(Very)early riser! Any tips

[Hculshaw1]

I'm just wondering if anyone else gets up with their toddler to start the day at 5 o clock each morning. I feel like I must be doing something wrong as my older 2 boys ended up in exactly the same pattern of waking at 5 and getting up to have breakfast and start the day.
Could anyone suggest any tips to try and help me as I'm exhausted. I feel like everyone else starts the day much later and I don't know how to change things. My DC is 15 months and goes down between 7 and 8 usually and sleeps until 5 then wakes to start the day. I take him in bed with me at 5 and he has a feed and this is probably doesn't help but the alternative is to leave him crying for ages until he gets distraught and wakes everyone else up.
He only sleeps in the day for 1 or 2 hours at the most (sometimes less) and he goes down fine by himself at bed time.
I know that people have probably already written similar posts and I will browse them now too but I felt like putting all this down on a message might make me feel a bit clearer and Sorry for the long moaning message but really hoping to hear that I'm not alone on this one even if there is nothing else I can do about it!
Thanks in advance

I've given up trying to make mine stay in bed /sleep later. I just give them a drink and go back to bed until a more reasonable time (turn the tv on if I'm feeling generous).

Not sure it would work yet but maybe an idea for when they are a bit older ( mine is 3) but we have had great success with the gro clock, it's very simple and she understood it straight away. Other than that, have you got black out blinds? And have you tried wake to sleep?

I second the Gro Clock, not sure if your DS is a bit young for it but it's worth a try. My DD1 is nearly 3 and went through a stage of waking at 5am a few moths ago, and having an almighty tantrum when we tried to put her back to bed. It went on for months and nothing we tried worked, we ended up having her sat in between us in bed whilst we put Netflix on for her until it got to a reasonable time. Bought a gro clock, set it to 7am, read her the little story that came with it and never looked back. From the very first night she slept right through her usual 5am waking, and if she wakes at say 6:30am she will lie in bed and chatter to herself until the sun comes up.

It literally changed my life.

Thanks for your replies! Always nice to know you're not alone.
Yes I have a gro clock actually but hadn't thought of using it yet. (Had it for my older boys and I agree, it changed our lives once it kicked in, but I'm not sure my little one would get it yet. He seems to go from sound asleep to shrieking like a banshee just as the clock turns 5 and I'm not sure he'd be able to understand the concept of waiting till the sun comes up but it's worth a try I suppose.
I haven't tried the wake to sleep thing...what do you know about that?
I've tried pitch black dark room and I've tried little night light on in the room neither of which makes a difference it would seem.
Might dust off the gro clock tonight!
Thanks

I have a 3 month old who is waking increasingly early. 4.30am today. I'm really hoping it's a phase she's going through but it's a killer! She had a cold last week and still seems to have the snuffles at around this time so maybe that's why? It's horrible being awake so early, I sympathise hugely...