Another toddler waking at 5am

[Serp]

My 2.5 year old has been waking between 5.10am and 5.30am for the past month or so. Her sleep pattern is roughly:

• asleep by 8pm
• wake around 5am
• nap at 12 for between 1 and 2 hours

She never seems to sleep longer than 9 hours over night, no matter what time I put her down

I don't particularly want to drop the nap. Do I ride it out in the hope that things will work themselves out over time, or am I missing something?

You just have to ride it out I'm afraid. They grow out of it.

I feel your pain. You have just described my 4 year old

He might sleep through the night 4 times a week (maybe 😡) and no matter what he is up between 5-5.30. We've had two 445am wake ups this week just to mix it up.

He dropped his nap before he was 2 and just doesn't seem to need as much sleep as his 8.5 year old sister (who easily does 11 hours and I have to wake her most mornings!).

Later bed time just means he is even crankier as he still wakes at 5am!

I'm hoping he grows out of it when he starts school in September as my DH and I are broken. Weekend napping is the only way we survive (us not him!)

Have you tried an earlier bedtime? I know it might seem a bit counterproductive and the worry is he’ll wake at 4! But that is often recommended. I know DS wakes at 5 or thereabouts no matter what so at least an earlier bedtime is more peace for me!

I know you don't want to drop the nap but sadly it's coming close to time, cut it down at least. She's getting her 11/12 hours sleep over a 24 hour period.

Drop the nap, and start a 6.30pm bedtime. Consistently doing this worked for my DD over a month.

Thanks for your replies

@moleeye I feel your pain, I really hope your little one grows out of it soon. I'm finding such early wakes even more difficult than night wakes at the moment 🙈

Really considering cutting, or at least shortening the nap consistently for a few weeks to see how things improve. Oh how I will miss those 2 hour breaks 🤣🙈

I agree. You can't control the wake-up times so to ensure they get enough sleep I brought bedtime earlier. They still be up at 5 but at least I have an evening in peace.

Oh it's devastating when the nap goes 😂 but if it's affecting nights it has to change.. you can still have "quiet time" where they play quietly in their cot or room or whatever so you get the break still

It's the nap. My eldest was like this at 2 1/2. Once he dropped the nap we slept longer

Absolutely drop the nap.

Next weekend the clocks go forward so that wake up will become 6.30am and bedtime will become 9pm.

11 hours per day sleep sounds right for her age!