Early waking then going back to sleep

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My nearly 22 month old had taken to waking at 5am 
Nap was 1 til 2.30, Bt 7/7 30 depending on how long he takes to drop off.
Some days he shouts mum, dad etc and and is really loud. He often goes quiet for short periods but then starts back up again. We don't get him up til 6.30. I started pushing his nap on, last couple of days has been 1.15 to 2.30 although some days he wakes himself after an hour.
This morning and yesterday he woke at 5am but chatted quietly to Himself instead of shouting and eventually dropped back off til 7.30. This was OK as it's the weekend but he needs to be up by 7 am latest during the week.
Is the fact he was quiet and dropped back off today a sign I'm moving things in the right direction?

[creations]

Hi
I would say that you are moving in the right direction, yes.
Although at this age I don't know if I'd be capping the nap, I'd more likely look for a good nap and slightly later BT if needed.
Obviously it's a bit of experimentation isn't it, but it could be a full nap (maybe move again to 1.30pm to see if he sleeps the full 1.5hr) and then the same BT 7/7.30pm
Or it could be a full nap and then a later BT to allow for a decent A time after the nap, so moving nap to say 1.30 - 3.00pm and BT at 7.30/8.00pm.
Or it could be that your LO is fine with the shorter nap of 1hr and maintain the 7pm BT.
Tracy did say that toddlers can be awake for long periods in the night and just leave them if they are quiet as there is a developmental aspect to it and they will eventually go back to sleep.  He might stop doing it after a little while without much or any change to the routine now that you've shifted it by the 15 mins.
It might also be helpful to wake him at 6.30 or 7am every morning consistently if you need him up at that time during the week, so that when he regulates his sleeping it regulates to the times you need.

[choc]

Thanks for the input. Hopefully he'll carry on being at least quiet! It's when he's shouting that I worry he'll wake ds1. I'll give keeping the long nap a try but can't make Bt too late because I have ds1 to sort too. Thanks again.

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I remember mine going through a phase of shouting out in the early hours too, it drove me mad, I was so tired. I resorted to shouting back "be quiet, go to sleep" so that he did have a response, knew I was there, knew he was safe...but I was not getting him up. It did eventually work.  Easier if you can resolve the routine to stop it happening but some verbal reassurance and instruction might be needed too.

[choc]

Thanks! Last night was a bit  better and he had 1hr30 nap at nursery. Today he woke after just less than an hour for his nap! We'll see what tonight brings.

[choc]

Ok so not sure what to go with next, if anything! He has been waking himself after 1hr nap, so 1.15 to 2.15. Bt has been  7.30 and wake up still around 5.30am then either back to sleep or dozing on and off till around 6.30am I could push the nap later but I have to have him up at 2.45 for school run. Should I leave things as they are or try something else? He seems happy enough to be honest. I'd love to get rid of the 5.30 Wu but I've been battling it on and off his whole life so not even sure if I can get rid of it!
Edited to add bedtime is 7 30 but he's not dropping off until 7.45/8pm.

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Yesterday had an hour again, 1. 15 to 2.15, Bt 7 30, asleep 7.45, woke at 5am, woke At 6am and stayed awake talking til we got him up at 6 30. It doesn't seem like a lot of sleep.

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If his mood through the day is relatively okay then although it doesn't seem like a lot of sleep it is likely okay for the time being.
It sounds like he is learning to either go back to sleep, or rest, or at least stay quiet(ish) until morning so I probably wouldn't mess with that if it was me - only that moving his nap or BT could end up with that being worse rather than better. If you leave it as it is he could get better at dozing back off after the 5am NW/EW.
With a 1hr nap and if he nods back off in the early hours and gets about 10 hrs night sleep that's 11hr sleep in 24hr and you might not be able to get more than that tbh. He has the opportunity to sleep longer if he wanted to.
Often LOs do end up with around 11hrs sleep in 24 before the nap drops and then after the nap drop might do 11hr night instead, which can sometimes increase after a while.

Have you got a gro clock or timer lights? Now could be a good time to introduce one if you haven't already. It could help him to know that it is still night time and he should go back to sleep.

I'd love to get rid of the 5.30 Wu but I've been battling it on and off his whole life so not even sure if I can get rid of it!

Mine was the same, I'd sometimes manage over a long period of time to get him waking later, say 6.30am and then the clocks would change and I'd be back to 5.30am again.  I can only say for me it got better when he was older.  Mine dropped his nap just over 2.5yo and I don't think the night lengthened right away but over time it increased to 12hrs which he stuck to from 2.5 until 4.5yo (with developmental disturbances around birthdays, we always get those) so he was waking later.  When his sleep dropped a bit I set his timer lights so that he could read in bed for 20-30 min before getting up (that means without disturbing me).

[choc]

Thanks that is reassuring about the amount of sleep he is getting. We do have a Gro clock set for 6. 30, we never get him up before that and yes he seems to have stopped shouting now and just chats quietly so we will keep as we are for now. Thanks!

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It sounds like he is learning and the clock is helping