Waking up at 5am

[Motherof1and2dogs]

My 2.5 year old has been waking up at 5am every morning for the past week or so, it used to be 6/7am but it's all of a sudden changed and 5am seems way too early!
He goes to bed mostly at 7pm, 8pm the absolute latest and he still has 1 nap a day which is usually between 2 and 3 hours. Is this a sign to start to stop the afternoon nap?

Very possibly! 3hs of day sleep is a lot for a 2.5 year old.

Could be. You could try capping it? I know some children who've dropped theirs before age 2. My 3.5yo still naps some days. I think they're all different. Whilst I agree 5am is "way too early" my children are early risers and 7 would be a lie in. Anything after 5am is normal for us. (Although we did have a few weeks in January when they both slept until 6!)

Yes. That’s a lot of sleep for that age. You’ve been lucky! Would cut down the daytime sleep to an hour now and aim to drop it in the next year.
Depends how you want to live really. If you’re in Spain then a big siesta is great but in the UK life is set up around no naps plus early nights.

Mine is a 5:30 get up here and always has been 😭 definitely try capping the nap because 3 hours is ridiculously long for that age, mines the same age and does 2 hours max. Any longer and night sleep is fucked😅

Yes I’d be reducing that day time nap! Every child is different obviously & some nap much longer/shorter later age/done with nap at 2 but I think around that age my daughter perhaps only had an hour? Can’t fully remember, she may well have dropped it all together. Hopefully reducing the length to begin with will give you a later morning x

I think it's the other way round. His sleep cycle isn't complete at 5am. He then is overtired and needs the nap in the middle of the day.
Try resettling him in a dark room after a drink and nappy change at 5am as if it is the middle of the night.

I wouldn't let him nap longer than 1.5h. If my DD who is similar age naps beyond 1.5h she won't fall asleep until late or wakes up too early.

3 hour nap is way to long. I'd look to shorten it to a hour max or cut it completely.

Try capping it before removing- 1hr

1.5 hr nap maximum, 3 hours isn't necessary at that age.

believe that it is reversed. At five in the morning, his sleep cycle isn't finished. He then requires a midday sleep because speed stars he is so exhausted.

Definitely reduce the nap or push bedtime right back. We cap my almost 2 yr old's to 1 hour max to maintain night sleep, but we just do all naps on the go anyway. Think you had a good stretch there with 3 hour day naps!