Fellow night owls - please give me some tips...

[cooniez]

on how to get your butt out of bed in the morning when you're at DL? DD has been taking later naps/later bedtime ever since she got a really bad ear/eye infection & cold almost a month ago. I've tried to get her to take naps earlier, but nothing works. Just wondering, for those like me whose bedtime is 2-3am (or later)...how do you last through the day (esp. during MM) when you're at DL? I just can't imagine sleeping at 4 am only to wake up at 5:30am to be at DL at 6:30am!

 

[DmaxHawk]

on how to get your butt out of bed in the morning when you're at DL? DD has been taking later naps/later bedtime ever since she got a really bad ear/eye infection & cold almost a month ago. I've tried to get her to take naps earlier, but nothing works. Just wondering, for those like me whose bedtime is 2-3am (or later)...how do you last through the day (esp. during MM) when you're at DL? I just can't imagine sleeping at 4 am only to wake up at 5:30am to be at DL at 6:30am!

To me, caffeine or any other energy supplement won't be the same as getting a good night's sleep. I would do away with going to bed at 2 or 3, get to sleep earlier. We had to get up at 5:30 also to get in line for Magic Morning. We did the park and went back to the hotel room around 10am, when the crowds started to get there, to rest up and sometimes a nap.

Maybe if you're at home start "training." Go to bed 10 minutes earlier each night until you have reached a point where you got enough sleep. DL is no fun if you don't have the energy to enjoy it.

 

[PinkBudgie]

The motivation should be the knowledge that if you arrive at DLR around 11am, you will have missed the best time in the park with short lines.

I agree, start adjusting now to make it easier. During the summer, our whole family is off. We are both teachers so we tend to start going to bed later and later and sleeping in longer and longer. When we have to get ready for DLR or for school to start again we start getting up a little earlier than we would have. This makes you tired earlier that night. If I try to just go to bed earlier, I end up laying there for a long time and not sleeping. So I have to start with making myself get up earlier.

 

[JeannieNM]

Or just skip the mornings. I am going to DL with 12 teenagers. As you know teenager's bodies are not meant to up in the am. We will be the last ones in the park and the last ones out of the park. We will use fast passes and whatever we have to, even waiting in long lines but there is not point in fighting mother nature, she will always win.

 

[JeannieNM]

Or just skip the mornings. I am going to DL with 12 teenagers. As you know teenager's bodies are not meant to up in the am. We will be the last ones in the park and the last ones out of the park. We will use fast passes and whatever we have to, even waiting in long lines but there is not point in fighting mother nature, she will always win.

 

[Mister Toad]

on how to get your butt out of bed in the morning when you're at DL? DD has been taking later naps/later bedtime ever since she got a really bad ear/eye infection & cold almost a month ago. I've tried to get her to take naps earlier, but nothing works. Just wondering, for those like me whose bedtime is 2-3am (or later)...how do you last through the day (esp. during MM) when you're at DL? I just can't imagine sleeping at 4 am only to wake up at 5:30am to be at DL at 6:30am!

I say just tough it out. Whenever I go (given I don't usually have the time for long trips) I am there from open to close (8am-Midnight). I just tough it out for a few days, but I can operate on 6 hours sleep no problem. My opinion it probably totally invalid since I don't have the added issue of kids though.

How does your daughter like Nyquil?

 

[LavenderPeach]

How old is your DD? Could you just not put her down for a nap so she'll be tired for an early bed time? If she does need a nap, you could try waking her up after an hour (or maybe even earlier if you think that might work) so she's not taking a really long sleep during the day.

Besides that, I agree with what others said. Make yourself get up early now and start going to bed a little earlier every night so you'll be ready. You don't have to be there at park opening but it is SO worth it because the lines are so short the first few hours.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Or just skip the mornings. I am going to DL with 12 teenagers. As you know teenager's bodies are not meant to up in the am. We will be the last ones in the park and the last ones out of the park. We will use fast passes and whatever we have to, even waiting in long lines but there is not point in fighting mother nature, she will always win.

Well, my two 16 year old boys will fight mother nature and anything else that would keep them from getting to DLR first thing in the morning so they can ride Splash Mountain over and over and over and over before the crowds come!

 

[cooniez]

DD is 2 yrs. old. I've tried getting her to nap earlier, but it's not working so far. We've tried skipping the nap altogether (when it's 8pm & she STILL hasn't napped), but then if she falls asleep at 11pm she will just wake up at 3am....so basically it just ended up being a REALLY late nap!

I can definitely wake up if need be, but I'm not one to drink energy drinks/coffee/tea (just don't like the taste of all 3) to stay awake. And again, nothing can replace sleep as pp said! DD has taken to a different pattern these last couples of days where she's taken her nap earlier (say 5 pm, a GOOD thing), but then she'll still sleep around 4am and then she'll wake up at 10am!! I don't think my body can take any more of this!

 

[drag n' fly]

IMO the quickest and safest way to get a child's sleep/wake cycle back on track is with melatonin. It is more commonly used than you think. It is extremely effective and commonly used in helping the sleep patterns of autistic, ADD and brain injured children. If you have any concerns discuss them with your GP We have used it as has our kids. It is commonly used to help with jetlag

 

[kailuagirl]

I feel your concerns! I had them last June. My DD2 is a night owl and late sleeper, and we came from a 3 hour time difference earlier, so it made it even more difficult to wake up early.

