Early Waking - 18 month old

[nealeriver]

Any suggestions for our gorgeous daughter who is waking up at 5 - 5.30 am each morning?

She has one nap a day around 12.30pm for 1.5 hours.  This used to be for 2 hours, but we've reduced it to try and get more sleep at night.  That hasn't worked but it is much easier to get her to bed in the evening now.

Her bedtime is 7 - 7.30pm.

Have tried waking her up at 4ish, giving her some milk and then putting her back to bed, which does get her through to 6.30am, but not really a long term solution!

Any ideas very welcome!!!

[Tweakster]

Hi there, yes I have the same child :-)

First don't cap the nap.  It doesn't normally help.  It just creates OT which compounds the EW.  I would move her nap back to 12 and let her take the 2 hrs.  She's likely easier to get to bed because she's just plain exhausted.

Is she teething?  Have you tried pain meds and/or a DF of pain meds?

Also earlier bedtime.  I would go with 6:30/7 for a while to get her caught up on OT.  Even if she wakes at the same time she's getting a longer night.

[nealeriver]

Thanks.  Have got rid of waking her after 1.5 hours for her nap, and tried putting her down for earlier nap, before lunch (around 11.30) and letting her sleep as long as she needs.  Last two days that's been around 2.5 hours.

Hasn't really changed early waking though 

We'll try the 2 hour nap as you suggest and do it as mid-day, after an early lunch, and bring forward bed time as you suggest.  See what happens.

We thought that maybe she was getting uncomfortable in her grobag - she is quite tall and in the 91st percentile for her age - should we try moving to regular bedding for her in her cot?

With thanks