2yr old - routines and early waking zzz

[florence79]

Bit stuck with my little man who has taken to waking at 5am ish...He used to wake at 7am. I go through at 5am, pop him back down in his cot and he then goes through to 6.15/6.30. Havent done crying it out as we live in a terrace and I'm paranoid about the neighbours!! DS takes his main nap of the day at 11/11.30 and sleeps through to 14.00 where he has lunch. Dinner is 17.30/18.00 and then bed at 19.00. I wondered whether I should move his lunch to 11am as he doesnt seem all that interested in dinner anymore. Is that too early? He is such a sleepy little guy I dont think I can push it any further. Any ideas really appreciated!!

I have sleepy children too - up at 7.15, nap between 12 and 2, bed at 6.30pm. Maybe shorten his nap just by 45 mins? Maybe put another layer on him too?

Hello,

Do you want him to stop waking at 5 and maybe sleep till nearer 7?

If so, I would suggest gradually pushing lunchtime back to 11.30 and then 12. Make his nap 12 or 1, tea at 4.30/5 and bed at 6.45/7.

It sounds like he's too tired for his dinner.

They're all different. My DD has just turned 2 and she fits in with big bruv routine (4),so needs to have lunch when he does after morning at nursery

she wakes at about 6.45- sometimes later but normally dead on! She has a cup of milk on wake up, then breakfast is about 7.45/8, snack at 10ish, lunch at 12/12.30, sleeps 12.45-2.45, sometimes less, sometimes a bit more. Tea is 4.45, bath 6.00 and bed 6.45.

To tweak timings, just do it very gradually, say 10 minutes a day. And maybe a mid morning snack to cope with lunch later (if you don't already do).

Sympathise re the terrace, but if you go for it and are consistent on the controlled crying thing it should only take a few days. DD used to wake early until 14 months, then we did this and she soon got through to nearer 7.

Good luck!!!

Sounds like a good idea re: lunch. My wee daughter often gets fed about then so she can have her nap but not be starving. Re:waking at 5-tis a killer.my son did this for a while around the same age and there was nothing that could really change it unfortunately-it was almost like a phase-as all these things are!- and soon started going back to his 6 ish waking time ( which posiively felt like a lie in!!). It's good he will lie down again till after 6. I was always totally crap at controlled crying as I got too upset so i preferred just to ride the early mornings out altho I was probably a grumpy cow for it. Hope it settles soon for u x

I would definitely try moving lunch to before the nap, and limit the nap to 2 hours (eg lunch at 12.30, nap 1-3, definitely no later than 3pm, bed at 7 as before). Then he should be hungrier for tea and hopefully sleep longer. Don't forget its cold as well, could he be a bit chilly in bed?