17 month old early waking... HELP!

[Pimento]

My dd is 17 months old and in the last couple of week we've had some major sleep problems and I'm completely stuck. DD has generally been a really good sleeper with the odd dodgy phase that we've worked through. But for the last two weeks, she's been waking between 4.30am and 5.45am ready for the day in the sense that she's blatantly not prepared to go back to sleep despite popping in to reassure etc.  However, she is clearly absoluely exhausted and in no way has she had enough sleep.  We then sit watching tv for ages which I don't like to do but we're both knackered and then sometimes she has a morning nap of 30 mins despite having dropped that several months ago.  This morning took the biscuit at 4.30 and as soon as we got up she was asking for milk and not long after that asking for breakfast - could it be hunger but she seems to be eating plenty.  Our routine was as follows:

Awake 6.30ish (used to 7/7/30) but that has gradually changed over the last couple of months
Nap - 12.30 to 2.30/2.45 ish
Bed 7pm

However she's been waking earlier and earlier (between 4.30 and 5.30) and I have no idea why. I wonder whether to cut her daytime sleep but I think this problem is about being overtired rather than that she's getting too much sleep.  I've also considered making her bedtime half an hour later but she's so ready for bed by 7.  And of course we're in a ridiculous situation because the more she wakes early, the more overtired she is and the more of a problem we have!  I wonder whether a wake-to-sleep attempt at 4am could work?  She's also only been taking a couple of ounces of milk at night instead of the normal 5/6oz and I wondered if this was a factor but last night she the whole lot so I don;t think it's that.

Any ideas very much welcome, I'm four months pregnant and feel like I'm never going to survive at this level of sleep... good training for what's to come I hear you say :-)

Thanks
Kelly

[theasmum]

Hi! I wish i could help you.
Thea has been funny lately too, so it could be a age thing.
I have been thinking that maybe she need a bit less sleep now so i have tried a 7.30 bed, but i havent seen much diferents and some time she seams very tired at 7.
They say that early waking is a sign of overtiredness, so that make it very confiusing, and i maybe doing more damage than good.
Thea´s rutine is very simmilar:
6.30 up(it used to be 7-7.30)
11.45-12 - 1.30-2 nap
7-7.30 bed
It could be hunger too (so dificult!!!)
Thea now when she wake up ask for milk too.
I would try 7.30 bed, and see if changes something for you.
Not much help, but at less you know you are not alone

[Sylvia.]

this happened to us to, the time passed, is it getting lighter outside, is the room dark, me, what we did was sit with her in a dark room, do not let any light in, this is way to early for morning in my opinion, could you try getting her to stay in laying down in bed whilst you sit with her, if this works move your chair away gradually over days and weeks, i must say do not let dd think it is morning and i would not do the tv thing as hard as it may sound, hth, sylvia

[Gippie]

Posted my story....and some idea that worked for me
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=86026.0

[imsmum]

If she went down to 1 nap a few months ago could it be that she just needs more time before her nap?

[Layla]

I would do wi/wo until the desired wake up time. Don't feed her until the desired b/f time as well and if the tv is the 1st thing you do after she wakes, i'd cut that out as well. Basically don't give her anything to wake up for. If you keep her in the cot until the time you want her to be up (6am onwards), she'll get the message that its still night time and that she needs to re-settle to sleep until you come and get her.

hth
Layla

[Pimento]

Thanks so much to all of you who have taken the time to respond... it's so nice to feel I'm not alone.  Things have improved somewhat over the weekend and fingers crossed for continued improvement.  I'll certainly be using some of your ideas!

Thanks again,
xx