how much sleep does your 2yr old get

[kbaby]

DD is a nightmare sleeper, hardly ever sleeps through the night even after 3 attemps at cc. She also doesnt nap during the day unless in the car.

Her behaviour is getting worse ie hitting, pushing etc and my friend suggested that it seems to her that shes over tired in the afternoons(shes just started nursery from 12.30-3pm)

Ive tried putting her in her cot for a nap but she just cries. The only way I can get her to nap is if I hold her and rock her like a baby for 10 mins. Ive also tried putting her to bed earlier but she just lays awake for 1hr in her cot and then still wakes upto 3 times a night.

How many hours sleep does your 2 yr old get?
and do you think I should perserve in the nap or earlier to bed in the hope that it will improve her behaviour.

Currently she is asleep by 8.15pm and wakes anywhere from 6am-8am with approx 3 wakes during the night for milk, blankets or a book. No nap during the day.

[Olihan]

My ds is 2.5 and he sleeps from around 7-8pm until 6:30 - 7:30am most nights. He also has a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon, if he doesn't get it he is HORRIFIC to live with.

It does sound as though your dd is sleep deprived. When she wakes up in the night does she get the milk/blankets/book? Or do you just tell her it's sleep time and leave her to it? From what you've said it sounds as though you're both in a pattern of her waking in the night and not sleeping in the day.

Personally I would persist in putting her down for a nap at the same time everyday - is there any way you could change her nursery hours so she goes in the morning? I would also put her to bed by 7pm every night with a strict wind down routine so she knows it's bedtime.

Have you tried putting her in a grobag overnight so she can't kick the covers off and get cold? DS was in them until very recently. Now he's under a duvet and I've got some things called duvet clips that sort of strap the duvet to the bed.

Hope some of that helps.

[heiferjamese]

My DD is 2.7 and sleeps from around 9.30 - 6.30 (takes an age to get to sleep hence the late night, she actually goes up to bed much earlier, although later in the hot weather)..

She also sleep 1.5-2 hrs in the afternoon (early pm).

She has only just started to sleep right through.. she was waking up 3 times a night but suddendly started to sleep through, when I made sure she fell asleep without me or DH in the room... I am sure this has helped her sleep though as I guess she still wakes up but can get back to sleep on her own...

We still have to stay around her for 1-2 hrs before she will go to sleep but at least I can now make sure I am not there when she finally falls asleep (tell her I am going downstairs for 5 mins then keep coming back and going again)..

[Bozza]

My DD is a rather similar age to yours. Her ideal sleep pattern is bed (and has recently gone into a bed) from 7.30-7 and a nap from 1-2.30-3. She gets this twice a week max. When at nursery she sleeps more like 1-1.5 hours rather than 1.5-2 hours. So that is 3 x week. Also fitting in with other things she may have shorter naps in car etc or be a bit late to bed. eg on Thurs we went to Blackpool and she napped 5.45-5.55 (woke up rather grumpy but got over it) and then wasn't asleep until nearly 8.30 but then slept in until 7.30 in the morning.

There is definitely a dip in behaviour if she has too many days like that though.

[yomellamoHelly]

Ds is 2.9 and sleeps from 7:30-8:00 p.m. through 'til 7:30-8:00 a.m. Nowadays he'll sleep maybe once a week at midday too for 1.5-2 hours. Generally all our activities/outings are in the morning and he'll look knackered all afternoon (when we basically stay at home and chill). I've always been quite strict about sleep, though. Ds does have his phases where he challenges us, though - but he doesn't get anything other than water and "time to sleep" out of us and he'll give up in the end.

Maybe you should restructure her day so she spends the morning at nursery and the afternoon at home. For the first 6 months after ds dropped his naps I also insisted he spent an hour in his bedroom each day, since I couldn't force him to sleep. (Now I leave him to roam the house whilst I go for a nap! - so the house is still pretty quiet for a period of time each day)
You could also look at your night-time routine again. I think ds was around 2 when I added an additional 5-10 mins quiet play with us after his bath and before going upstairs for his milk and a story. It helped him settle much quicker.

