getting a toddler to sleep longer??

[Lindsey<3]

Hey, wondering if anyone has any advice to offer? Ive an almost 3 year old whos very active and im 6 and half months pregnant. She goes to bed around 7-7.30 every evening amd still has a nap during the day. If she doesn't nap she wakes up around 5am and has a restless nights sleep. If she does have a nap which usually lasts around a hour, she then wakes up at around 5.50am but sleeps all the way through . Im exhausted and want to know if theres anything I can do to improve the hours she wakes up at (to at least 6.30am lol).

Ive tried putting her to bed later and just has the same effect as no nap (disturbed night sleep and her waking even earlier) *yawn*

Thanks guys :)

[carebear]

Hi there,

We have some very similar problems with a slightly younger child so I will be interested to see any feedback you get!

From what I've read, later bedtime and cutting out nap can often have that effect as they get overtired (we have also tried these things with the same results). Have you tried cutting the nap but introducing an earlier bedtime to make up for it? How long does she sleep for in the day? Perhaps you could cut it down rather than cutting it out altogether.

Sorry if that's not much help or you've tried all this already. We've had periods of success with later rising and although they've never lasted more than a month or two, they are usually as the result of introducing a change consistently for at least 5 days before we see any change.

Good luck with it!

[Lindsey<3]

Earlier bed time sounds amazing lol! Yeah I may try and shorten the nap and put her to bed slightly earlier! Thank you :)

*fingers crossed*

[ladyruskin]

I recommend reducing the naps, but not eliminating them. I found with my son that then he was tired enough to go to sleep at 7:30 and sleep though. Mind you, our problem has always been him not going to sleep until late if he naps rather than waking early.

Have there been any other changes lately? We recently started potty training and that lead to my son have a week or two of restless nights and early starts but they seem to have righted themselves. I have also introduced a Gro Clock and told him he couldn't get up until the sun came up and he's stuck to it since we started with that on Monday. However the gloomy mornings may have helped with that too!

[Lindsey<3]

No no other changes I can think of. Are them clock's worthwhile do you think? If so I may have to invest in one :) thanks

[ladyruskin]

We've had success with it so far and I know others who swear by them. Not so easy to operate (at least I've found it tricky!).

[Lindsey<3]

Ahh gawd lol, im terrible for knowing how to use things. As long as its got instructions I'll be okay (I hope lol)

[EDmummy]

I tried everything to get my very early waker to stay in bed longer when pregnant with second (he's still an early waker at 13!) but gave up and just changed my own sleeping patterns. I was in bed soon after he went to bed and then waking up at 5:50 was not a problem. On the days I didn't work I also took at nap at the same time as he did.

[tomo]

My son who's a bit younger (2.5 years) than yours was a chronic early riser, so sympathies! I'd definitely try reducing the nap and doing earlier bed. If my son skips his nap which often happens on a nursery day I try and get him down for 6.30pm. This helps break the overtired/early waking cycle. Gro clock has been a god send in our house. It does take perseverance, but it works! My son now stays in his cot till 7am when he calls for me 'Mummy! Sun's come up!' Even if he wakes earlier he chats/sings until the sun comes up on his clock. Hoping this will still be the case when we eventually take the sides off his cot?!

It's a complete turnaround from the 5am starts!

They are a pain in the arse to operate but has saved our sanity. We started of with setting it to come on at 6am and gradually moved it to 7am. A far more acceptable time of day to wake. Although my husband now has to get up at 6.30 and tip toe around the house!

[inthewoods]

It looks like your child is happy with 12 hours sleep per day which is the right number for their age. What about moving bedtime later to say 8 in small increments and don't have nap too late in the afternoon. If you are exhausted it's probably for running around after them as well. What about doing a group every day (if you can't find a free place from 9 till 12) so yr child have playmates other than you. I don't think you can make them sleep longer but you can tweak the time of sleep so it suits you better. Wouldn't your partner/husband be able to take care of them in the evening?

[Lindsey<3]

Thanks ladies, :)

[canela]

I think - unfortunately! - some kids are just early risers, and especially when they are little. My sister's little boy has been a 5am starter since more or less born, and he is now nearly 4. sometimes there is just not a lot you can do, but adapt your own life around it. my sister just goes to bed really early too.

remember it will pass! After 8 years of v early morning starts, I now have an 8 year old who gets his own breakfast and his nearly-5 year old sister's as well at about 7. the irony being of course that I now get up at 5:30 myself so I can take advantage of the peace and quiet and do some work!