getting 2:5yr old to sleep longer/cut out naps

[3duracellbunnies]

New to this board, any advice on getting nearly 2.5yr old to sleep later. He has quite a late bedtime (between 7.30 and 8.30), is always awake between 5.30 and 6. For various reasons I usually can't get to bed before 11 (I often have to work, plus getting ready for parties, dd1 often not in bed until 9-9.30, etc). It is making me really tierd. He won't let me leave him to do work/ tidying etc in the am, he is usually grumpy in the morning too. Dd2 was always a morning girl but at least was cheerful and ready to embrace the new day.

I think part of the problem is his daytime sleep, he only goes to sleep on the move (car, pushchair), but we have school run am + pm, plus after school activities for the girls. Sometimes he will go to sleep in the morning on the way home from dropping them off, or if we go to toddler group in the morning, he might sleep on the way home from that. He has between 10mins(if I have to move from car seat) and 1hr(in pushchair @home). If he doesn't sleep then, he will sleep at school pick up time or on way to/from swimming/ballet. Any sleeps after 3:30 mean he won't settle until 10pm, but still wakes up early. On the weekend if we don't go anywhere he will often not sleep, but gets grumpy, and still wakes up at 6!!!

Any advice? I know it is nothing compared to newborn (been there 3 times and you have my sympathies), but after 7yrs of sleep deprivation, my aging body just isn't coping well with it. (We are too far from school for him to walk-just over half a mile each way, plus activities would be at least another half mile in other direction)

I would try and keep him awake if you can. Have you tried playing nursery rhymes in the car and sing along? If he sleeps in he pushchair I would wake him up after 15 mins or so to make sure he sleeps less in the day and more at night. My dd1 2.7 does not sleep during the day and if she does in the car I only let her sleep for 15 mins and then wake her up otherwise she won't go to bed at 7pm. Dd2 is 7 months so I don't have after school clubs to go to....

What about food to eat to keep awake? My now 3 year old extended his night once he dropped his pushchair nap.... Wish Id done it before 2 and a quarter!

I think it's definitely the daytime sleep which is causing him to wake early. My daughter dropped hers at 2 so it's not unlikely that he's ready for it to go. Problem is that you're in a cycle where the pushchair is making him nod off and he's ready for a nap by then having woken early!

You'll need to work out a way of not letting him sleep, be it leaving him with a relative or friend while you do the school run, or distracting with (healthy) sweets to encourage him to stay awake. It might take a little while to kick in so don't panic if the early mornings continue for a little while.

Thank you, I will give those ideas a go. Unfortunately he usually falls asleep to biscuits/breadsticks etc, but sweets might keep him going. It is so hard for the evenings as some of the activities don't finish till after 6, and we eat before, so prime fallling asleep moments, so I have got into the habit of trying to make sure he has a sleep early so he doesn't sleep late, but maybe I need to take a few more risks. It has been nice having those quiet times, after dd1 who never slept in the day even as a baby, but a lie in would be better!

And on the days he doesn't nap, I would do a much earlier bedtime, especially while he is still waking early. It will help keep a lid on any overtiredness that may be accumulating.