Transitioned 2 year old to toddler bed and went well but now waking too early

[cephasyahushua]

My 2 year old (25 months) transitioned to a toddler bed last month and it went well! He was always a great sleeper and we thought he’d get out of bed but when he wakes he’d just sit in bed and wait for us or go back to sleep.

Just this week after a cold (he’s better now) he’s been waking 3- 5am and getting out of bed and banging on the door crying to get him. When he was in his crib and wake, we’d wait a couple minutes and he’d settle and go back to sleep on his own. But now that he can get out of bed he does not settle and we have to go in there to calm him down. If it’s 3am I do the normal bed routine and he’ll go back to sleep but if it’s around 5am he’ll be up for the day and refuses to go back to sleep and is fussy because he’s tired. He asks to go on our bed or wants us to stay with him in his room but won’t sleep. I don’t want to make a habit of either as we have our 2nd coming any day now. Before these early wake ups he’d normally sleep till 7 or 7:30. Bed time is 7:45-8pm with a 1.5-2 hour nap.

Any advice? Is this just a phase?

 

[lostconfused]

@cephasyahushua Have you tried an ok-to-wake clock? Like hatch or something similar?

 

[cephasyahushua]

@lostconfused Yes I do, usually when he wakes and it’s ok to wake his hatch light will turn on and I put bird noises. He knows this. But lately he’ll still get out when it’s dark and bang on the door crying for us to get him.

He’ll even say to me, it’s dark outside, the sun is sleeping. And I tell him we should sleep too and he says no sleep…

 

[lostconfused]

@cephasyahushua Hmm, what's are his wake windows/schedule like?

 

[cephasyahushua]

@lostconfused Normally he’d wake around 7am. He goes to daycare and nap time is 12-2:30. He would usually sleep from 12-2 or if he woke early and really tired he’ll go to sleep earlier around 11:30-11:45 but generally always naps at least 1.5 hrs min but usually 2 hours. Bedtime is between 7:30-8pm. So wake windows are about 5.5-6hrs. But with his early wakings, his wake windows are closer to 6 hrs.

 

[lostconfused]

@cephasyahushua One suggestion I can think of right away is keeping the naps at 1.5 hours or less.

These wake windows sound good though. My understanding is if they wake earlier (before 6am) is to quietly direct them back to their bed to go back to sleep. The adjustment to a toddler bed can take some time, so some patients may be needed at this stage as he's getting use to things.

 

[cephasyahushua]

@lostconfused Thanks for your response! I guess I assumed he had already fully transitioned to a toddler bed since we didn’t have any issues till now but I realize it’s only been about a month. Thanks! I’ll have to keep putting him back in bed till he realizes it’s too early

 

[charlie]

@cephasyahushua We keep the light going all night like a night light too. So- pink means stay in bed, green means time to get up.

 

[semiday]

@cephasyahushua What about going back to the crib for now? From what I’ve read 25 months is on the earlier side of the range recommended for making the switch, maybe it’s just too soon for him.

 

[cephasyahushua]

@semiday He transitioned well! Like more than a month with no issues whatsoever. It’s just now he is waking earlier. I don’t know if we can switch back as I’m giving birth within the next week and won’t be able to carry him in (C-section) and we’d need the crib for the new baby soon.

 

[semiday]

@cephasyahushua Ah ok. From how I understand it, the “transition” period is more like 6-12 months long, not just the time immediately around the change. I suggested going back to the crib bc I see that advice given a lot in these situations, when an under 3 is having trouble staying in the toddler bed. But I totally get what you’re saying about the new baby coming! Good luck

 

[destiny2103]

@cephasyahushua This exact same thing happened with our 2.9 yo and a big part of it I believe was due to the new baby. Our toddler was a great sleeper right until I had our second and then when the baby came home, he went through a big sleep regression (waking multiple times at night, screaming, waking early). The baby was sleeping better than him! So, we did the red/green alarm clock and if he came into our room while it was red, I’d walk him back to his bed and say “red in bed and quiet time.” I’d also lay my head by his pillow for a couple of minutes but not do any of the normal bedtime routine. After 3 weeks of doing this, he finally started to sleep better again (probably adjusting to having a new baby helped too). But, he’s 3.4 now and he’s still an early riser where before the baby, he’d sleep until 7-8am. His alarm clock turns green at 6am and he’s usually in our bed at that time. We do make him be quiet in our bed and he can watch his tablet while my husband and I sleep longer.