15 month old waking up like this and I’m really struggling

[cringeaa]

I’m a lone parent. Ds is 15 months and used to wake at a reasonable hour. It’s progressively got worse and worse and literally every day for the last month he’s woken 5 min earlier each day. Now we are at 5:30am and I’m just not coping with it. I know it probably doesn’t seem too bad but when you’re on your own 24/7 it’s awful. Why is he doing this? Please help. What can I do? I’ve tried adjusting the bedtime earlier and later but it makes no difference.

@cringeaa he is overtired and that’s what is causing the early morning waking. What’s going on with naps, is he refusing them?

I think you just need to accept that for a while, you need to go to bed earlier. It is annoying, but highly unlikely to continue for that long. How late is he going to bed?

Routine for 15 month old is usually:
From 6am wake (anything before is considered a night wake)
7am breakfast eg weetabix and banana or porridge and blueberries, both made with full fat cow’s milk, with a large cup of milk to drink (no bottle)

9am snack eg couple of rice cakes and a cup of water

11.45am lunch with plenty of protein, Greek yoghurt for dessert. Plenty of water

12.30-2.30 nap

3pm cup of milk and small snack such as a toasted crumpet with butter

5pm dinner, carb based with a cup of water

6pm bath

6.30pm milk

7pm bed lights out no messing. If the nap has been short, bed 6.30pm or even 6

Treat as a night time waking, don’t get up and have breakfast as that will set that habit of eating at that time. Set an alarm for some time prior to the waking (such as 1/2am) and gently rouse them, they should then settle back into a new sleep cycle and sleep for longer, you should do this for at least 3 nights for it to work.