https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 03 May 2026 07:45:03 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2234171 Sun, 12 Jul 2015 14:26:16 +0000 NovBaby1112 2234171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bubbles: sounds like the 18 mo sleep regression and canines! We had that bad in our house, but it passes after a month of so! I agree with trying a later bedtime and seeing if that helps </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2234141 Sun, 12 Jul 2015 13:03:06 +0000 MrsB2012 2234141@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How long has he been on 1 nap for? Is he still working on a transition from 2 naps? When I transitioned B from 2-1 naps, it took about 2-3 months for everything to get back on track. </p> <p>Like others said, I'd try making the room completely black. He might be waking up around 5 as that's a time of light sleep for toddlers, and with it being lighter now, it might be causing him to wake up fully. If the room is blackened out, he should be able to go back to sleep. We use tinfoil on B's window and it made a huge difference. </p> <p>The 1230-230 nap time is a pretty good nap time, I wouldn't really play with that too much. 'They' say that toddlers should go to bed about 4 hours after their wakeup time from the last nap.</p> <p>I learned a lot from this blog, weebeedreaming.com, it really helped us get through some rough sleep times! Good luck, hopefully it gets better for you </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2233964 Sun, 12 Jul 2015 07:00:09 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2233964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bubbles: You may want to split the difference with bedtime...so if you are putting him to bed at 6:30 and he is falling asleep at 8:30, try 7:30. My guy has a hard time falling asleep if we put him to bed too early, and will actually stay up later. Finding the right bedtime was a huge nightmare for a while...but it does get better! I wouldn't shorten his nap if he is showing signs of being tired. Hopefully if you can find the right bedtime that extra hour or so of evening sleep will help him get back on track. </p> <p>Sorry you are going through this. It is so so frustrating. Why do tired little people not just sleep! This should not be such a puzzle! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2233923 Sun, 12 Jul 2015 02:52:00 +0000 Bubbles 2233923@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>He does have a blackout blind but some light does seep in round the edges, and it is only dark between about 10pm - 4am here right now. So I guess I could try blocking more light somehow! It's just as light when he naps though and he has no trouble falling asleep then.<br /> He goes down for his nap about 12.30 and sleeps 2 - 2.5 hours - so there is quite a short gap between nap and bedtime. It's just always worked so well for him before! But you guys are right maybe I need to try earlier nap or later bedtime. He wakes up every morning at 5.10am like clockwork at the mo - he's always been an early riser but this is early even for him. @Mrs. Lion: we have actually just got him a gro clock and I am sure he understands what it means, but so far he still doesn't try to go back to sleep even if the stars are still showing! He's still in a cot and very patient for at least an hour after he wakes so we can get in a little extra sleep, I'm just worried that the poor little guy is constantly exhausted. And wow I hadn't even thought about when #2 arrives - he does babble away very loudly in there! </p> <p>Thanks so much for the responses guys, some good ideas to try and work on! :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2233867 Sat, 11 Jul 2015 21:17:46 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2233867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our toddler has dropped his need for as much night sleep as he has gotten older, but he still takes a 3 hour nap. He is really really active and right now it just is what it is unfortunately. He goes to bed around 8 and is up at 6. One thing we have done that helps though is we have a toddler stoplight alarm clock and he can't come out of his room until the light turns green. He doesn't stay in his bed (he has a floor bed) but it keeps him relatively quiet a little bit later so he doesn't wake up the baby too early. Once he is up he is full steam ahead right away, so having the extra time is really helpful (especially since sometimes he still wakes up as early as 5!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2233860 Sat, 11 Jul 2015 20:51:32 +0000 mrsrugbee 2233860@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DD is an early riser - like clockwork 5:30-5:45am regardless of bedtime. Having tried everything, I really think some kids are hardwired to wake up at the crack of dawn. </p> <p>She sleeps a maximum of 11.5/24hrs so the longer the day nap, the less she'll sleep at night and vice versa. