2.5yr old- early wake up call

[Tillyboo]

My dd has recently started waking anywhere between 5.45am - 6.15am, Oh my god what a shock to the system after being used to 7.30am-8.00am wake up's.
I'm exhausted as she wants to come into bed with me & then just rolls around the bed getting bored and whinging. I've tried putting her back to bed but she is too awake.
CBeebies isn't even on and it's dark ....
It doesn't matter what time she goes to bed, generally around 7.30-8.00pm. She still needs a nap in the afternoon (about 1-1.5hrs) otherwise she is just so grumpy and miserable.
Anyone got any bright ideas as to how I can delay these early starts ?

DS1 age 3 and DS2 age 19mths get up at 6 - 630. Some mornings they will play for 20 - 30 mins before insisting on me getting up, but I think it is a pefectly normal time for children to be wide awake.

Sorry!

My dds went through a phase of the same thing, dd2 would get up at 5 during the winter and during the summer dd1 would get up at six with her every morning. It's getting better. First, we made dd2's room safe (she is 2 and a half as well) and put a gate on it. Then each morning we went in with a drink and some toys (sketcher, mega blocks etc) for her, and set dd2 up in bed with her books. We also play music quietly. At first it took several trips back and forth each morning, but now they both play happily in their rooms each morning, and now it's getting dark again and dd1 is at school they are waking up closer to seven - seven fifteen.

Btw, according to my hv a 2.5 yr old needs about 11 hrs a night, so if they go down at 7.30 then six thirty is wake up time. My dd2 has dropped her naps.

It started after a visit to her cousins who is almost 2.5yrs and a boy. He has always gone to bed at 6.30pm and woken up between 5.30-6.30am . We stayed for a week and of course were woken up at the same time. Ever since then, dd has being doing the same thing.
I know a lot of children do wake at this time but after being spoilt for so long, 6am seems an unearthly time - still night time as far as I'm concerned.
I should be in bed now but I've got the lounge to myself (dh in bed) so I'm making the most of the peace and quiet and the laptop

My guess is she'll adapt back eventually.

weaning her off the afternoon nap might help, but the grumpiness might be worse than the early morning!

I hated it when dd2 gave up her nap, I'd rather get up early than have the afternoon tantrums!

Oh lord, don't think I could cope with mega early starts AND no nap which = grumpy, stroppy, whingey toddler ....