But trust me, try to figure it out. We didn't get to the park before 10 at all (park opened at 8), didn't even get to use our MM. It was packed when we got there everyday. The last day we were able to go early and oh my, what a difference in the crowd level. DH and I were so sad and upset that we didn't do something more about waking up earlier, we couldn't believe the difference (even though you all told me otherwise). But we just couldn't get there early. We stayed until closing everyday since at closing it was only like 10p at home. We thought the shorter lines late were great, until we saw early morning. Never again! I'm planning our next trip for Nov. and I'm already thinking how I'm going to get her on a difference schedule so we don't miss out again.

Good luck, you'll figure something out. Just know your options

 

[chrissiecutie]

IMO the quickest and safest way to get a child's sleep/wake cycle back on track is with melatonin. It is more commonly used than you think. It is extremely effective and commonly used in helping the sleep patterns of autistic, ADD and brain injured children. If you have any concerns discuss them with your GP We have used it as has our kids. It is commonly used to help with jetlag

I haven't tried melatonin with DS- didn't even think to use it with kids. I'll have to do some research on it.

However, I do give it to my DH and trust me when I say it works! Knocks my football linebacker sized hubby on his rear! And all within 30-60 mins after taking just one pill! I must confess to sometimes slipping it in his nightly vitamin cocktail just so I can get a good night's sleep as well.

I've tried taking it and it doesn't work for me, not sure why?? I also read that it wasn't good for those who have heart conditions, so I stopped taking it altogether. But I love it for DH!

 

[Judy from Boise]

My vote is to do enough days so short lines don't really matter. If you have 5 day passes it becomes irrelevant to haul yourself out of bed in the am. Arrive in time for an early lunch each day, and close the parks down.

 

[spacemermaid]

Fellow nite owl/insomniac chiming in here...


Seconding the advice to spread your time in the Park over several days if possible. I've not stayed onsite in ages (we're talking since the early 90s) so Magic Mornings aren't an issue, but I've found that even if I only got a couple of hours sleep the night before, I'm able to haul myself out of bed to be at the Park for rope drop powered by sheer excitement alone After a few hours, though, it's back to the hotel for a long nap and a swim (if the weather permits) and / or some time in the hot tub. It works out perfectly because I get some much needed rest along with the bonus of being away from the Park when it's busiest and, depending on the time of year, hottest. After the nap and swim I'm ready to head back to the Park and stay til closing...

 

[Leofoenget]

on how to get your butt out of bed in the morning when you're at DL? DD has been taking later naps/later bedtime ever since she got a really bad ear/eye infection & cold almost a month ago. I've tried to get her to take naps earlier, but nothing works. Just wondering, for those like me whose bedtime is 2-3am (or later)...how do you last through the day (esp. during MM) when you're at DL? I just can't imagine sleeping at 4 am only to wake up at 5:30am to be at DL at 6:30am!

Could you NOT go to bed stay up do the mornings and then crash for a long nap around noon to 5 then stay until the park closes? I go to bed late 1-2 and I'm pretty ok getting up at 7. Here's a thought go to bed earlier

 

[cooniez]

IMO the quickest and safest way to get a child's sleep/wake cycle back on track is with melatonin.

I have never heard of that, but will definitely look into it.

We didn't get to the park before 10 at all (park opened at 8), didn't even get to use our MM. It was packed when we got there everyday.

I definitely want to take advantage of the MM, so no matter what I want to make sure to be at the park early (even if it means I'm a zombie!)

My vote is to do enough days so short lines don't really matter. If you have 5 day passes it becomes irrelevant to haul yourself out of bed in the am. Arrive in time for an early lunch each day, and close the parks down.

We did the B3G2 PH tickets, so we will have 5 days, but I still want to try to do as much as we can early in the trip just in case. Plus we don't know when the next time will be that we can go to DL.

Fellow nite owl/insomniac chiming in here...


Seconding the advice to spread your time in the Park over several days if possible. I've not stayed onsite in ages (we're talking since the early 90s) so Magic Mornings aren't an issue, but I've found that even if I only got a couple of hours sleep the night before, I'm able to haul myself out of bed to be at the Park for rope drop powered by sheer excitement alone After a few hours, though, it's back to the hotel for a long nap and a swim (if the weather permits) and / or some time in the hot tub. ...

I am hoping that if nothing changes in her schedule that being hyped up alone may get me through, but it was part of our plan to go back to GCH mid-day (not just to avoid the crowds, but to get what I'm sure will be some much-needed rest).

Could you NOT go to bed stay up do the mornings and then crash for a long nap around noon to 5 then stay until the park closes? I go to bed late 1-2 and I'm pretty ok getting up at 7. Here's a thought go to bed earlier

That's another option, too, since I do feel worse getting 1-2 hrs. of sleep & waking up again then I would just staying up for a while. Also, we've tried taking DD to bed earlier in the hopes that being in the dark & in bed would somehow make her sleep...NOPE! She just ends up playing/rolling/jumping on the bed for hours & hours.