Early Riser - is there anything i can do to break this pattern?

[Buddhababe]

Hi everyone

I am looking for some hope. My DS used to be a great sleeper until he started to walk which was 5/6 months ago now. Anyway, he gets up most mornings around 5.30 ish. He used to wake regulary through the night but this thankfully has stopped for whatever reason.

My DH and I are both shattered and are finding parenthood really hard. Dh also a pretty stressful job so this does not help either and I feel I have to do most of the getting up with him to keep the peace. Don't get me wrong, Dh is also great with him but this is taking its toll.

Anyway, We put our DS to bed at 7.30 ish and he has one nap throughout the day at 1 pm (if I can make him stay up til that time). I don't think it is hunger as I have tried making sure he has his fill.

I am expecting again in a few months also and am just dreading it now in a way. Does it ever get better? Is there anything I can change or that I am doing wrong?
Thanks

Does this wake to sleep game work for older children?! Say a Ds1 who is nearly 5 and a DS2 who is 3.5? They are both terribly early risers, anytime from 5.45 onwards. We trained them that 6.30am was morning, and they can tell that from their clock, but of course anyone who wants a wee in the nighttime feels able to wake me up and get me to help him, and then once they are up they are up.

School helps a bit, but not a lot.

Have to say we've tried lots of things with ds 1. He goes to bed at 6.50 (after night garden) and sleeps through till 5.30-6am. Blackout blinds work in the room until they can turn the light on or need to go out of the dark room to go to the loo where they discover when opening the door that it is, in fact, broad daylight and time to wake up and play!

We've agreed he can play in his room (if you can't beat them, join them) but he is a four year old boy and quietly isn't in his vocabulary.

Ds 2 on the other hand goes to bed at 6.20 (after storymakers) and he sleeps through till 8-9am and he's 20 weeks!!!! ( I woke him up at 9.20 yesterday, he was diagonal in his crib with his leg wedged through the bars and his thumb in his mouth. Adorable!