Newly early waking, partial-cosleeping, nightweaned (but day nursing) toddler

[mmeoiseau]

Hoping for some ideas on how to help our family get more sleep. My 19 month DD has been waking earlier and earlier over the past couple of weeks. She typically falls asleep between 7:30 - 8pm, wakes briefly for comfort 2 - 4 times a night while sleeping in a twin bed in her own room. She then is brought into the family bed around 3am. She used to sleep until about 6:30am there in bed with us, waking at that time asking to nurse, but has recently been waking at 5:15am or 5:30am for the day. She will say that she is all done sleeping and asks to nurse. If either of these things are denied she gets very hysterical. If I nurse her (which I do) she will stay in our bed for up to an hour but won't be sleeping (and sadly, neither will I). So she's getting only 10 hours of sleep at night (interrupted) -- is this enough for a 19 mo old? (one nap, 2 - 2.5 hrs from 12:30 - about 2:30pm).

So, anyone had a similar experience under similar conditions? Any thoughts about encouraging a later wake-up? Thanks!

[LisaGreene]

No! This is not enough sleep for a 19 month old. When children get overtired, they start to sleep less and less. I read a fabulous book that I consider my lifesaver when my kids were little. It's called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Marc Weissbluth. Get it as soon as you can. It breaks down sleep for infants all the way to teens. Worth every penny!

[kalamos23]

Well, she is getting 12-12.5 hours total - sounds normal to me. The waking early makes me think it is not quite enough sleep for HER though. DD tends to have worse sleep when she starts getting a sleep deficit. She will wake up more, not sleep as long, etc. Sounds weird but having her get more sleep actually improves the majority of her sleep overall and she ends up sleeping more. Go figure. 

Her nap looks great, so I'm not sure what to tell you, maybe try getting her to sleep or nap about a half hour earlier in the hopes that more sleep will help her sleep later?

[mmeoiseau]

Thanks Kalamos23. I'm wondering if that's it, a minor sleep deficit that's causing the waking. She's never been a huge sleeper (in terms of total hours), but we have been trying the 1/2 earlier to bed and though no real change yet, who knows. We may work toward an hour earlier to bed. Someone (outside of MDC) suggested it's the early sun beginning here in the Northeast (the quote was, "it happens every spring to toddlers ..."). Though she's never been very light sensitive, I know these things are always in flux so who knows?!

[crunchy_mommy]

It could be the sun!! My DS sleeps very late in the a.m. but he has started waking earlier since the days started getting longer (we're also in the NE). Even though he doesn't wake 'when the sun comes up', he seems to have some kind of internal timer to wake up X hours after sunrise (I suspect this because on cloudy/overcast days I think he wakes up later). Maybe I'm nuts though lol.

My other thought for you is, maybe partial co-sleeping isn't working for her? Maybe she'd sleep longer if she slept in one place all night?