What time do your toddlers start their day?!

[freebster]

Our 16 month old DD has never slept past 6am and most mornings is awake from 5am onwards. Going in to her to try and settle her is always fatal as she then screams to get up. She sleeps like a dream until then, settles well at bedtime by herself at around 7pm. We have tried a later bedtime and have tried cutting down her daytime nap (usually 90 mins at lunchtime) but both these made no difference atall.
Do we just resign ourselves to early starts or is there anything else we can try?
Our older DD (3.5 years) would sleep until 7.30 or 8am if she was able to!

Our 19mo DD's wake up time varies from 5.30am to 6.30am - she's more likely to wake 6.30 or after if we haven't put her down for a nap during the day but it's not always possible to deprive her of a nap if she gets tired during the day. So I figure when she naturally drops her nap she will sleep longer in the morning. In the meantime I just accept it.

She sleeps straight through from 7pm and sleeps well and deeply so who am I to complain?

It will pass.

My 13.5mo DS never sleeps past 6:30, mostly 6:00 and loads of 5:00s too. But he goes to bed at 6:30, so I kind of expect it.

But as she isn't going to bed until 7:00, maybe she could be convinced to have a bit more sleep...have you tried Wake to Sleep to break the 5:00 am habit? Where you set your alarm for an hour before she normally wakes (my guy gets on streaks when it is always 5:07, for e.g.), go in and rouse her (shuffle blankets, replace dummy, etc.) and then sneak out. If you search there are threads on here where people say it has worked for them. Apparently you have to do it 3 days in a row, and sometimes a few more, to break the habit.

I haven't had the strength yet to try it, but luckily his 5:07s usually get back to 6:00 before I get too fed up. 6:00 is so much different than 5:00!

Dd2 (2.9) has always woken between 5 and 6, usually about 5.30, dh and I take it in turns to get up with her. We tried all the suggested things to make a difference, but she just seems to be set to go off at that time.

Dd1 (3.11) wakes between 6 and 7, but usually wakes every night!

I got a rabbit clock from John Lewis for dd2 who is 2.5. It has helped a tiny bit (i.e. used to be 5am, is sometimes 6am now which is more bearable)

I think that your dc is a tiny bit young yet (they say from 2.5 years)

My DS was always an early waker. He is 9 now and still wakes before 6 every morning, I think its just in some kids personalitys to be early risers

I think in the case of dcs who are naturally very early risers, it is potentially a real strain on the parent (s) particularly for the first 2-3 years. Possibly after that the dc can be encouraged to play quietly, have a drink in room etc etc.

Personally we just bring dd in with us after 6am ish as the extra little bit of sleep is worth the hassle imo.

People are going to think I have shares in this, as I keep mentioning it on sleep threads, but it has worked wonders for us (DD is 3). She gets up on the dot of 7 now, which is a huge improvement on the ridiculously early starts we used to have.

My 3 year old has woken at 5ish her whole life, late bedtimes, stopping naps etc made no difference. For xmas she got a GLTC sleep training clock so although she still wakes early she is learning to stay in her room and play, until 6:30. Right now we are running at about 70% sucess but that's another hour in bed for us than we have been having for years!

My DS (22 months) gets up between 5.30-6.30am. I stumble in, change his nappy, put a toy in the cot and give him a drink of milk. This normally placates him until about 7.30.

my 2.9 year old wakes at around 8,my five year old at any point between 7 and 8.usually 7.30 but it depends when she fell asleep .the little one often wakes around five for a bf though,but she goes back to sleep.

My 18 month old wakes between 8 and 8.30am.

But, he goes to bed around 8.30pm, and wakes once or twice during the night for milk.

I think you cannot have it all ways. There are days when I would eat my own arm for the chance to have DS down by 7pm and asleep until 5-6am!

We had 5.30am starts until we got one of those Gro Clocks that Undercovamutha linked to. Taken her a while, but if DD wakes early now she understands that she should try and go back to sleep ... a bit hit and miss whether she actually succeeds though.

For all those who say, put them to bed later ... whatever time my DD went to bed, she always woke at 5.30 and would be crouchy for rest of the day.

My just turned 2 year old goes to be about 7.30pm and sleeps until 7.30am solid.

23mo ds2 wakes most days at 5.30. Goes to sleep at 7.30pm (ish). Almost always wakes once or twice in the night for no obvious reason. We've tried the week of late bedtimes, no naps etc - he still wakes at 5.30 and is unbearably grumpy all through the day (overtired imo).

3.9yo sleeps from 6.45 pm (straight out the moment his head hits the pillow) until 6/6.30 am (often poked awake by annoying younger brother).

Toddleryears - totally agree about the late bedtimes. For some reason, the later my DD goes to bed, the earlier she wakes!

DS used to be a really early riser - 5am starts were not uncommon. However, it gradually got later and later until Christmas, when he was 2.2, and he started going 7-7. We didn't do anything differently. He still has a nap.

So, there is hope that she'll just grow out of it!

My 15-month DS goes to bed at 7. For quite a long time he woke up between 5 and 6.30, but he's starting making it till past 7am most days now. Can't offer any advice as he's done this on his own, not sure why but we're very grateful!

My 2.6yo is normally asleep by 7pm but has been waking around 5.15am for the past 3 weeks. It's killing me. NOthing seems to change it - he's like an alarm clock. Am going to try wake-to-sleep, and that gro alarm clock too - anything! I'm pg and exhausted and the thought of DS still waking at 5 when I've been up all night with a newborn makes me want to open a vein.

sorry bad news carrie some dc are just moring people tried putting ds to bed t 9pm for 2 weeks it failed he was up jus as early ,so back to normal now and accept that morning is anything from 5am

SNAP!! Although my two are 7 months & 2yrs and share a room.

DS1 has slept from 7 to 7 since 6 months. Ds2 has no particular routine other than waking at least once usually twice a night then at 5.30/6am every morning.

I tend to get DS2 up, change & feed him then stick him in a travel cot in our room with a load of toys, make myself a cup of tea, put wash load on, drink my tea, by then ds1 is awake so we all get up.

Dont know what I am going to when ds2 is too old to sleep in a cot!

DS1 has a grow clock & they are fantastic! Although he doesnt wake up too early too often. Can be set for daytime naps too. Shame ds2 is too young to understand what the blue moon means!

Since DS was 5 months old he has woken between 5-5.30am - he is now 2.2 - we have months when its 4.30am - we are in that phase now - and its a killer - nothing we do placates him - when he wakes he just wants to get up - and screams until it happens - if we are very very lucky we get to 6am - this has happened as many times as I can count on 2 hands in 18 months though.

I hate it but he does go down pretty easily at 7pm so as someone said you can't have it all however I regularly feel highly depressed sitting in the kitchen with the tv on and playing with a train set for 3 hours before it gets light.