Sleeping FAQ: 18-24 Months – Early Morning Waking

My 19-month-old son wakes early in the morning and refuses to stay in his cot.

My 19-month-old son has always been a great sleeper, but recently he has been waking up between 5:30 and 6:00 am: this is too early for me! He goes to sleep between 7:30 and 8:00pm. I have tried putting him down closer to 8, but it does not seem to make any difference. When he was younger, Sam would wake up and play in his cot, but he now wakes up crying for ‘mama’ or ‘dada’. I have been going in and telling him its still sleep time and lying him back down. He will stay there for about 15 minutes when he begins whining again. After several times of the same I bring him into my bed (I know: “shame on me!”) just so I can get a few more minutes of rest; this is not even helpful because he doesn’t really like to sleep in my bed anyway. Besides the fact that I would like him to sleep later, I am concerned that his sleep between 5:00 and 6:30 is fragmented and not as optimal as it could be for him.

Sam takes one nap during the day between 12-12:30pm for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Do you have any suggestions as to how to battle the early morning waking and perhaps how to teach him to play in his crib by himself until I come in to get him at 7am?

As your son has given up his morning nap and still going to bed between 7.30 and 8pm he is likely to be over-tired and falling straight into a deep sleep. This often happens with toddlers of this age who are very active, both mentally and physically as they learn new skills. It is very important to wind things down straight after tea and keep to a very quiet bedtime routine. Once he is out of the bath make sure there is no more running around and playing games, as this can result in a toddler getting his second wind and taking longer to calm down.

Try to have no longer than half an hour between getting him out of the bath and into bed. If he falls into a deep sleep straight away he is more likely to wake early in the morning than if he is put into his cot earlier and allowed to settle himself down with twenty minutes or so of chatting. It may also help to push his lunchtime nap onto nearer 12.30/1pm. Do this by moving it on 5 minutes or so every few days until he is going down nearer to 1pm.

If he does wake before 7am then leave him until he calls and continue to go into his room and lie him back down. It takes consistency to work, so try to use as few words as possible and the same ones every day. Although it is tempting to bring him into bed with you, it doesn’t really solve anything as he is less likely to settle down there than in his own cot. When you go to bed at night you could put a few favourite toys and books in his cot which he could amuse himself with in the mornings – providing his room is not very dark. If he continues to be an early waker, despite trying all the above, put a small side light on a timer and set it for 6.30am so he is able to amuse himself in his cot until you fetch him at 7am. He may continue to call for a few days but remain firm and leave him to amuse himself. He will soon learn that you will come in, but on your terms rather than his.