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2233785 Sat, 11 Jul 2015 18:00:03 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2233785@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@charlotte: same here. We put back the blackout blinds and it has helped a little. </p> <p>I don't know what time he gets up in the morning but that does seem like a very early bedtime. How much awake time is between the nap and bedtime? We had a similar issue where naps were great but then she had trouble going to bed and our only real options turned out to be later bedtime or cut nap, and we chose the latter. (Lo was close to 2.5 though.) I would try a little later bedtime in your case and see if it makes a difference. I noticed that if lo would usually be tired at 8 and I put her down at 7 she would stay up til 9 or later, whereas if she went down at 8 she would have fallen asleep and slept that extra hour. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2233756 Sat, 11 Jul 2015 16:11:45 +0000 Eminthevalley 2233756@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would move the nap time possibly--you didn't mention what time it is. Maybe moving it earlier will leave more time between the nap and bedtime, which could make him fall asleep more quickly at bedtime. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2233718 Sat, 11 Jul 2015 14:08:59 +0000 Mamasig 2233718@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bubbles: it's my almost 3 year old that gets about 9 overnight. My 14 month old gets 10-11. </p> <p>When mine fight bedtime, I take a break and try about 30 minutes later. </p> <p>But I don't have the best sleepers, so you probably shouldn't listen to me! And mine never went to bed that early! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2233715 Sat, 11 Jul 2015 13:54:20 +0000 charlotte 2233715@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>it does seem low to me too, but all kids are different I suppose..... is his room blacked out or does some / a lot of light come in? its pretty much only dark from 9pm-5am here right now and we have noticed it taking longer for our little guy (almost 2.5yrs old) to fall asleep + he is waking earlier. his room is somewhat darkened but not blackout....I'm considering covering some windows to see if it helps! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2233714 Sat, 11 Jul 2015 13:48:02 +0000 Bubbles 2233714@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks guys, @Mamasig: wow 9 hours just seems so low for a 1.5 year old! He seems very tired during the day as well, he is clumsier than usual and always rubbing his eyes. I guess in a sense he's kind of pushing his own bedtime back as he's rarely asleep before 8.30, sometimes as late as 9. But I could try actually putting him down later - it just feels counterintuitive when he seems so tired - but worth a shot! :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2233622 Sat, 11 Jul 2015 09:34:33 +0000 Mamasig 2233622@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would push bedtime back. Also, he may not require tons of overnight sleep. DS1 sleeps about 9 hours overnight and DS2 does about 10-11 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2233575 Sat, 11 Jul 2015 08:15:52 +0000 raintreebee 2233575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know all the sleep books say earlier bedtimes are best blah blah blah, but our son slept about 1.5 hours more once we moved his bedtime from 7 to 8/8:30. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-early-waking#post-2233526 Sat, 11 Jul 2015 01:23:45 +0000 Bubbles 2233526@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am a little concerned about my 18 month old sons lack of overall sleep, but not sure what I can try to help him! Generally I am very lucky in that he's a very independent sleeper, but I just want to make sure he gets even close to what he needs for his age. </p> <p>For the last month or so, he has been taking ages to fall asleep at bedtime. I leave his room at 6.45 - 7, and he's often rolling around trying to sleep for another 2 hours after that! He then wakes up most days around 5am, so he's often only getting 8-9 hours sleep per night. I feel a little silly posting about it because he is so good and never makes any fuss - at bedtime he literally makes not a peep, just tosses and turns until he finally conks out - and in the morning he will shout out a couple of times but then sits there happily playing with his drink and lovey for at least an hour until I go to get him. </p> <p>He naps for around 2 hours a day and I am very reluctant to cut that short when he is getting so little sleep overall. At nap time he falls asleep straight away which is odd. </p> <p>He is getting his canines at the minute (which seems to be taking weeks) so maybe I should be patient and wait til they're through. But just thought I would see if any wise HBers have any advice! </p>