Toddler up for the day at 5am

[GeordieMamma]

I’d really like to hear experiences and advice on helping us achieve a later wake up time.

My son, 2 years old, has been getting up between 5-5:30am for a few months now (before the clock change). It just happened all of a sudden one day and we couldn’t identify any changes that could have set it off. Previous to this he slept 7/7:30pm - waking up between 6/7, usually around 6:30.
The earlier wake up isn’t ideal as he’s tired and wingey after about an hour. So he needs a nap before lunch, whereas previously he was going for a nap after lunch. That’s ok for now but we’re hoping to start nursery for a couple of mornings a week after Christmas so I’d really like to get him napping post lunch which would fit in with that better.

When he wakes we encourage him to lie back down, remind him it’s still night time etc. he’s just wide awake and ready to go, so we get up. Otherwise he gets upset. His room is pitch black, he’s not too cold and nappy isn’t too wet. For both nap time and bed time he’s happy to go to bed, often walks into his room himself and waits to be lifted into cot.

Routine is currently looking like this:
5/5:30am: awake, some milk
7:30am: breakfast
9-1030am: park/playgroup/some sort of outdoor time
11am: nap 2 hours
1pm: awake, lunch shortly after
2pm - 4:30pm: play/visit family/sometimes park again
5pm: tea
6pm: bath/milk/teeth/books
7/7:30pm: in cot nods off within 15 mins

I’m considering capping the 2 hour nap to 1.5 hours and seeing if that makes a difference. I’ve previously tried later bedtime but that was disastrous…
I really think he needs more night time sleep as he’s showing signs of tiredness so early on into our day.

Any ideas? Or recommendations on a good eye cream for tired eyes

Have you tried an earlier bedtime? My 3.5 year old would be destroyed with a bedtime of 7/7:30 if he had been up that early, even with a 2 hour nap.

Ours wakes at 6am and goes to bed at 6:30pm (asleep by 7) and even now occasionally has a 1 hour nap. He is a year older than yours so I would expect yours to need more sleep.

We had good experience of the grow clock, have you tried one?

@Hungry675tf thanks for your reply! I’ve not tried an earlier bedtime but I will! Do you remember when your son started dropping the nap?
I have looked at gro clocks but not bought one. I didn’t think he’d quite understand yet but something to consider.

Gro Clocks are magic. We started one at about 18 months and she took to it straight away, much to our surprise. Even if she wakes earlier now, she knows to stay in bed and chat to her toys until the sun is up.

Gro clocks were a no go with our early riser . She fairly quickly figured out how to work it and get the sun to come up or turn it off and get up anyway.

Even though he's really tired in the morning and therefore you're putting him down for his nap earlier. It might mean there's probably too long between waking from his nap and bedtime. Try aim for nap at 12.30 and bedtime 7pm. That way he's not overtired going to bed. Gave my friend this same advice and her little one started sleeping until 7 again, worth a try I guess?

Couple of things you could try:

Earlier bed time (say 6:45) or
Capping the nap

Both options might take a few weeks to work.

Our LO was the same at aged 2. We capped the nap to 1hr15 mins and he started sleep to 6:45am for two wonderful weeks but then it all changed again and he woke up at 5/5:30. I think our issue was that they weren’t being consistent with his naps at the childminder.

He will be 3 in January and is a bit hit and miss with naps now so we think he is dropping it e.g he didn’t nap at all yday - woke at 5am, didn’t nap, in bed by 6:30pm and awake at 6am.

Gro clocks are hit and miss. Our LO figured out early on how to get the sun to come up so it didn’t work for us but might do for you. Good luck!

So we’ve had a funny few days sleep wise as he gets over croup and snotty nose. Yesterday he had a 1.5 hour nap (I didn’t wake him, woke himself) went to bed at 6:45. Asleep by 7 I’d say. He got up at 6:15! Praying it’s not a fluke thank you @Inlander. Hope it wasn’t a 5am-er for for you today