22 Month old - waking earlier and earlier tired

[aleliap]

Hi, my 22 month old has started waking earlier and earlier. Until he was about 14 months he would sleep 7pm-7am no problem and then he started waking at 6:30, then at 6 then at 5:45, then at 5:30 and now, at 22 months we are waking between 4:45 and 5. I have tried wake to sleep but I think maybe I'm not rousing him enough. The result is he goes down for a nap super early (8:30 or 9am), sleeps for two hours, stays awake the rest of the day and is exhausted at 6pm. I've tried putting him down for a second nap in the afternoon and he will chat to himself for an hour and then scream to be picked up.

What's worse is when I do get up with him at 5:45 or so (we let him talk/yell for an hour) then he's in a grumpy mood. He's obviously tired.

His schedule goes like this:
5-5:30 wake up
5:30-6:30 eat
6:30-9 Activity
9-11: sleep
11-12: eat
12-5:15 Activity
5:15-6:15 dinner, bath, wind down (I try and keep him up as close to 7 as I can)
6:30 bed

I really appreciate anyone's input as it is killing us to get up this early, plus it wakes up our 3.5 year old so he's extra tired.

Thanks!
Alelia

[Georgena]

Hi there, that sounds rough! Im not good at early starts so I sympathize.
From what I can remember, and please someone correct me,but it becomes a bit of a vicious cycle,the earlier they have that first nap the earlier they wake up!! Joy!! I get the feeling that he's making up for the early start with the nap, he knows he's got a nice long nap coming up so its all good!!
I would do one of two things, you could try just keeping him as busy as possible and deal with some grumpiness to make him sleep later, that's what I would do with my LO but she's a bit txt book and deals well with those things,or do over a longer period and push it later by 15mins every few days??

What do you think?? I think Tracy's first book has a good section about pushing naps.
When you've got the nap time later you can see how it is,if there is little change then you may need to shorten his nap??
I hope this helps a little bit! 

[jessmum46]

Great advice from Georgena, that very early nap is definitely continuing the cycle of early waking.  I would agree that pushing nap later 15 mins every 3 days or so would be a good plan, though it may take a long time to get to a sensible nap time.  The alternative would be allowing a nap when he's tired at 9am but make it super-short ie wake him after 15-20 mins max (maybe do in stroller out and about so not so awful to wake him?) then put down for a proper afternoon nap after lunch, with the aim of getting rid of the morning catnap as soon as WU improves to a point where he can make it to 11.30/12ish for his nap.  At 22 months I would have though any WU time from about 5.30/6am I would try to push him through to lunchtime.  What do you think?