can't take pre 5am anymore

[babybarr]

So the little boys are nearly 2. They've always been pretty rubbish sleepers but on and off more recently we were getting both sttn and wake up around 6ish. Our routine looked like
6am wake (h normally wakes first and will wake j)
Nap around 12.15 now 12.30 for an hr and 15 and we woke them
In bed around 7 usually takes them a short while to go to sleep. J normally takes longer to go off than h.

So we've tried cutting the nap as bt was becoming a nightmare and they were waking earlier.

I don't want them to go to bed much later as I need my evening and we're up about 6.30 for work. I'm not sure they're ready for no nap.

Yesterday dh woke them after 45mins but h only had 30 and he's been awake and grumpy since 5am.

Thoughts?

[becj86]

I wonder if moving the nap later might work better than capping it? Are they typically LSN, Laura? In our house, 9.5-10hr nights were more OT than UT.

[anna*]

Groclock?

[Aishi]

I would agree with gro clock if they're lsn. My ds (now 5) was ew since a baby and no amount of tweaking routine/ environment made a difference for long. I implemented gro clock at 2.5 but wasn't consistent as I kept hoping for more sleep so faded about with his routine. Anyway since implementing gro clock properly at 4 and setting by at 8- he's doing much better. He still wakes early but he will play quietly in his room till 7 even if he's been up as early as 6!

[babybarr]

Ds1 still uses his groclock. Although I have one ready for them they wouldn't get it yet and so I want to wait till they understand it rather than just do it too soon iyswim?

Why would pushing the nap later make a difference? Not saying it won't just wondering the reason!

Yes lsn. I'm sure some of it's developmental and prob now ot but when we do a catch up nap we end up with ews too and lots of messing about at bt.

[Martini~]

Longer morning A prevents EWU and always improves their sleep in the early morning hours. And shorter A till BT prevents OT especially is nap is shorter and that's what happening here I guess. In general I would say it's a good rule when you cap nap, move it and end at the same time as previously adding A in the mornings.

Re gro clock I guess 2yo should be fine for them to understand maybe with just a little longer settling period...?

[Lindsay27]

I'm going to echo the  possibility of OT.  My DS has been avg to lower sleep needs and his EWs were usually OT related.  I agree pushing the nap a little later and maybe keeping it a little longer might be ok.  If they are messing around a bit at BT it might be that lovely 'second wind' yk?

Also, I remember when DS was 2 he went through this period where I thought he was going to drop the nap even though he was no where near ready, and I think it lasted a month or 2 then he picked it back up again and now at nearly 3.5 he will still pretty happily take a 1hr nap if he needs it and it doesn't mess with BT too much (though BT is now 8/8:30pm). 

[babybarr]

When we were capping the nap we pushed it back and ended at the same time. There has been days recently where bt has been later than ideal so maybe that hasn't helped. Ds1 dropped his nap at 2yrs 7mths cold turkey!

[anna*]

We used the clock with Stan fron 23 mos

[babybarr]

I suppose we could try it. However I'd need to be in a place to stick it through though.

[babybarr]

Not sure what to do... Things are no better and we have the added compilation of h waking j which is not fun. J is taking ages to go to sleep at nap and nighttime too.

[*Becky*]

I would def try the clock Hun. Henry had one at 22 months and it worked a treat

[babybarr]

Clock not working. They don't 'get it' and I think even if they did they'd just wake and chat anyway.

So we've tried a longer nap in case of ot and ebt too but h wakes and screams and then wakes j who sings the alphabet! I'm swamped at work and dh shattered. Not sure what to do

[Lindsay27]

I wonder if moving nap earlier might help? If they are up at 5ish they may need an earlier nap? Hugs hun, I know the struggle, my DS was a chronic EW'er...5:30am every.single.day until he was about 2/2.5 and no amount of tweaking or anything fixed it (and believe me I tried everything).  It was just the way his internal clock worked. Eventually he did grow out of it but it wasn't because of anything I did.  I know that is not helpful, just wanted to say I understand how frustrating it is.  Nothing good happens waking at that ungodly hour lol

[babybarr]

Lindsey do you think that coincided with dropping the nap? I think some of it is that. I also wonder if h Is having a wee at that time and it's waking him as he was saying wee wee this morning!