CIO for early waker?

[BlablaSos]

My 13.5 month old is waking too early, not silly o clock (5.30 ish after going to bed just gone 7) but she's still so tired so desperate to go back down an hour or so later. If she woke happy and raring to go it wouldn't bother me.

My husband and I have fallen out (again) on how to deal with this. This morning I left her for 10 mins to see if she went back to sleep, she didn't so I made up her milk and left it in her cot with her, she drank this then cried again, I left her for another 10 mins and brought her down stairs - she was desperate for bed again by 7. DH says if I just leave her to CIO and not go down at all until 7 then she will 'learn'.

Any ideas that aren't so harsh? Or is he right?

Thanks

I have left DS CIO in the morning, round about the same age for the same reasons.
It took me a while to decide to do this but clearly, despite waking up at 5/5.30 ish, he was not ready to be up as he would be rotten until he went back to bed. Everybody was unhappy! In the end, we decided to leave him and it took no time at all for DS to then sleep a bit longer, therefore be much happier in the morning. Felt harsh at the time, it was but totally worth it.
(We tried a black out blind beforehand, did not help).

What would she do if you gave her her milk in your bed at that time?

We have always co-slept, DS1 usually wakes momentarily at that time, but snuggles back to sleep straight away.

IME CIO rarely helps with early waking, as if they have already had 10-10.5hrs sleep by the time they wake, they've not had enough to leave them fully refreshed (so will prob still appear tired), but its enough to mean they aren't going to go back to sleep, no matter what you do, iyswim?

Is it usual for her to go back down for a nap at 7am? Can you post when she naps during the day & how long for?

Early waking is often linked to the morning nap being too early, as they can use the morning nap to catch up on lost night sleep. Pushing the morning nap gradually later can help to break that cycle. It can also be caused by overtiredness, so its helpful to see routine to rule that out.

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