3.5 year old sudden early wakings

[caseyg]

Hi, I haven't been on here forever, but need some help again.

My 3.5 daughter has always been a fantastic sleeper, very textbook in terms of naps etc, maybe even seemed a high sleep needs child.  She used to sleep until 8am every day, bedtime was 7.30pm.

For the last couple of months she's been waking up early, anytime between 5.30 & 7am.  The 7 am is fine, she just stays in bed until her gro clock comes on at 7.30. But I have nom idea why she is waking up so much earlier than she used to.

We've recently cut out the nap, as she was also playing up anlot at bedtime...since we've done that bedtime is absolutely fine, she's usually in bed by 7.30pm, and is asleep within 5-10 minutes.  I was hoping that the no nap would also mean later wake up, but it hasn't made any difference.

Any advice for what could be causing the early wakings & how to fix? I'm worried she's just not getting enough sleep at the moment. 

Ps.  She is in nursery school 9am-3pm every day, and they don't do naps, so dropping her nap & fixing the bedtime problems coincided with her also starting her new school.

[*Becky*]

sounds like it could be OT causing the EWings if she has just dropped the nap....I would try putting her to bed earlier for a little while so maybe max 12 hours after wake up in the am (some people do more like 11 hours but I have never been brave enough for that as don't have super-tackers!)

[caseyg]

Thanks...will definitely try that, although she's just come down with tonsillitis, plus she's missing her daddy like crazy (away on business trip) so have to get her over this first I guess.  Her sleeping patterns are all over the place when she's sick...she just asked to go for a nap 2.5 hours after she woke up!