Early waking baby/nap deprived toddler

[PaulHollywoodsSexGut]

Morning!
I have 3 DC, DD4, DS2 and DD who’s just turned 1.

My DDs share a room, DS has a room on his own.

DS typically sleeps through the night but is starting to shrink that from 8-5:30

Youngest DD tends to get restless and cry around then too. I can’t work out who sets who off.

DS does not nap anymore, but will crash out if we put him in the buggy after 3 leading to a nightmare bedtime.

Did any of you reinstate a toddler’s nap and how did you do it?

I know that Youngest DD waking at 5ish is really common in babies so we are limiting her sleep in the day to half an hour AM and max two at lunch, sleep boot camp starts today.

But it’s DS I’m most concerned about. He seems shattered 2 hours after waking up meaning he’s a whiney overtired clinger for the remaining 14 hours he’s awake.

Had to put him to bed at 6 last night as he was walking into furniture with exhaustion.

Excuse my rambling, I’ve been up for 4 hours and I’m fucked.

I can't help with the nap issue, but so you have blackout blinds/curtains? I'm wondering if your toddler is responding to the sun rising earlier and that's why he's beginning to wake so early - if you don't they may be worth a try.

Yep, the room is as dark as dark can be. Sure there are cracks of light, very small ones we can’t hope to deter as we have bay windows.

Did you have a non napping toddler?

I feel like I’m going a bit mad

Once that nap is gone, it's gone I'm afraid. It's a shitty transitional time. It'll pass. We used to use afternoon TV (Dora, that sort of thing) slot in that stage.

Could the 1 year old and two year old both have a early lunch then both nap around 11? And wake 2 year old up earlier. Then start bedtime 6.30/7.

Sorry not much advice but just to say it must be so hard with 3 so young! My DD is 2 and I find it a struggle. Well done and hang in there.

Yeah, we put him in front of the telly for an hour or so, he’s very into Moana and Frozen but now his overtiredness turns him into the Tasmanian Devil after about 30 mins. It’s a real shame.

We might drag the kindle fire out the loft and stick him in his blacked out bedroom with it at lunch. In the living room there’s just too much going “on”.

Bumping for the pre bedtime evening shift

My son (2.5years) goes through nap phases. He will go weeks sometimes months without one then starts having one every other day. So it's definitely possible to bring it back I think. Also if he wakes at 5 and doesn't nap he goes to bed at 5! My goal usually if he wakes at 5 (or earlier) is to try and get him to nap by walking with puschair and then he can get to bed a bit later (still only 6:30 though). So basically yes try to get him to nap if he wakes super early... Sometimes my son will surpsingly fall asleep in puschair at 10-11am!! This is great then as he's plenty tired enough for bedtime still. But sometimes he just won't fall asleep so I know that will be an earlier bedtime for him that day. Just always try to offer a puschair nap if you can!