DD's waking - at a loss!!

DD is two and has been waking up between 4.30 - 5.30am. I know I set up some really bad habits by getting up and bringing her into our bed for milkies and snuggles. I tried to pat her back to sleep the other day after giving her milkies but wouldn't have a bar of it. Some mornings she will fall back asleep in our bed other mornings she will sit up and proclaim "i'm awake mummy". I thought it might be because she needs to drop her day sleep, but she wakes early even if shes been to kindy the day prior (which means she only naps for 1 hour). I am not really sure what I should do to encourage more of a sleep in. Something has to change as getting up at that time every day is not sustainable for anyone and with another one on the way I am absolutely exhausted - all advice welcome! TIA

DS used to do that. His problem was the dummy. Once we got rid of the dummy, it took about 4-6 weeks to start sleeping through. It's taken a lot longer but we have trained him not to wake us when he comes in. I often wake up to see him sleeping beside me with no idea how long he'd been there (about once a week when he's well - more often when he's sick). We praise him lots when he's stayed in his own bed all night. He feels so proud of himself. I would say to stop giving her milk. Keep a water bottle by her bed in case she's thirsty. Explain it to her - she's a big girl, big girls don't have milkies during the night etc, but expect it to take a while to get used to the new routine. Now to follow my own advice because DD needs to drop her 4am feed (More to the point - I need DD to drop that feed.). She usually goes back to sleep but it can take over an hour. I have considered getting up but I'm too tired and she just whinges all morning because she hasn't had enough sleep.

You have an early waker. I have two of those. I have had no success.

The older one started sleeping later, or at least not bothering to wake me in the morning, by time he was school age (he's 18 now, and you'll be pleased to know that he doesn't come into our room anymore and say "I'm awake mummy!" :ROFL:).

I take DS2 to the toilet then take him back to his bed. 9 times out of 10 he doesn't go back to sleep but instead plays in his room. I bought one of those "time to wake clocks". He knows what it's for and even tells me that he can wake up when it's green, but that clearly doesn't bother him because he still comes in anyway.

If you find a surefire solution, please post it because I'd love to try something that actually works!

Coffee works and so does feigning sleep - for the most part DH wins that competition but will do the early wake up every now and then.

Ds does this too. We have been guilty of getting up and making him breakfast and giving him the iPad to watch at the table and going back to bed.

My dd used to do this and stopped when she dropped her day sleep.

What if you only let her nap every second day?

My son has not been the best sleeper. He's about your daughter's age and we put him into a bed at the start of the year. Let's just say it hasn't been as easy transition as he loves the freedom!

He got into the habit of coming into our bed to sleep every night about 3am. Even though he went back to sleep, I had trouble sleeping, so I decided to change things. I explained that he needed to stay in his bed and that if he came into our room, I would just put him back in his bed.

The first night he slept through! After that I spent a few nights putting him back in bed (mostly with a quick cuddle and a song) and he stayed there until the morning.

He's been pretty good these last few weeks and it's only on the odd occasion (mostly on quite cold nights) that he's come into our room.

Good luck. I hope you can find something that works for you!

We co-sleep so if DD (19mo) is up, we need to be up too. Don't have a solution to make her sleep longer but our workaround is, DH goes to bed early. I go later (coz I have cow duties anyway) so he gets up early if she's up early and let me have 1/2hr extra or something like that. Sometimes she still comes looking for me.

My son is a little older (3 now) and has reflux. When we take him off his reflux medication (have done this twice now) he wakes early. Usually around 5am and refuses to go back to sleep. Start him on the losec again and he's fine. Maybe your little one has a bit of reflux/food intolerance if she only does it sometimes? Maybe try a food diary to see if you can figure out if there is any correlation?

Thanks everyone. OK so here is my strategy:
* Tonight, I put DD to bed 30 mins later (7.30pm)
* We sat down and had a chat about how she is a big girl now and will no longer be having milkies in the morning, it's only for night time. I also explained that we don't get out of bed until it's light outside and as she is now a big girl there will be no more coming into mummy and daddy's bed and if she did wake up early she should try and go back to sleep otherwise mummy will come in and pat her back to sleep in her own cot
* I filled her up with soooo much food tonight
* I put the heater in her room up a little bit and put an extra long sleave top on under her jamies

So... Let's what and see what happens. I have also decided to not let her nap during the day for longer than 2.5 hours. The other day she slept for 4 hours and i think it's cos she was waking up really early!!

Thanks so much for all your advice I will keep you posted on how we go, I am saddling up for a big couple of weeks.

