Has anyone cracked the problem of early waking?

[Lilliput]

Ds wakes just before 6 every morning now, he used to sleep to past 7. I am knackered and I don't want to go to bed at 10.

Probably a silly question to ask so early because if you had cracked it you would still be in bed.

lol my big ones aren't up but gecko pooped up her back at 6am so we hve been up
you poor thing
how old is your ds?

both my dd's went through a phase of waking at about 5.30 when they were about 18 months to 2 years
dd2 has just stopped

sorry but I didn't crack it she just stopped

have you got blackout blinds??

THe only thing that works with us - and I appreciate it doesn't for everyone - is a later bedtime int he evening.
Blackout blinds had their uses when ds was younger (he's 3.6 now)
I think as they get older you can reason with them, get them to play for a bit in their bedroom - well you can if you have fairly biddable children. We don't, he will not leave us alone until we get up, and it fairly ruins your day, doesn't it, being that knackered?

He is 2.4, and yes I do have blackout blinds, although some light aways gets in.
I should probably try a later bedtime but I look after them pretty much on my own as dh works very long hours so I am pretty much done with them by 7pm.
One thing that is quite annoying is that ds wakes dd up and she loves bed and sleep and since he started waking so early she has been pretty tired. She starts school in August so she will really need to be in bed early and get a good nights sleep.
Getting up so early makes for a very long day.

when my dd went through a phase of waking at 5.30am I used 'wake to sleep' which the babywhisperer suggests. An hour before their usual wake up, you disturb them (e.g. give them a nudge, a shake, change their nappy, whatever you choose, etc) and then let them go back into a deep sleep. It is supposed to re-jig their sleep cycle and let them get past the early wake up - you are supposed to try for 3 nights but it can work quicker. It worked for dd anyway.

p.s. later bedtimes didnt work for dd - it just meant she got less sleep and was in a worse mood the next day

make sure the room is totally black! we have blackout blinds, then wooden shutters, then heavy curtains with blackout linings- sounds drastic but even if they wake up they can't see their hands infront of their face! also the landing outside their room is black so even if they manage to find the door and open it they can't see anything!

Works for us- stopped the 5.30 waking and they now don't wake up until i go in at 7 (they are 3yo dt's and go to bed at 6.30!)

lol I am going to get a blackout blind now having read that!

ive just put a blind up in dd room

i nailed a dark towel to the (old) window frame temporarily and we have blackout curtains. have just bought some blackout blind material and velcro . have also just put a blackout blind on the landing and a rolled up towel at the bottom of her door.

we can now lie in 'til 5.45.....

5.30am this morning ffs