Toddler Waking Early! - How Can I Get Him Sleeping Later?

That's just the way some kids are- mine included. We have an early bedtime because they won't sleep past 5:30 and just end up crabby if they don't get enough sleep. Nothing we've tried has made a difference in their wake-up times! It's totally worth it to put them to bed early and get well-rested kids, even that early in the morning.... My oldest is over 3.5 and has been reading a digital clock for almost a year. He knows that whenever he wakes up, he must stay in bed quietly until 6. You'll probably just have to learn to live with the early waking!

We went through the same thing with my son although he was older than yours, he was 2 years plus a few months when we had this problem. What we did was got one of those clocks that turns green at a time you pre-set. We told him that if he wakes up to check the clock and if it is not green it is not time to wake up yet. Granted he was old enough to understand this; whether your son is you will know best, he might be. To this day (he is 3 1/2 now) that clock turns green at 7am and we are not coming in until then. When we first started this he was also waking up at 5am or so and it did work after a few days because he learned not to expect our company anyway. Good luck. Waking up early sucks. We are so not morning people, even 7am is too early for me :)

If it keeps up after daylight savings maybe it's time to shorten his nap.

He is getting older and will start needing to stay up a bit later. The biorhythm takes a bit to adjust. Keep him up 15 to 20 minutes later each night and see if he starts sleeping more.

lol sorry but I had to laugh not at you but with you because I went through this with my oldest (now 7) & am now going through this with my 2yr old...I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I tried everything & then gave in & realized that my oldest is an early riser, she still wakes around 5am no matter what time she goes to bed! I have accepted that this is just her cycle but she learned how to make her own breakfast at an early age lol
my now 2yr old doesn't always come out of her room (there is a gate up but she can climb over it) when she does get up & come out then I go ahead & let her, when she doesnt come out of her room she just plays until I come get her...she does go down for her nap earlier though by about an hour...
wish I had better news but this has just been my experience with my oldest I tried to "fight" it but after trying nearly everything I just came to realize that some people are early risers & this isnt necessarily a bad thing, just not what you want from your young kids lol but in the end it just means that I get up & get my housework done earlier & have more time to play with her & do more fun stuff lol

I think you just have to go with the flow. If he's ready for a nap before 12:30, just put him down earlier. Kids do change their sleep habits, and it's very common for their wake-up time to be very consistent even with changes in their bedtime. My 5 year old was like that, and my 2 1/2 year old is like that now.

Hang in there. My 5 year old knows how to sleep in now! Unfortunately, that sometimes means I have to wake him up so that he doesn't miss the bus :-)

Turn the monitor down, you'll still hear him if he yells, and let him sleep until 7:30 or 8. It's good that he'll keep himself busy for the time he does, enjoy it.

Try getting him more physical exercise time throughout the day to tire him out, and focus on making his bedtime as relaxing as possible with a bath, night time lotion rubdown, a story or two in dimmed lighting with hushed voices to encourage restful sleep.

More than likely his waking schedule is simply changing as he's growing : )

The good news is that daylight savings is coming up, so he will be on a good schedule. Just leave him in there the way you are doing it now.. If he is entertaining himself, that is awesome.

I thin it is a stage, mine both went through the VERY EARLY wake up stage between 18 months and 2 years old - I would say keep doing what you are doing, and let him figure it out. Maybe move nap time up a little, to 11 am or so....I know it messes with lunch- but give him a biggish snack right before and one right after....

Then as he grows out of waking so early, go back to a little later nap!

Good Luck!

Jessie

He's not teeny anymore. Turn off the monitor. Let him amuse himself until he hollers or falls back to sleep. He'll be fine.

Is he taking two naps a day still? Is his last nap later than 2 oclock? I would try and keep his last nap early, like 1-2 or so, so you can put him down a little later at night.

My 17 month old is on the same schedule. He used to sleep from 7:00pm-8:00am but now he sleeps from 7:00-6:00. He also naps from 12:30-2:30. I don't know what you tell you. Maybe you can move his bedtime to 8 or 8:30.