That all sounds great! Loving that you have a real plan in place - stick with it!

DD has had a day/night clock since 18 months, she can't get out of bed until sheep wakes!

We must be living parallel lives. We go through this cycle too with DD2. The most recent trigger was a really bad cut to her mouth and at 5am it's so tempting just too bring them into bed for a BF and cuddle! Each time I get exhausted after a good month or more if it and then I send DH in to get her up and take her downstairs. She kicks up an almighty stink but it cures her of early call outs in 1-3 days. She's slept until 6 or 6.30 the last few mornings and we've showered her in praise. I hope you get some later sleeps. The early mornings are hard!!

Tilda, the early mornings are lethal. I have to get up early most mornings to teach my fitness classes, but getting up earlier than I already have to is not fun.

Olive, yes I'm thinking that's the next step to get her a grow clock. She was listening to me tonight. She's very bright so I hope she wakes up tomorrow & goes straight back to sleep. I feel mean, but know its for the best. I can't be doing this when the new baby comes.

The trick will be sticking with this for a few weeks. I think it's a good plan that will work at some point. Don't get disheartened if she wakes early tomorrow, just remember the plan and stick to the plan.

DAY 1
Heard DD wake at 4.30am then she said to herself "it's all dark" then heard nothing until 5.30 then there was a little cry and then went silent until 5:40 where we had he mummy daddy call out. I got up and went in there and told her that she is to stay in her cot and that she's a big girl now and big girls don't go into mummy and daddy's bed, I also reminded her that it's dark outside, I laid down next to the cot and asked her to lay down as well, 10 mins in she sat up and started to cry, I gave her a cuddle and asked her to go to sleep again reminding her it was dark outside and that she was a big girl now (I also kept calm, loving but sticking to my guns she knew I meant business). I was busting to go to the toilet (darn PG) so I actually got up and closed the door with the intention to return, but by the time I had finsihed and returned she was quiet so I went back to my bed, I got up at 6.15am to get ready for the gym and DH told me she started to make noises around 6.45 and DH went in there and said it's getting light now and you did it, your a big girl now, let's get up and have breakfast!!!! She didn't ask for milkies, I can't get over what a great first day - I am not deluded and think that's it, but what a great start. I gave her heaps of praise when I got home from the gym and asked where my little girl went as I now have a big girl - she was so proud of herself... I feel bad about it, but i know it's the right thing for all of us (especially her), we went to Taronga zoo this morning and I think she coped much better than last week as she wasn't so tired. My key things I am glad I did:

* Discuss it with her the night before
* Stick to my guns
* Set my plan
* Sent her to bed 30 mins later

I might do daily updates for the next two weeks, I will share the good the bad and the ugly... Watch this space!

Well done! Go Miss W! She needs to come have a chat with my DD about this big girl bizzo lol. I hope the new routine stays on track.

So do I R! So do I! I am really going to try my best though. I am so glad we had a big chat last night before she went to bed. DH thought I was crazy, but then in the end when she was going to bed she told him she was a big girl and there'll be no milkies in the morning so at least I didn't just launch it on her. FX we get through it, cos I was at breaking point. How is DD going? I saw your FB post about the kids sleeping a couple of days back.

She is so clever! These toddlers certainly take in more than we give them credit for don't they.

E normally wakes about 4ish, comes into our bed for "boobie". Swaps sides several times until I crack it and say no more. She cries a bit, then goes back to sleep. Or she goes back to sleep on the boob. Drives me nuts! Sometimes she'll toss & turn for over an hour. She won't take a cup of milk or water. If DH tries to settle her, she screams and screams. We're going to try a sleepover at Nanna & Poppy's for a couple nights to try & break the habit. They have been on holiday and arrived back today so hopefully next weekend will be the day! I'm so keen to stop BF now. Everytime she sees me, she cries for boobie. My supply is quite low so it doesn't take long before it becomes painful. It breaks my heart hearing her cry for it and having to say no. So it's time to wean. DS was sick last weekend with an ear infection but he's fine now. He came to visit about 5am this morning but he just climbs up and goes straight to sleep without disturbing us anymore. Lucky we bought a king size bed ;) Fingers crossed.

Gosh you've done well with BF girl - well done :) I like your grandparent idea. It's so hard to break these little habits, but we are doing it for the greater good. I find it really hard to hear DD cry, but I know she's fine, and it was a good thing I had to go to the toilet this morning as it just proved to me she was fine. Good luck babe! xxx