Dear Mommas,
Our 2 year old's sleep habits have changed and I need your input:
1. He does not fall asleep before 1015 pm :(
2. He wakes around 8-830 am. :)
3. He takes a 2- 2 1/2 hour nap. (1-3)
4. He gets average 11 1/2 - 12 hours of sleep total -- nite + nap. (He used to get 12 1/2 total as of one month ago!!!!!)
5. He gets plenty of outdoor time and stimulating activities.
How can I help GENTLY encourage him back to a bedtime of 830 pm. Should I shorten his nap? Will he be too tired if I wake him from his nap???? How much sleep should he be getting total???
Thanks as usual for your advice. Jilly
Yes, I think the nap needs to be shortened. 90 minutes, maybe, so that he is more tired earlier in the evening.
And / or try waking him by about 7:30 am and starting his day earlier.
The first few days of the change are going to be icky. Whenever our sleep pattern changes, any of us can get tired and cranky.
Hang in there. After day 5, it should get better. But be consistent.
Hi, I am just about to tweak my son's sleep routine, so I read your post. I agree that your son's nap may be too long, but just wanted to chime in and remind you that daylight savings is around the corner. So you might want to modify his routine with the time change in mind.
try shortening his nap but if you put him in bed too early he could go back to getting up at 1 or 2 in the morning... and at 7:15 or 8:30 give him a bath in lavender and see if that helps
My daughter is almost 2 and has almost outgrown naps. If she naps for more than 30 minutes during the day, I have troubles getting her to sleep before 9:30 (her normal bedtime is 8, and she is always up by 7:15 am, regardless of what time she falls asleep). I don't think your son would be too tired if you shorten his nap. You could try waking him up by 7-7:30, then moving nap time up also. Good Luck
It sounds like his whole daily cycle runs late. Most of the 2yo's I've ever known are eager to be up by 7 at the latest. So you could rouse him earlier, nap him earlier, and see if you can shorten his nap to 1 1/2 hours, which should allow for one good sleep cycle.
WebMD.com recommends 12-14 hours sleep for 1-3 year-olds.
I really recommend the book "The Sleep Lady's Good Night Sleep Tight". She tells you how much sleep a child at every age should get, how much at night and how much during the day, gives a guideline for a schedule and even steps to improve bedtime.
For right now though, I would suggest shifting his bedtime earlier in 15 - 30 minute increments. You don't say what time you are putting him to bed, but if it's close to 10:15, for example, put him to bed at 10:00 for a few nights, then 9:45, etc. until it is a decent time (probably between 7 and 8pm).
