27 month old, waking earlier, napping longer...

[Alexhas1]

My son is 27 months and has never been a consistently good sleeper. I've sleep trained I don't know how many times but it never lasts long before he starts to wake through the night again, shouting for me, clinging on to me and won't let go until I lift him
Out and carry him to my bed.

I can't see that ever being resolved, but in addition he is now waking at 5.30
When he used to sleep until around 6/6.30/6.45 when in bed with me.

His routine is a bit like this...

- Walking 5.30
- Up at 6 if I can drag it out that long. He usually throws my slippers at me and folds back the duvet to get me up!
- breakfast 6.15/6.30
- nursery run with my 3.5 year old then play and tv OR coffee date with friends ...
- snack around 10/10.30
- naps around 11.30 if I put him in stroller to walk to pick up my daughter from
Nursery, or take him out in the car where he'll fall asleep after 15 mins
- lift him into his cot, wake him after 1.5/2 hours - he is always very grumpy and I know he'd sleep for much longer but I'm worried he won't sleep at night
- lunch around 1.30/2 when he gets out of his mood from
Waking up.
- play and activities
- snack around 3.30
- dinner around 5pm
- bedtime bottle 7pm
- asleep by 7.30

Normally wakes and shouts for me between 12am and 2am.

Should I be letting him wake naturally? Should he be napping earlier in the day? Should I be capping his nap but putting him to bed earlier??

Confused.com! And getting so tired of the broken nights and early starts. I can't face staying up past 9pm or having a night out because I know I need to cram enough sleep in to the night with him waking earlier.

Also, he has shared a room with his big sister since Christmas, this doesn't coincide with any of this behaviour starting, he's always been a night waker, trying to come In my bed. It makes sleep training harder when she is in the room so I have kind of given up for now.

[Alexhas1]

Just to add. If it's a weekend or my partner does the nursery pick up, my LB won't go down in his cot at home for his nap. He protests completely. He will
Now only nap in the pushchair or car, or yesterday he did fall asleep in the lounge on the sofa at 12.30 while watching a movie.

[Buntybear]

Hi, I wonder if he is actually UT for naps and over night? I would try using the nap back and even cutting it if you have to. I have just checked back and by 30 months my DS was having 1 hour nap at 1.30pm, BT was 7.30.

[Alexhas1]

Thanks for the reply!

Any advice on how I make this transition when he is currently waking at 5.30am. Keep him
Up until 1/1.30? It seems like a long time.

Thank you!

[Alexhas1]

Any other opinions on this? X

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I would maybe try an earlier bedtime alongside pushing the nap out a bit & capping it (you could do it gradually or make a big jump in one go, whatever you think might suit him best). None of my kids napped much past age 2.5 - has he generally been a higher needs sleeper or not?

[Buntybear]

Maybe try a nap at 12.30. Give him an early lunch or big snack before and then another big snack or leftover lunch after if you worry about fitting lunch in too.

You don't have to jump to a nap at 1ish -that was just what my son was doing at 30 months and so gave you an idea of what you might be heading too 

I guess from your EASY you are waking him at 2ish? I would stick with that WU time. I always kept the 2nd A time the same but would push the nap back by 15 mins (and thereby cap it by 15 mins) when Olly needed a shorter nap.