It's been two weeks. Two weeks of Little Bear rising and coming into our beds between 4:30 and 5:30 (with the bulk of the times being between 4:30 and 5:00) in the morning hours. This is not like her. I usually have to wake her up at 6:30. And I don't even mind if she wakes up at 6:00 am but anything earlier is crazy. Something needs to be changed.

First, let me start off by saying that she has always been a good napper. Since birth, she has always given us anywhere from a two to three hour nap. It's still that way currently. Well, if she's sick it's three hours but the staple anymore seems to still be two hours. It has always been from 2-4 (or when my mother in law watches her and it's 1-3). Little Bear has also always been a Get Up And Go gal in the AM's but after nap needs that Transition Period. She also used to go to bed at 7:30 but for the last eight months we've extended it to 8:00.

After a week of the early morning wake ups I decided to have the Aunt go back to 1-3 naps thinking that maybe the 2-4 was the issue. With no luck, she has continued to rise during the early morning hours.  I've thought about changing her bed time to a little bit later but folks, she's three!!!! Am I really supposed to extend her bedtime later than 8:00pm? or is 8:30 more age appropriate?

Mommas! I'm looking to you! For Guidance, Advice, Support! I'm a first time Momma and this is concerning me. I know at this age she needs anywhere from 10-12 hours. So, I ask of you all...what can I do to change her sleeping habits to where she is at least waking up no earlier than 6:00am?  Do I need to cut back on her nap (I say cut back and not eliminate because by 1 or 2pm she gets the dark, black circles under her eyes and truth be told, she gets a bit bratty/cranky/mean because she's tired)? Do I extend her bedtime? What can I do??