . I don’t mean to offend anyone but it’s summer. Time is different and even as adults ( which I find funny ) when it " Springs Forward " some grown-ups act like it’s hard to adjust… I have 2 daughters & every summer we simply adjusted the time according to the sun a little, I always felt like they probably were just like me, wanting to enjoy the evening a little more since there’s more time before the singles down… maybe his mind just can’t shut down quite so early anymore & he doesn’t know how to tell you… readjust the other way when the time goes back . . If you live somewhere that the time Didn’t adjust that’s way then I’m not sure what’s up… my girls never slept like others . . I couldn’t do a 7pm time for bed their dad was a 2nd shifter so our days were set-up differently anyway.
I think. Bath, read stories, prayers, then bed. 7pm is pretty early. Start this routine at 7pm. He will be tucking in by 8pm. This has worked on my children and now my grandchildren.
Try this…no food or drink after 7…tell him he had to stay up till 10 and have clock in front of you. Put blanket and pillow on floor. Tell him he can stay up but he can’t play with anything. Go about your night. Do this until he falls asleep on his own close to his regular bedtime. Put a nightlight in his room. You might need a calmining sound like rain played till he falls asleep
It may be the same routine for years but he is growing up. How about a later bedtime?
I would not do tv or any electronic stuff a couple of hours before bed. The blue light messes with sleeping.
It is still day light at 7pm this may be part of the problem
Try rest and restore get it from chemisits or woolworths
It may be time to move bedtime to 8 …p.m.and then follow all the other suggestions
Consult a sleep specialist , it did wonders for my child.
I am going to just mention this as an adult and not being able to sleep. Everyone forces their kids to go to bed because that is what they think they are suppose to do. And that is what society tells us and mom and dad want “their” time. Because kids have to get up early. Me and my brother always struggled because we were always tired and couldn’t get up for school. As I got into my teens I stayed out late. I finally had a sleep study done to find out I am just a nocturnal person. So some of these kids might just be nocturnal and are on a different clock than the parents. Unfortunately as they do get older they are going to like to stay up later and they can’t help not being able to fall asleep. And even being a natural supplement giving them melatonin is just changing the chemicals in their little brains. I have been one that thinks the schools should start later and there should be more flexibility for mothers in the work place. But I also think that we should be able to live on one income too. Kids don’t get enough sleep having to go to daycare if they can’t sleep well at night. But I am no expert just my own sleep experiences and wish they looked into it more with our children.