For the past two months or so, my 2.5 year old has been not only waking up a couple of times a night crying for me, but has also been waking up at 4:30 or 5 for a couple of weeks at a time. Then she'll have a "normal" week where she sleeps through the night and wakes up 6-6:30.

She usually just need a hug for the MOTN wakeups, but for the early morning wakeups, nothing's worked. I've tried bringing her into our bed (this results in daddy having to read a book), sitting in her room (which made her stop wailing yesterday, but she just stood in her crib stroking her cheek and yawning), rocking her (she just wanted to go "that way" and pointing out her door), and telling her it's still night time. It's dark in her room (i.e. curtains block out the sun, but there is no sun at 4:30), she has a night light, and I haven't heard any weird noises. At one point, I think DH asked her if she saw something (a shadow) on the wall, and of course she's latched onto that as her answer when we ask her what's going on.

Her naps at daycare haven't changed (1-1.5hrs, getting up no later than 2:30), and she goes to bed between 7 and 7:30, and goes right to sleep. She still needs her nap - on bad nap days, she's a bear (takes after me I think).

Anyone else going through this? Losing sleep brings out the worst in me and I'm struggling. DH's goal in the morning is more about stopping the crying than about addressing the issue.