Toddler waking too early or have we just been spoiled?...

[Janie]

Okay you're all FREAKING ME OUT! I cannot bear the thought of a 5am start EVERY DAY! Please, please may my little one always think that it's cool to sleep until 7 or 8

[Willow]

LOL, don't panic Janie, DD has always been a 7-8am riser, and it looks like DS is too! While I was prg and on mat leave, it was rare for DD and I to get out of bed before 8.30am. Now DS usually wakes us at around 7.15am, but I'll take that over 5am!

[Tobily]

Neither of my kids have ever slept late - in summer both of them are up by 5.30ish and in winter they're up by 6.30...or 6am.

[curl]

I have almost 18 months between my two oldest girls and I found when DD2 arrived DD1 was waking way too early for my liking at about 6.30am. I got used to the early mornings and found that if I stayed up with DD1, fed her breakky, gave her a bottle, watched tv together she would then show signs of tiredness around 9ish. This worked out perfectly back then as between 9-9.30am there was usually Playhouse Disney, Raggs or Fairies on ch7 and when it was over with I would say it was time for bed and she'd happily go back to bed. During this awake time I would also manage to feed DD2, do a load of washing and the dishes and she would also be ready for another nap. Yippee... I could go too! The afternoon sleeps were however, slowly disappearing from sight but that was okay for me as the extra 2-3 hours in the morning helped me immensely.

This time for me however, will be the big challenge as both older girls very rarely have a sleep during the day anymore. That said they are being very considerate at the moment and aren't waking until 8-8.30am each morning... I can only hope this continues.

[curl]

I do feel very spoiled with my 8-8.30am mornings especially after reading of so many of you having 5.30am wake ups....

[christy]

Yeah my house 5.30 can be a commen time to get up. BUT mainly during season or developmental changes. She probably is ready to drop that second sleep. Matilda & Jovie both went to 1 sleep at 13 months. The past few mornings we've been up with the sun because we cut some trees down outside the girls room & now they wake with the extra light.... bummer.

A good way to start doing it is to keep her up for a bit longer before her morning nap if possible... everyday push it back 15 minutes or so and soon she'll be sleeping from midday to 2 or 3 or something & her night sleeps will settle down.

[Nai]

We have had 6.30 - 7 am wakeups since DD was 12 months. She sleeps through from 7.30pm and has one daytime sleep from about 1 - 3 pm. Her waking time suits us as we need to get up for work and get her to childcare so if she isn't up by 7.15am we have to wake her which we hate!!

On weekends she may sleep until 7.30pm as our alarm doesn't go off but she also goes to bed a bit later too - maybe 8 - 8.30pm

[~clover~]

DD1 can be happily up at 6am during school holidays & on weekends, but try to get her up at 7.30 for school & its impossible!

[Beach Mama]

Christy - I've thought that she might be ready to drop her afternoon nap - especially on days like yesterday where she fought it and in the end we got her up again, but she was miserable and tired and grizzly by 530-6pm and her bedtime is 7.
Today she woke early - she went down without a fuss at 945and was well and truly ready for it - there is no way I could keep her up until 11ish- she was coming up and cuddling me and letting me know that she wanted to go to sleep. The only reason I hung on til 945 instead of 930ish was because I was skyping with my BIL/SIL in Canada! She will sleep til around 1130-12ish so there is no way I could keep her up this arvo til 7. I have mothers group so will put her down for a arvo nap at around 330-4ish and she will sleep for around 40 mins.....
Arrrgghhhh so hard to work out what to do!