Early waking after clock change!

[AmieB]

Someone please help I am SHATTERED :(
Our 1yo has always been an amazing sleeper, since about 6mo he has slept 630pm-7am (apart from the odd night here and there). However since the clocks went back about a week or so ago he's been waking earlier and earlier, the morning after the clocks went back he woke at 6am which was expected, I instantly adjusted his whole day so it was on the new time but since then his mornings have just gotten earlier and earlier, 530am, 5am, today 4am. I've tried controlled crying, I've tried giving him milk, I've tried leaving him but he full on cries. You can still he's still tired as he spends all morning whinging and rubbing his eyes. I've tried to keep his routine the same even with the early waking and nothing else has changed which I can think of, his room is pitch black, he self settles, he eats 3 good sized meals + snacks and had milk in the morning and before bed. Someone please help :(
His routine at the moment is:

Awake anywhere between 4am - 530am
Nap 9:30-10am
Nap 1230-230pm
Bedtime starts at 6pm, in bed for around 630pm.

Any advice welcome and appreciated!

Can I please also add - I know I should count my chickens that he sleeps all night long from 630pm, but I don't think 4/5am starts are kind on anyone. Plus he's also now waking his 3yo sister who in turn spends all day grumpy and tired 😫 xx

Yes that’s an early start. The only way to tackle it is by tackling the naps, push them 20 minutes later during the day. Or you could delay the bed time by 20 minutes each day for 3 days. That should put you back on track

Thank you @Rainbowheart1! So move each nap and also bedtime back by 20 mins or just naps?xx

My DD never slept longer than 9.5 - 10 hours at night. So 6.30 bedtime would definitely mean that she would get up at 5.30pm. Your baby is growing and what used to work a month ago may not work now. Maybe he will soon be ready to drop a nap? But if you're sticking with 2 naps, then perhaps bedtime should be later? How old is he exactly? (In months)

Personally I would keep morning nap as is, move afternoon nap to 1pm-2.30pm and move bedtime to 7.30pm.

@Sandrine1982 im all for later bedtime its no problem, its just that he's always gone to bed around the 630pm mark and always woken around 7am. It was only as soon as the clock change happened its all gone haywire 🤣 I was thinking maybe he's preparing to drop the first nap but with the 4/5am starts its impossible to implement it! I think if he woke at the normal time of 7am he would be perfectly fine with just the one nap, it's just getting him to wake later I don't know how to do 🙈 I will try tomorrow at moving his lunchtime nap and bedtime a little later and see what happens xx

Haha I know! We had very similar problems at different stages. And even if you move bedtime later, it might take a few days / weeks for your child to get used to it ... so he probably won't start waking up later overnight... it's a long game... parenting is so hard isn't it ... i'm sending some positive vibes... don't worry it will pass... for us it was always just a phase... (DD still wakes early but anything after 6am is acceptable for me..)

Yes everythings a phase isn't it! Me and hubby are always saying 'can you remember when' and at the time it seems like it's going to be hell forever but it soon passes and you forget about it. I can deal with 6am, but 4/5am is a bit much! Especially as its still pitch black haha. Thank you, will give it a shot with the new nap times/later bedtime tomorrow
I'm willing to try anything!haha xx

Do you reckon he’s heading towards 1 nap?
Maybe while early waking is still happening then give a quick 30 min catch-up nap around 8 and then move main nap to 1230-230 ? I may be wrong.

@Lockdownbaby2021 yes I think he is! It's just impossible to get into a routine of 1 nap as come 8am he's exhausted. The past couple of mornings he's gone to waking up around 6am which isn't so bad, I can accept that. However he's still struggling come 10am so then ends up having 2 naps. How I get him onto 1 nap I have no idea 🤣xx