How to Get Toddler to Sleep in Later?

You could try putting her to bed earlier and see what happens. Or maybe try adjusting the length or timing of her nap...

Hi L., I wonder if you could change your routine. Since you stay up to do work, how about if you go to bed when she does and get up when she does -- and do your work when she gets up. She can play while you work. You can 'lovingly make it clear' that you work, your daughter plays....good luck! C

My kids go through the same thing occasionally, usually when they are about to go through a growth spurt or when something is wrong.
You can try giving her a bedtime snack to make sure she isn't hungry and you may want to consider having your pediatrician check her out. It's possible that at this time her ear pulling is indicative of an ear infection. Or could she be teething? Some Tylenol might help if something is making her uncomfortable.
You didn't mention what her nap schedule was like. At 20 months she may be ready to reduce the number of naps she takes if she is currently taking more than one.
Lastly, is she getting enough exercise? My kids have a harder time sleeping if they haven't been active enough. The cold weather makes it more difficult but there are lots of fun things you can do indoors before she goes to be. Make a game out of jumping around, pretending to be different animals, or even chasing a ball.
Good luck! I know how frustrating those early mornings can be. =)

I know he isn't the most popular (due to misunderstanding of the 'Ferber method"), but Dr Ferber's book (the most recent edition) saved my sleep. "Crying it out" is not his idea, but it has been said it is. He explains so much about sleep and waking cycles in general that it helped me with my own sleep too.

Check out the reviews on amazon- read the most recent as some are about the older version of the book which deperately needed updating

http://www.amazon.com/Solve-Your-Childs-Sleep-Problems/dp...

Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems: New, Revised, and Expanded Edition (Paperback) Dr. Ferber

Best $10 I have spent

Im going to ditto Jessica, an earlier bedtime might be your answer. My boys are up at 6:30am every morning regardless of when they went to bed, if its 7pm they are up at 6:30am, if they go to bed at 10pm, the yare still up at the same time.

Also at 20 months she may only need one nap during the day, in the afternoon.

So an earlier bedtime will help her to get the rest she needs, because tired kids will wake up earlier and not sleep as well.

Not all kids need 12 hours at night, so putting her to bed earlier MIGHT let her sleep a littler later, or it might just help her be more awake when she gets you up by 5:30. (I'm a firm believer in getting enough sleep, but she can be getting that from her nap.)

My son has always been an early riser; his schedule is almost identical to your daughter's. We went through a time where he was waking at 5 or so, obviously tired, but not wanting to go back to sleep. For awhile we were able to bring him to bed with us, but that stopped working. I started going to him as soon as he woke up, firmly telling him that it was still sleepy-time (and the "middle of the night") and then going through the very end stages of our bedtime routine: I'd lay beside him, tell him that I needed to go soon, recite "Goodnight, Moon", remind him it was sleepy time, tell him I needed to go, kiss, and out the door. It worked! I still have to do it from time to time, but he does go back to sleep, and he often will sleep until after 7 until the normal 6:45 those days. It's not much, but any parent of a mess-with-your-sleep toddler will tell you how wonderful even a few extra minutes can be! GOOD LUCK!!

Hi L.,
I have to agree with Jessica on the earlier bedtime. My son, who is 2 years old today, has been going to bed around 7:30 consistently and sleeps until at least 7:00, most of the time until 7:30. I am a firm believer in sleep begets sleep. Sometimes if we miss his bedtime and he goes to bed later, he seems to wake up earlier and then is cranky and tired in the morning. So maybe try backing up the bedtimes by 15 minute increments and do that for a couple of days and then try another 15 minute increment. Good Luck!
Kim

L.,
I know this seems counterintuitive, but maybe she needs to go to bed a little earlier? "They" say that often if you put your kids to bed at an earlier bedtime, that they sleep later in the a.m. My boys have been on the 7:00 and 7:30 bedtimes for a while (7:00 for the 14 month old and 7:30 for the nearly 3 year old) and they both consistently sleep until around 7:30 a.m. Sometimes they get off schedule and on those days they do seem to get up earlier.

You might try adjusting by 15 minutes earlier, see if you notice a difference, then set back another 15. I know it is hard when you work all day and want some quality time before bed, my husband and I deal with that as well... I am home all day and he gets home at 6 or 6:30 somedays, which is when I am starting bedtime for the baby. It's hard for him to understand that we need that early bedtime. It makes the next day hard when we miss it. There are some days when he doesn't really see the boys since he is often off to work on the 7:15 bus, and we don't get up till he's gone and then it is bedtime when he gets home.

Good luck and hopefully it will pass and she'll get back on schedule.

Hi L.,
My husband and I had problems with our first child who is now 7 years old and in 1st grade. When she was a toddler we had trouble with her sleep pattern so I turned to her teacher for advice. She recommended a book called "Is My Child Overtired?" by Dr. Will Wilkoff. It really helped us overcome the sleep problems we were having with our daughter. Another good book that addresses specific problems is "Healthy Child Happy Sleep Habits", by Dr Weisbluth. He basically explains that by establishing an earlier bedtime your child will not only sleep better but may actually sleep longer in the morning. Hope this helps!

Hi L.
I will also have to say she may need a earlier bed time my children are 5yrs and 8yrs old they go to bed at 7:30 and 8:00 and sleep until 7:00am. If we get off schudule my children will wake up at 6:00 or so. I know this can be frustrating when you dont get the sleep you need. also if she goes to daycare,did the daycare change anything? I hope your daughter starts sleeping well again.T.

My advise and the advise my kids doctor gave me is to let your child cry it out. If you child is not dirty, thirsty, hungry, sick, teething...there is no reason to get her out of bed. My 3 year old and 1 year old go to bed anywhere between 8 and 3 and they do fine. Once you "save" her after 45 minutes the next time she'll cry longer because she knows she will be saved. Just let her cry if everything else is fine. In a matter of days I'm sure she'll learn that Mom is not going to "save" her.