I Need to Start Sleeping Through the Night, Would Love Advice

Kids, generally wake at the same time everyday. My kids do and have done that since they were babies, and ALL of my friends kids do that too.
Regardless, of what time they go to bed.
They have an internal clock.

But if you put her to bed later at night, then she will have lack of sleep.
And this is not good.

When I was a child, I woke early too at the same time every darn morning. Kids. Childhood.
They wake early.

When she wakes early, just keep everything dark, do not engage or interact. Tell her everyone is sleeping, the sun is not out yet.
Tell her to be quiet if she can etc.
When my kids wake early, they KNOW to be quiet and not wake anyone. They will play quietly in the room next to the bedroom. And it is fine.

Try changing her diaper in the middle of the night. Even wake her up a smidge so she can go if you think it's the wet diaper waking her. That was the last thing I'd do before bed every night when my son was a toddler. Get him to soak his diaper so we could change it and he wouldn't wake soaked. Worked great later for potty training, since his body was used to going at a certain time when *I* was still awake, instead of a couple hours after I'd gone to bed.

ALSO... is she EATING right before bed... or is dinner time consistant? If dinner time is always the same time ... then try feeding her. NOTHING but a broken spirit or neglect will keep a hungry child in bed/asleep. Kids grow a LOT in their sleep, if they don't have the nutrients and calories they need for it, they wake up to eat. Try a high fat/high protein belly filler right before bed. Something that her body can burn for a long time (as opposed to a quick burn carb snack like toast or crackers).

.

Keep the house as dark as possible. When you change her diaper do it quickly, quietly, and with as little stimulation as possible. If she learns that its dark and boring at 4am maybe she'll break the habit. Otherwise get used to getting up early and getting on Mamapedia with your coffee at 4am, sometimes bringing in the dawn is a delightful thing. I'm guessing she wakes up at 4 because she's probably going pee at that time and it wakes her up. 2 yr olds are in love with the world and time means nothing to them... they are eager and curious creatures :)

I have to agree with Dawn B. She is expecting you do get up with her, she needs to learn that night time means staying in bed. She does not need her diaper changed at 4am, it can wait until 7 when everyone else is up.

For a while we put my son on the floor on his little couch in our room.. he would go back to sleep.

We have a music box that displays a spinning sceen on this cieling/wall we put that on.

I'd skip the diaper change unless she's soaked.

My daughter, and my grandson, were both early risers until the age of 3-4. My grandson was encouraged to stay in bed and read or play by the light of a small lamp if he woke up too early.

His parents set a clock that would light up for whatever time they set, and he could get up and come to their room after the clock light turned on. Every week, they moved the wake-up light back 10-15 minutes. It seemed to work quite well.

Quietly change her diaper in the dark, put her back into her bed and possibly lay down on the floor next to her bed to show her it's still sleep
time and you're going back to sleep.

You may fall asleep on the floor but it's better than being awake.

Then get up & go back to bed.
Sorry, I know it's not ideal but it WILL get better.

I'd make sure his room has no sun comming through at all. When he wakes up I'd change his diaper in his room with very little light and put him back in his bed. Or have a tape or movie ready he can watch till youw ant to wake up.