13 month old early wake ups getting worse

[CbabyJ]

My LO since sleeping through has always been an early riser, but is happiest when he lakes it to 615am ...
He has needed long awake times - for us, not daycare - in the morning so our day when we could get two naps was - WU 5-6am (always try for keeping in bed until 6, Nap 1 1030-12/1230, Nap 2 - 345 or so for 30mins and sleep at 715 (fell asleep easy)

But since last week - the second nap has been refused even in a car so here was the weekend :
note we had a time change on Saturday but that only helped one morning!
Saturday :
WU 540, out of crib 6
sleep 1030-1130 - horrible first nap - he normally sleeps for 2hrs
nap fail at 3  (he actually didnt even seem tired)
Bed at 645

Sunday:
WU 630 (real time 530)
Nap 1030-1215
Nap fail at 330
bed at 645

Monday (daycare day)
WU 6
Nap 845-945
Nap 1230-2
Bed 645 asleep around 7

Tues (home day)
WU 540
Nap 11-130 (late nap, Hubby took my older child to parent and tot skate!)
Bed 630 (asleep at 7) didnt seem tired, happy in crib, then cried for a bit then slept
horrible night - little cries every couple of mins from 930 - I went in at 11am - snuggled him for 30mins, he then slept till morning.  No idea what was wrong, there were no real tears and he didnt seem in pain.

Wed (daycare)
WU 5
Nap 1130-130.  No PM nap despite being in the car for a long drive to get to brother in laws house
bed 630, took a while to sleep - fell asleep 650 (not that happy about being in the crib)

And today (thurs) WU at 450 - happy till 515, then I tried keeping him calm in his room but he screamed and screamed, so out of bed at 530...he was miserable for 10 mins then happy till 645 when we had breakfast.  He wasn't starving or thirsty.  Normally he wakes very thirsty and has a cup of water.

I always try to delay breakfast until 645.

It seems harder to keep him calm in his room...not sure what is going on.  He doesnt seem cold - he is a 3.5Tog sleepsack.

I need help - I am struggling as I need to function at work.  I like to workout (for sanity) before the kids wake but I can't wake up at 4am !!

losing my mind .... and I know this lack of sleep cant be good for my LO ...
Please help !!
Edit - I should note that even after a skipped nap - he is pretty happy...on saturday he barely napped and he wasn't losing the plot or anything at 6

[Haribo2012]

Hi there my first was an early waker so I know it’s hard.

I’d personally move the nap to lunchtime if your getting refusal later in the day, then if nap is over 1.5 do a 13 hour day.

You could try a small morning nap then normal lunch nap, my DS2 stuck with a 15 min CN at 9.30 then nap 12.30 until about 20 months.

Often the earlier the long nap the earlier the wake up in the morning as they can add missed night sleep there x

[CbabyJ]

We’ve been sticking with 1130 nap the last few days and he’s had at least a 2hr nap.  So waking around 130pm.  Bed at 630 but he doesn’t actually seem tired and he seems to fight bedtime- is he OT or UT. It’s a long day for him so I am suprised as he used to go straight to sleep.

Yesterday I got him in bed at 645 - I was fighting with him to get his sleep sack on for 15mins.   And he fell asleep at 7.  Awake happy at 5 - he’s still in his crib I will go in when he cries.. it’s 520am here now.

[Haribo2012]

The night isn’t too bad if he’s asleep at 6.30 and up 5.30 with a 2 hour day, you may need to just shift your day!?

[CbabyJ]

yes but he isnt often asleep at 630 - normally falls asleep around 7 and awake from 5 - even if we can get him to stay in his room until 545/6.

So the weekend was a mess as he was sick and he was sleeping on and off all day Saturday.  He seems 100% better now and our early wakings continue.
He had one nap yesterday - 12-145 at daycare.  I put him in bed at 645 he fell asleep at 7 and was awake at 515 - happy/odd cry until 540 then complete meltdown which carried on most of the morning.

I don't think I could get him down earlier - he genuinely doesn't seem that tired or is he overtired and wired.  I have to wrestle with him to get him in his sleep sack!

[creations]

Hi there.
To me it sounds like he is getting enough sleep.  Mine only ever did a 10.5 night and we also struggled with early wake ups too. I thoughts 5am was bad until he woke at 4.30am!

I would suggest shifting the whole day on as Haribo said.  Allowing for a 10 or 10.5hr night and just one nap per day.  If he sometimes does 11hrs overnight then fine you get a later WU that day but do not alter the nap time or his next BT.  It would mean accepting a much later BT though but then you'd get your work out time back in the morning.
To shift the day on a couple of hours I would move 15 mins per day, all aspects of the routine including food, nap and BT and keep going until you have a 2 hr shift.
WU 7
nap 2hr
BT 8.30/9

He perhaps needs more consistency in the nap time, is there a way he can get the same nap time both at home and at day care?  Set nap and bed times work really well at this age and when on one nap - and it seems to me your LO is down to one nap really (not counting sleep through illness or catch up sleeps if needed).

what do you think?

[CbabyJ]

Yes I think you are right.  Thanks for the advice.
I am going to try for 12PM nap for a little while until we can get it to 12:30PM.  And likewise push for a later bedtime.

He does sometimes fall asleep in the car for 10mins on the way to daycare - which we are trying to avoid but we don't live close.  Even toys or his brother shouting at him doesn't seem to help!

It is going to be hard to convince my 3 year old that he needs to go to bed before the 1 year old, but my older child definitely needs the sleep!  He would go to sleep at 7pm if we put him down then.