Waking up for day @ 4.30am

[oscarsmum28]

Hi.

I'm looking for some advice please. My DS is 3 1/2 and has always been an early waker. I've been used to him waking between 5 and 5.30 since forever and nothing I've done has shifted this, but for the past week it's been 4.30am. He won't go back to sleep, but is then tired for the day. He normally goes to bed btwn 7.30 and 8.

I don't think he's getting enough sleep (and neither am I!) he gets very tired in the day and if I let him nap the wake up time seems slightly better, closer to 5. It's almost as if he needs an hour and a half nap during the day and won't sleep more than eight - nine hours at night no matter what.

Any ideas to try get him to sleep longer at night, with or without nap??

Thanks in advance

It sounds like he is overtired. I would try 2 things:

Let him nap some days if thats what he needs. try & keep it after lunch if possible (morning naps will continue the early waking cycle)

On days he doesn't nap, give him a much earlier bedtime. 7pm latest but I would even try 6-6.30pm. Sounds counter-intuitive but sleep begets sleep - if you can get him down before he is overtired he will sleep for longer. And even if he still gets up early initially, he will have had more sleep than if he goes to bed at 8pm.

Hth

Thank you for the suggestions. I will try them out!