15 month old waking at 5am :-(

[Jayneypops]

Hi,
For a few weeks now our DD has been waking at either 5.15am or 5.30am most mornings. Some mornings she manages 6am but rarely. She used to sleep until 6.30am. She goes down to sleep at 7pm, and sleeps through so we cant complain really, but Im pregnant again and its SUCH a long day with her from 5am until bedtime. (she does have 2 naps a day but I get chores done).

I know it can be a phase with babies/toddlers but Im wondering what we should do? At the moment, we go to her and bring her into our bed when she wakes. She never goes back to sleep, just starts playing. Should we leave her for a while?
Our friends bought a clock for their toddler with a monkey one (his eyes stay closed until 6am so their LO has learnt not to disturb them until the monkeys eyes are open) but he's older (3.5 now) so I think its too early for our DD to try anything like that - or is it?

Any advice please?

 

[ArmyWife1984]

Sorry no advice here, i am in the same boat...but my DS also 15mos. goes down around 8ish and is ready for the day at 5. I am hoping its a phase and he will sleep more soon.
I know my ds is tired because a couple hrs after he's been up, he takes an hour an a half nap.
hopefully we figure something out


Congrats on pregnancy!! I am too! How far along are you?

 

[honey08]

my eledest son did this, i fell preg when he was 10mth old and sat thinking wtf ! he did this for mths, i did mc tht baby but by around 17mth he started sleeping 12hr , my 2nd son thank gosh sleeps 12hr now x goodluck x

 

[wantingno.2]

Prob because its light. I have blackout blinds and blackout curtains!!!! (i like sleep!)in Los room and although she's still waking throughout the night she dosent get up until the earliest 7 most days 7.30.

Although now your lo is in that routine just blacking out her room (if its not already) may not help. Xxx

 

[Flower15]

My LO gets up at 5.30am every morning. Shes goes down at 7.30 at night and is ready to start the day at half five! So tiring! Shes almost 18 month now and started doing this at 14 months. She has a blackout blind so its not that. Weve tried everything to get her back to sleep but nothing wakes, she is always wide awake! So we are all up for the day at that time. Hoping like the rest of you that its just a phase

 

[Jayneypops]

Thanks for the replies.
She always had a blackout blind so her room has always been pitch dark, Im wondering whether there is light coming through from the hallway or bathroom? Although I think it may just be that shes ready to start her day? She goes down and is asleep by 7pm, 7.30pm at the latest, and we're usually in bed by 9.30pm so I suppose we cant grumble really it just seems like SUCH a long day, especially at the moment, as shes teething so is refusing to nap in the day too!

Oh the joy of 'phases'!

 

[Noelle610]

It's time to switch to one nap That early morning waking is one of the classic signs!

 

[Jayneypops]

It's time to switch to one nap That early morning waking is one of the classic signs!

Thanks

Its hard to know which nap to cut out really, the morning nap is at approx 10am and she always seems to want that one , its the afternoon nap that she fights against. However, I dont think I could give her the morning nap and then expect her to go from 11.30am (when she wakes) - 7pm (or could I??)

I could try to stretch her morning nap out until maybe 11am but then she would be sleeping through lunchtime meaning we could never go out at the weekends or do anything during the day?

Ideally, if she could last until 2.30pm and just have her afternoon nap things would be easier I think, but she seems to get tired around 10am? UNless its just habit? - confused!

 

[Noelle610]

It's time to switch to one nap That early morning waking is one of the classic signs!

Thanks

Its hard to know which nap to cut out really, the morning nap is at approx 10am and she always seems to want that one , its the afternoon nap that she fights against. However, I dont think I could give her the morning nap and then expect her to go from 11.30am (when she wakes) - 7pm (or could I??)

I could try to stretch her morning nap out until maybe 11am but then she would be sleeping through lunchtime meaning we could never go out at the weekends or do anything during the day?

Ideally, if she could last until 2.30pm and just have her afternoon nap things would be easier I think, but she seems to get tired around 10am? UNless its just habit? - confused!

I wouldn't cut out either nap I'd blend them together so that you have one mid-day nap. Fighting the afternoon nap is another sign of being ready to drop to one.

Here is something my friend wrote on transitioning to one nap. Yes, for awhile it will probably fall around 11am and you'll have to do things in the morning of afternoon and do an early or late lunch.

And this is the basic advice for moving to one nap:

Just starting 1 nap (still having some 2 nap days): The first WT is stretched from 3-3.25 WT by 15-20min every 3-7 days until you get to a 4hr WT. If first nap ends before 12pm, do a 30-45 min catnap/quiet time ~3pm or 3.5hrs WT, whichever comes first.

Just recently on 1 nap: 4-4.25/6 (nap starting between 10am and 11am, depending on WU) Every 3-5 days, extend first WT by 15 min until he/she can cope with a 5hr WT

A couple weeks on 1 nap: 5/5 (eg. 6am WU, 11am nap, 7pm BT)

A few weeks more on 1 nap: 5.5/4.5-5(?) (eg. 6am WU, 11:30am nap, 7pm BT) 1 nap is well-established; No need to push the first WT unless there are signs that more WT is needed (lengthy monkey business before nap and/or shorter naps)

A couple months on 1 nap:: 6/4.5-5(?) (eg. 6am WU, 12pm nap, 7:30pm BT)

A few more months on 1 nap: 6.5/4.5-5(?)

18+ months: 5.5-6/4.5-5(?) ~BTC nap starting at ~12:30-1:00pm

24 months: 6+/5(?) ~BTC nap starting at ~1-1:30pm

Even after transitioning, it's unlikely that a 2:30pm nap would work well. Around 1pm is ideal for most babies on the 7-7 schedule.

 

[Noelle610]

Oh I should have added! WT = wake time, WU = wake up, BT = bedtime and BTC = by the clock