Sleep Deprivation via 3 Year Old

I am suffering from a case of sleep deprivation via 3 year old. I am slowly being sucked of all rest by my 3 year old, Fuzzy. For almost 2 weeks now he has developed a habit that is seriously messing with my much needed beauty sleep. He has been getting up, bright eyed and bushy tailed at 3:30 in the morning ready to start his day.

The 3:30 a.m. wake up call usually comes in the form of him shouting from his room for Papa Bear or I at the top of his lungs which accomplishes 2 things - startling us from slumber and usually waking up Wee One. I know you're thinking, big deal, go in, comfort him and he will go back to sleep...WRONG!

When I stumble to his room (which requires me to pass through the kitchen and past the table and other likely toe stubbing obstacles) and open the door he is almost always sitting in his bed with the light on looking much like most people do at 9 a.m. He looks well rested and ready to go and requesting a toy that he can't reach.

I have approached this situation from all angles. I have tried to get him to lay back down and stay with him hoping for him to go back to sleep. I end up in some contorted position in his toddler sized race car bed, half asleep myself, being poked in the nose or having my eyelids forced open by his tiny fingers. This results in some serious back/leg/neck/shoulder pain and a little boy who not only is wide awake but having a good time at my expense.

I have tried tough love and told him point blank that it is time for bed and I am not coming into his room again. This only makes him cry (gradually getting louder and louder), makes me feel like worlds worst mama and doesn't get either of us any closer to getting back to sleep.

I have tried a few other things like giving him a book or a stuffed animal or something to do until he (in theory) falls back to sleep. This just sets me up for a series of requests for several different items until I get mad or the alarm clock goes off.

The only solution, which isn't really a solution but me giving in is when Papa Bear has to leave for work at 2:30 a.m, filling his spot in the bed with Fuzzy. For some reason there is a difference between his bed and mine. There is no nose poking or eyelid raising in my bed. He just lays there and either falls asleep or is at least quiet and still enough for me to.

Though the last option works for me to get some sleep it is not at all the solution I am looking for. I am anti-kid-in-the-bed. I am getting some sleep but not at all quality sleep and waking constantly. Fuzzy uses up as much or more of our queen sized the bed than Papa Bear. He tosses and turns and likes my pillow better than his own or Papa Bear's.

I really hope this is just a phase because it is really getting old and I am seriously in need of more than 3 consecutive hours of sleep. At the rate we're going, if this continues the zombification of Mama will be complete by the end of November.



* Just a note that blogging while sleep deprived results in an extra long proof reading and spell checking process...zzz...