What's the earliest you've successfully put a toddler to bed?

[LanaStraightLeg]

2.5 yo is knackered after a full day at preschool and no nap. Usually has dinner between 5-6.30 (depending on whether we eat as a family or not) and into bed around 7-8.

Think it's going to be an early night but wondering how early I can get away with without him either waking in the middle of the night* or wanting to start tomorrow at 5 am.

Thinking dinner at 5, bed around 6?

*(After his first full day he went to bed at 4.30 pm - had a nap then I couldn't wake him for dinner so left him. He woke at 9 pm and was quite perky but went back down shortly after and slept fine until morning. Don't really want to risk it though.)

We once put DS to bed at 5 and he slept right though. 6 o'clock bedtimes wouldn't be unheard of at all if they're particularly tired. But ours have never been prone to early waking, thankfully!

7.30pm is amazing one-off super early in our house so I am very jealous!

Ours (2.8 & 1.3) generally go to bed at between 6.45.
-7.1.5 pm and sleep until morning unless there's a problem (ds has recently been waking with what I think are nightmares at around 1ish but normally settles ok).

They get in from nursery (on Mon, tue & wed) at around 5.45, they have supper, bath/wash, milk, story, teeth and bed. It's the same pattern when they're home with me.

We've found that they sleep better (at the moment) when they go to bed earlier and then are in better moods the following day. Ds no longer naps and dd has an hour (if I'm lucky) on an afternoon.

Bedtime was always 6.00pm in our house, they woke up at 6.30am regardless of bedtime. The earliest was 4.00pm one day in a spring term when all three were exhausted but still too young to tell the time so I told them that when it was dark it was bedtime. They all slept through until 6.30am as usual. They were 5,4 and 2 years old. Only managed it once though.

If my 2.5year old went to sleep at 6, he'd be up just before 530am or so. When he's really tired I aim for 6.45 to 7pm - his usual bedtime is usually an hour later - and he'll be up for 630am which is fine. However if he is really really tired then I would try out the early bedtime just to see if his body does just need the extra sleep.

On nursery days my 13mo is often so exhausted I will put him to bed at 1815 and he is asleep by 1820. He quite often sleeps until 7am on these days cos he is so knackered, poor thing!

He sleeps much less well on days he has been home with me and and has had two lovely long naps in his cot!