2 yo demanding to get up reeeeally early

[tylersmommy]

Mackenzie will be 2 next week. We've been dealing with early wakings for about 3 wks now. We had an illness thrown in there for a few days, and she slept later then, but she's back to her old tricks. The issue is that every time she wakes up from 4 AM onward, she thinks it's time to get up. She calls for me, I go in, and she says she wants to get up or she wants to go downstairs. I try explaining that it's still sleep time, I show her that it's dark outside, or I try just telling her goodnight and leaving, but it doesn't work. She starts screaming to get up, and then I don't know what to do, because I don't want her to wake her brother in the next room. I usually end up letting her go downstairs. I give in, and I know that's part of the problem.

This was her routine
715 AM - wake
1-230 - nap
730 - bed

I've tried putting her to bed later and it doesn't make a difference. She's been taking a long time to fall asleep no matter what I do, so she's been falling asleep around 830. The other night she didn't fall asleep until 10. She's clearly tired when she wakes up early...she's incredibly cranky and just lays around on the couch. There isn't anything waking her that I can tell, as the times are all over the place.

I've heard about the nightlight on a timer trick, but I don't know if she's old enough to understand it. This sucks! I know sleep can get wacky around this age, but between the early wakings and taking a long time to fall asleep at night, she's suddenly getting 3 hrs less sleep each day. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[Sylvia.]

hi, first of all hugs hon, that sucks, nearly 2 already, wow that went fast

i so understand you not wanting her to wake the rest of the house up but some how you need to keep her in her room, you need to keep her in the dark, what time does ds get up in the morning, i find that if any of the girls have a rough night it does not interfer with the other ones sleep

is she napping earlier

lucy 2 and 4 months

this is her routine

wake about 7-7.30
nap between midday and 1 pm, i always have to wake her after 2 hours
bed 8-8.30, it can take her a while to get to sleep if i let her sleep too long at nap time, how easy is that to do? also dd1 and dd2 are in the same room and like to talk and sing

has she got her two year old molars yet? do you think she could be teething?

we have the nightlight on a timer for dd1

oh when dd1 started doing this we started co sleeping, we have moved past this and i still miss it, i would have never have given it up if she was an only child

[jess, lukeys_mom]

Melissa,
luke has been doing this recently too. He is VERY spirited and screams his lungs out till we get in there. This month is a busy time work-wise for both dh and I so we are trying to savor every last drop of sleep.

What we've done is brought a small bed in his room which we've used for when he's sick, etc. (This will actually also be his BBB in a few months so hoping he gets used to it being around).  When the EW happens one of us goes in there, hugs him a little in his crib and whispers that it's still sleepy time. And then we lay down right next to him and sleep. No more interacting, just occasional shushing (unless he has poo-ed then I'll change his diaper with only a little nightlight). 

He lets out little yelps and cries but just intuitively does not scream when we are right there. And often it takes about 30 min of tossing and turning but then he does go back to sleep, as do we. I usually just stay there in his room and dh comes and wakes us up at 7 or so. It started out with wakings in the 4's, then 5's, now we're in the early 6's so it is slowly but surely improving. I was worried that we would be forming the habit of this happening all the time, but he seems to be getting the picture that you just can't get up till sleepy time is over.

HTH?!