16 month old waking at 5am - is it bad to give milk?

[Spatchy]

My daughter used to be a pretty good sleeper - from 8 months slept through from 7pm to anytime between 6.15 and 7.15.

When she turned about 13 months she started waking up at 5.45, then 5.30 and now, more typically, 5am. We have tried everything from later bedtimes, earlier bedtimes, fewer naps, giving her water when she wakes, changing the temperature in her room, controlled crying etc. In the end we gave up and spent a few weeks getting up with her at 5.

Recently my husband suggested giving her a bottle of milk when she woke. I was reluctant as it had taken a few tough weeks to wean her off this at 7/8 months. But when she has it she usually then sleeps till 7am.

My question is are we wrong to have started this milk 'habit' again? Are we making things worse in the long run or should we carry on and hope the 5am thing is a phase she will move on from anyway?

Is it possible that she's waking early because she is hungry? Does she eat well at tea time? How much milk does she have before bed? Would a snack at story time make a difference?

Never had this, so not speaking from experience, but just a thought if she's happy to go back to sleep after food...

Thanks LotusPalm. I don't think it's that though. She is a bit of a mixed eater at tea time, sometimes has next to nothing and sometimes a huge meal but that doesn't seem to have an impact on the 5am wake up. She usually has about 150-200ml of milk just before bed. We have tried a snack at story time but again, no difference.

The other thing that suggests it's not actually hunger is that if we do just get up with her at 5am she can go an hour or so without food and not demand it.

My reservation about getting up with her - aside from it being too early! - is that she s then v tired by late morning yet for a while now has only taken one nap a day, which she normally takes at 12.30 for 1.5 - 2 hours. If she takes this earlier, it's a long afternoon for both of us.

I do wonder whether perhaps she's overtired (though doesn't really show major signs of this...except always yawning around 5pm). I'd love her to have two naps but she just won't anymore.

not wrong at all. if it means she goes back to sleep and you are all better rested then go with it!
she will eventually sleep through again

we've had this recently with DS who is 21 months. He's getting up at a more reasonable 6.30 / 7 now as opposed to 4.30 / 5 . tried all sorts, in the end something just clicked, can't put it down to one thing, just a stage, which he may go through again. might be worth trying a bit of porridge before bed? something on here about getting evening daylight, which isn't going to happen now, but a bit of fresh air after tea maybe? if you have the weather. good luck, i fully sympathise!

If you think it might be over tired, what about putting her down in the evening a little earlier?

We had sOmerhing similar when DS was about 14 months, and it started taking him a while to settle in the evenings And he was waking at 6am. We boight bedtime forward by half an hour and that helped a lot. He's 20 months now and consistently on one nap a day, but that nap varies in start time and length. On days where it is shirt or early, he will be in bed and asleep by 6.15 latest. This has no negative effect on wake up time, and if anything means he sleeps much longer.

It's not an immediate fix though and you'd have to try it consistently for at least a week. We did the shift all in one go as he was willing to go robed earlier. If your DD isn't, then move back by 10 mins every few days.

HTH some...

Damn phone - robed should be down and shirt = short!

Should point out DS now sleeps until about 8/8.30 most mornings!

Thanks LotusPalm, I think I might try that. I'll have to play a pre-recorded In The Night Garden half an hour earlier so she thinks she's having the same bedtime!!