My toddler wakes at 4.30am

[lullabiesplease]

Please help!! My 18 mo has never been a great sleeper, he will have 10.5 hours on a good night (also comes in our bed in the middle of night) so an example of his day

Wakes 5am
Going to nursery - naps at 12.30 for 1 hour
Due to this I put him to bed earlier (6.15pm)
This morning he's up at 4.30

And the cycle continues.

Would you suggest just putting him to bed later even though he is exhausted?

Another thing, he doesn't just wake up. He wakes up crying, for at least an hour each morning. Then he falls asleep on way to nursery at 8.15 but obv I have to wake him up 5 min later 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ I just want a good routine

Sometimes I think it is worthwhile to look at the benefits of the routine the baby has assigned to himself! For me the benefit of a 6.15 bedtime is a whole evening. When my daughter started school, when she was only just four, she would fall asleep on the way home at 4.30pm and would then sleep until 5am. So we would get up then, she would then do everything she would normally do in the evening. If all else fails 5am will soon be 6am when we put the clocks forward.

What about giving him some supper op see if that tides him over.

Also at 19m I assume you have him cows milk, which is more of a drink than food. I used to have to leave a bottle of water in my little boys cot at this age. Got a straw cup with a valve and left it in the corner.