Toddler Waking up Earlier and Earlier!

You could try putting her down later but dont count on it working fully. My three year old sometimes goes through phases where he does this with us and putting him to bed later just makes it worse because he still gets up at the same time but he is only more tired. I would in my opinion let it ride itself out. You have a brand new baby at home and yes she knows you are probably up with him so out of jealousy or the mere wanting to be with him and you she is waking earlier. She will most likely get back on routine. Maybe shorten her naps in the afternoon too...that way she may have to rework her own system and add to the sleep in the morning. good luck!!

I would definitely start putting her down later. My kids have never slept for 12 hours at a time. Move her bed time back in small increments, and don't expect her to start sleeping later immediately. It will/should be a gradual process.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I really think your child just doesn't need as much sleep as you want her to need! My 23 month old twins sleep about 10 hours at night and 2 in the afternoon, so 12 hours out of every 24. Charts (available on line) advise that kids this age need about 12-13 hours of sleep. You're expecting your child to sleep 12 plus 2.5 or 14.5! She may be whiny because she's jealous of the new baby or sad at being locked in her dark room every morning, not because she's tired. I'd suggest either shortening the nap or putting her to bed an hour later. Best of luck!

Try feeing her a banana before bed, for some reason it helps sometimes. Don't call it the bedtime banana though, just night time snack or snack time. You could also explain to her that she needs to stay in bedroom quitely because its not time to wake up yet and then just stay the course. Maybe not even acknowledge shes awake and see if she learns it doesn't make a difference. Also as hard as it is make sure she it still getting her specail time with just you no baby.

M.- If I didn't know better, I'd say I wrote this letter myself! I had my 2nd when my first was 20 months. All was well for a while, and then we hit the same bump in the road, just as the weather was getting warmer and the days longer and lighter! My toddler suddenly needed a lot less sleep and a lot more attention- at the exact moment when I needed her to sleep her usual 12 hours and get more independent. In fact, some days it was not 5 a.m. when she woke up, but 2 a.m. We let her fuss for a while, but ultimately got her up and tried to wear her back down. Some mornings I would find myself just sitting on the floor at dawn with two wailing kids hanging on me. I will not lie- it was pure suffering for a week or so, but ultimately everything got back on track. I don't remember how I survived, but the important thing is, I did. You will too. Hang in there, you are doing a great job.

Is your daughter still taking naps during the day? A typical toddler should be getting between 12-15 hours of sleep per day. If she is still taking naps and you don't want to put her down any later at night, you might want to start reducing the naps during the day.

Just a thought!

M.,
Wish I had better news, but my kids are doing the same thing! We have actually started putting them to be a half hour sooner in hopes of at least getting them more sleep. I think it may have something to do with the weather....Seems like I have heard this same thing from lots of Moms lately.

They don't call them the 'terrible twos' for no reason. Your toddler daughter is growing up, becoming a person and not a baby with a definite personality, wants and needs and now she can express herself a little most distinctly. You on the other hand are going through sleep deprivation for the 2nd time, juggling a toddler and a newborn. Your life is on overload. A two and half hour nap in the afternoon is a long nap for a toddler. She doesn't have the same sleep requirements that the baby does. She also wants some attention. She's accustom to being the princess and getting your undivided attention. So, when you have the baby napping, take one or two of those nap periods and have some Mom and daughter time. If you cut back on some of the nap, she may sleep a little later. Then you need to remember a toddler's body clock doesn't coincide with the clock on the wall. We just went thru a time change, from standard to daylight savings time. We sprang forward 1 hr. So waking up at 7 am today is like waking up at 6 am last month. Her 6 am wake-up is her routine, nothing new there. Let her enjoy that half hour or so with you and Dad, without you having to rush to the baby. You'll have a happier daughter, a less frustrating day, and you'll be laying the groundwork for a great relationship between your kids, a non-competitive one, where they each have their time with you and then the shared times as well.

Hi M.,

I wouldn't put her down later, I agree that doesn't help, it just makes them short on sleep. You are probably right that she hears you and wants to be with you. Eventually, if you keep doing exactly what you are doing, she likely will settle back into a routine. Good luck!

M.-

While it's true that toddlers do need a certain amount of sleep, we can't "make" them sleep that long. Once they're up, they're up. I would start adjusting bedtime by 15 minutes and see if that makes any difference. You could also cut naptime back by 15 minutes. But make small adjustments, suddenly switching bedtime from 7pm to 8pm could upset her sleep patterns (and everyone else's too).

Best of luck to you!
-B.-

I ususally don't respond to these but I just went thru the exact thing you have mentioned above with my 26 month old. I blacked out her room hoping that might help. Trust me I was trying everything. Anyway, good news it is just a phase. I have had many moms state this as well. It last about 2 months for us. Getting up btw 6:00 and 6:30, sometimes 5:45. Now she is back on here normal routine of getting up around 7:15- 7:30. She goes to bed around 8:00 with a 2 hour nap during the day. Hope this helps!!!

I would also wake her up from her naps a lil' early too!
I think 7pm is a touch early to go to bed, how about 8pm?