2 year old waking at 5am

[lyssie29]

Hi, my daughter has always been an early riser. She would wake at 6.20 almost every day but the past week she's starting to wake at 5am. She has blackout curtains in her room and she wakes happy and wide awake. She's only just turned 2 so I don't think she'll understand a groclock yet. We've moved her bedtime to 7.30 instead of 7pm but its hasn't helped. she does have a nap still for around an hr and a half but if she didnt have it she gets really grumpy in the afternoon. Any tips?

I have always found my children sleep in later in the winter months and are up earlier in the summer months. I assume to do with the light, even black out blinds bleed light through the sides.

We've always coped by allowing morning snuggles in our bed. Would you consider letting toddler come into your bed in the hope of a bit longer dozing?

Another option is allowing play in her cot - providing teddies or similar and teach her to play alone in the mornings.

Finally, you could have a back to sleep battle. It will take a while bit if you treat the 5am wake up as you used to when she was night waking as a baby, she will eventually accept it.