Toddler sleep - not enough

[tootsieglitterballs]

Our toddler is 2 1/2. He dropped his nap completely about 4 months ago (far too early, we tried to continue with it, but to no avail)

He goes to bed between 6.30 and 7pm every night as he is just so tired from the day, we can't keep him up any longer.

Problem is, he then wakes up early at 5.30am. Whilst I appreciate this isn't that early and it could be a lot worse, he used to sleep until 6.30/7 even when he had a nap.

He is now, by 6.30am , super tired, but can't / won't go back to sleep.

He gets himself so over tired, and we feel like we have tried everything to help him sleep a little longer, but it's just not working. We've tried putting him to bed later, and regardless of the time he still gets up at 5.30am.

On the rare occasion he has managed to stay asleep until 6.30am, he's like a different little boy, and always has a brilliant day, with no strops, no whinging etc.

He has been waking in the night a lot lately too, sometimes 3 times a night.

Hubby and I are exhausted as it makes days very long and hard with him being so tired (combine me being 6 months pregnant, and hubby often working 14-15 hour days most days)

Any advice / miracle cures / words of wisdom!

My toddler is the same age, and has also been getting up at 5.30am for the last few weeks - I feel your pain! (It's not early enough to be really unreasonable, but it's still TOO EARLY.) We noticed with DD that she was then having her nap earlier and earlier, to the extent that she'd be asleep by mid-morning, then cranky around teatime and asleep earlier, then waking earlier and so on. Yesterday she napped at 10am, and - wonder of wonders - we managed to also get her to nap around 3pm; she fell asleep a bit later last night and woke at 7am this morning. Joy! So hopefully today we can keep her awake until after lunch, then repeat the later afternoon nap (or perhaps not, who knows). Anyway, I know you said your little boy doesn't nap, but perhaps some "quiet time" mid-afternoon might help? Maybe lying on the sofa reading or even (gasp) watching a bit of telly, or perhaps a long walk in the pushchair. Even if he's not sleeping he's resting, which might help?

I'd encourage (in the short term just to solve this) a nap in the morning. A strategically times 45 minute car drive around 10am, even if you have nowhere to go.

Repeat at 2pm ish. A bed made on the sofa if he is receptive to this - pillows, duvet, Disney DVD on, quiet time for 60m or so. If nut a pushchair or car journey with no music or chatting.

The idea is to make bedtime later without increasing over tiredness. This should improve the quality of over night sleep, including early morning.

Once out of this over tiredness cycle, it's clear toddler needs more sleep. This may take the form of accepting an early wake up and making bedtime much earlier so not exhausted (13h overnight sleep not unreasonable with no daytime nap).

But what i wouod would do is deeply quiet time - duvet and pillows on sofa, same time every day and never missed. Watch tv and no activity or chatting, just quiet time and resting, if not sleeping.

Keep this quiet time as routined as a nap would be. So always be home in time for quiet time, never plan to be out and miss it. Make it something that always happens after dinner ("All finished? Let's go and fetch your blanket for quiet time...")

If quiet time finished without sleep on days you know he is exhausted, immediately go for a boring car journey (no music or chatting) while he is still relaxed from quiet time. No need to do this every time he doesn't sleep, just days he's especially tired. It is useful as an emergency measure to get out of an over tiredness cycle.

"But what i would do is establish quiet time..."

Thank you both! Shall try the quiet time in the afternoon and a car journey in the morning .

We did a car journey today and he slept the entire 1hr30 , but didn't sleep on the way home. He's not in bed yet (usually fast asleep by this time) but one thing led to another and time ran away with us. He's just stating stories for bed now, so shall see what happens!