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Early waking toddler advice

P is nearly 19 months and we have been lucky in that she's been a fab sleeper, going 12/13 hours on average a night since she was 10 weeks old. She isjusta girl who needs lots of sleep, she has only just gone down to one 2 hour nap a day, from two 2 hour ones up until a few weeks ago. 

She goes to bed at 6.30/7ish at latest and usually wakes up about the same time in the morning. However, over the last few weeks she has been creeping earlier and earlier....this morning she wanted to getup at 4.30. Managed to put her back for another hour but then she was pretty determined to get up. We've always been very strict with night wakings and if she does wake in the night she doesn't even leave her room and always goes straight back to sleep. 

The mornings are different though as she just wants to get up. She grabs at her sleeping bag poppers and shouts 'off' and points at the door. 

It's dark at that time now so it's not thelight waking her. We moved house at the start of August and it's sort of coincided with that BUT her new room is further from us so she's less disturbed etc. It hasn't affected her sleep at all in any other way so i don't think it's the move. 

Any tips/ideas/thoughts? I thought about pushing her bedtime back but she is SO tired by 6.30 that even 7 is beyond her most evenings. I don't think we can physically keep her up much longer. I know people have used the grow clock thingies successfully with older toddlers but i don't think she'd understand that yet. 

Replies

  • Sorry, no advice. I just hope this is a phase she grows out of quickly x x

  • No advice either! N has always been an early riser (between 5 and 5.30). Hopefully it's just a phase and she'll go back to normal for you soon!

  • No advise but all mine have gone through phases of waking early so hopefully it won't last long.  

  • Could you cut her nap down a wee bit or push it to earlier in the day? Groclock works here and has for approx a year I think but that makes M almost 2 and half when we started using it. A friends wee one started using a wee bit younger but not much.

    Hugs though it's horrible being woken at that time especially when they won't go back down!

  • Thanks ladies. Her nap is pretty variable in time, she'll go 11-1 or 12-2 or 1-3 depending on what we're going and it doesn't seem to make a difference. Perhaps i'll try and dotheearlier shift for awhile and see although it's hard when we have swimming/groups etc.

    Fingers crossed it's just a phase. I'm struggling with tiredness as it it. Perhaps she's just training me up for a newborn already!

  • Could it be hunger waking her up? Does she want anything to eat or is she just bouncy? You could try shortening the day time nap by half an hour and see if that helps.

  • She's not desperate for food no, she always has her breakfast at 7 whatever time she's woken up and is happy to wait until then.

    I might try with the nap but as she's only just gone from 4 to 2 hours nap a day i'm reluctant to as she does still seem to need it and is exhausted by bedtime. SO hard to know what's best!

  • What happens if you just leave her to it? N is happy playing in his cot until he's ready to get out. Will she go back to sleep or does she get cross?

  • No she starts to scream! We have always left her chatting etc and she'll often resettle but once she wants to get up you know about it!!!

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