2 1/2 yr old and 15 mth old waking at 5.30 am every day!! Please help!

[georgiamum]

We have two darling daughters, aged 2 1/2 and 15 mths.  Both go to bed like angels at 7pm.  The two yr old wont go for a 'formal' nap but tends to drop off for an hour in chair/car around lunchtime or later if lots of activity  The 15 month old goes back to bed around 9am for and hour and then again around 3pm for an hour or so.  She might also have the odd nap in the car at lunchtime occassionally.

The both used to sleep fine until around 6.30am which we could cope with, but these 5.30 am starts are just not funny.

Any help or suggestions would be most appreciated.

Many thanks.

[MDHmommy]

Are they sharing a room?

Has your 15 month old given any indication that she might be ready for one nap?

When was the last time your 2.5 year old took a regular nap during the day?

I ask these questions because early wakes can be indicitive of readyness for switch to one nap (as in the 15 month old) and also overtiredness (as in the 2.5 year old, as 2.5 seems a bit young to not be napping in a structured way)

Let us know - we'll try to help you out!

[georgiamum]

hi - yes, the girls are sharing a room.  15 month old definitely shows the need for at least two naps.  Our 2 1/2 year old stopped having a structured nap about 3 or 4 months ago - I do think this is a problem as I can tell she is tired.  She is so adamant that she will not go into her cot for a nap during the day.  She does go to bed good as gold at night.  It is probably our need to get back into a structured nap for her - but how do you suggest we go about this.  I would like to be firmer in the mornings, but if one is asleep I feel bad about
creating a situation where the other is screaming.  I really don't know what to do, so any advise will be so gratefully received.

Thank you.

[MDHmommy]

I've got zero experience with two But, is the 2.5 year old the kind of child where she'll go with the flow? I'm thinking if you can try to get the younger one moving toward one nap - the 2.5 year old might be ok with nap time for both of them?

Possible that you could set up a nap area elsewhere for the little one while you work on getting the other to nap during the day?

[momofclaire]

You might try offering the older one some "quiet time?"    Do you think she would lay down with a couple of books or to listen to music.  I think 2.5 is too young to not have a nap but it does seem that many fight it at that age. 

[georgiamum]

hi both

thanks for your suggestions - I will try and move 15 mth old to one short nap and one proper nap, and will do my best to entice my 2.5 to take a nap at same time for proper nap - perhaps using the quiet time approach with some new books!

I will let you know how I get on.

thanks so much.

[Liam and Shane's Mommy]

Looking at your post, I was keying in on the 9AM nap.  Although she may not be ready to go to one nap, is it possible that 9AM is too early for a nap?  I think I read in Tracy's book once that to help with early wake-ups, wait longer to put them down for the first nap.  Also when working towards one nap you keep moving the AM later and later until it squeezes out the PM nap and its just one long siesta.  I have two ages 5 and 2 who don't share a room but still manage to wake the other up early and I know its frustrating