Ask Jill & Jennifer - Modern Mom's Sleep Experts

My 15 mo. old LOVES her naps. She likes to nap around 9-10 a.m., usually for at least an hour, and I put her down again at around 2 p.m. and she sleeps for 2 hours then. I normally have to wake her from both naps.

She has gone from waking at 6 or 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 or 6 a.m. We've tried to deprive her of her morning nap with the hope that she would sleep later in the morning. That plan has not worked so far. We just want her to sleep later in the morning. Any suggestions?! - Lori A.

A 15-month-old who loves to nap - what a blessing! Early wakings - not so much! Because early wakings can be connected to so many possible causes, try the following before making changes with naps.

* Ensure the room is very dark in the early morning. We have just passed the longest day of the year, and the light still comes in bright and early. Even some light can cause children's bodies to attune to the early hour the sun is rising. If you don't have room-darkening shades, temporarily tack something up (such as garbage bags, safely away from crib) that will block light.

* Protect your child from sounds that may disrupt her. All of us are in lighter sleep phases for the last hour or so of our night. Chirping birds, garbage trucks, sprinklers, and other sounds can rouse us more easily at this hour. Try installing a fan (pointed the other way) or use a white noise machine with volume control to protect your child from these sounds.

* Make sure the bedtime isn't too late. As the days are longer in summer, sometimes bedtime can creep later, too. Beware - if your child is even slightly overtired when going to bed, she will likely wake earlier in the morning. At 15 months, a typical bedtime is 7:30 or 8.

If you've ruled out all of the above, you can try shortening her second nap slightly - by, say, 30 minutes - to see if that helps her sleep later in the morning. Skipping a nap altogether will cause her to be overtired. Be sure not to go to her in the morning until 11 hours have passed since her bedtime - you can check on her, but try to keep interaction to a minimum, and don't stay long. Consistency is key in this department!

Jill and Jennifer have been featured in a variety of media including: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, Inside Edition, Fit Pregnancy, Variety, and TimeOut New York. They are the sleep experts on ModernMom.com and conduct lectures on children's sleep for doctors and medical professionals at UCLA and at pediatric practices. Visit them at http://www.sleepyplanet.com