[tortoise]

DD2 is just 2.She goes to bed at 7 and normally awake at 6.30-7.00.
She hadn't had a proper day time sleep for ages and in the last few weeks she's become awful at around 5pm when im cooking dinner.Ive decided she needs a nap and so far its helped(done twice) but both times she was less keen to go to bed!
Persivere with her going to sleep on her own and having a daytime nap.

[Aero]

ds2 is 2 1/2 and sleeps about 11-12 hours at night (though often wakes up in the night for quick cuddle/reassurance/re-plugging dummy etc, but goes back to sleep easily). He also sleeps early afternoon for a couple of hours most days, but not every day.

[hunkermunker]

DS1 is 2.3 - he wakes sometimes because his teeth hurt, or he can't find his drink, but usually he sleeps OK. He has a nap of about 2 hours in the afternoon (he was having 3 or 4, but then became hard to put to bed!) and sleeps from about 8.30 to 7.30 (sometimes a bit earlier, sometimes a bit later, both for bedtime and waking up).

If he woke in the night for milk or a book, he'd get told it was bedtime. If he woke for a blanket, he'd get that, and told it was bedtime. What do you do when she wakes for these things?

[kbaby]

If she wakes in the night and asks for something I used to go in once and tell her it was bedtime and to go to sleep and then maybe I wouldnt go in again but just shout shhh from our room, however shes been ill twice in the night recently and I guess im paranoid because now I go in everytime to check shes not got a temp. I cant put a grow bag on her as the room is just way too hot so she goes to bed with just a sheet and maybe later on I add a blanket if the room gets cooler.
Ive asked the nursery to move her to mornings but they cant do this until sept. Maybe on the days she goes to nursery(3 times) we have to come home and at least have some quiet time. I guess my problem is that I hate staying in the house as I find it tiring entertaining her all day but maybe after nursery this is what she needs.

Last night I put her to bed at 7.45pm and she was asleep by 8.15pm(she goes to sleep fine on her own in her cot) she then woke twice at 12.30 + 1.20am and woke at 6.00am where DH brought her into bed and she slept with me until 8am.

Looking at what youve all said your DC get far more sleep than her and maybe ill have to gradually try and get her to nap or go to bed earlier.

[FoghornLeghorn]

My DD had just turned 2 and she gets around 11 hours sleep a night and 2 hours in the day.
She goes to bed at 7.30 and the earliest she wakes is 6.30ish but sometimes she wont wake until 7.30. She doesn't wake at all in the night unless she has had a bad dream
After lunch she goes down for a nap, usually anywhere between 1-3 hours, most days I have to wake her up after 2 hours or so as I'm worried she wont sleep at night time.
I have no suggestions what to try though Kbaby, I was just lucky that she fell into that routine really.

[FoghornLeghorn]

I agree with Bozza too, there are some occassions where DD doesn't get her nap, if we are out visiting/shopping etc and if we have a few days like this she gets very grouchy.
I do think your DD is maybe getting overtired Kbaby which is why she wakes and isn't settled into a deep sleep

[fredly]

My 22m old dd sleeps from 8.30pm-7.30am with a 2 hours nap in the afternoon.

[Highlander]

DS is 23 months. 9pm-6:30am with a 1.5 hr nap after lunch.

[laneydaye]

ddnearly 2 has 2/3/4 hrs in day (in bed) and goes to bed at 6.30pm till around 7am.... unless teething or ill..xx

[Beetle73]

Just turned 2 and has 12 - 12.5 hours a day.
Definitely harder to handle when she has less.

[Toothache]

kbaby - my ds was EXACTLY like that despite CC! But would nap during the day on the sofa..... maybe 3 half hour naps a day. Now 5, he goes to bed on his own, but is always in my bed when I wake up.

My dd is completely different. She's just turned 2. She goes to bed in her cot at around 7.30pm and gets herself off to sleep (always preferred sleeping on her own, she wakes arounf 6.30am. She has a 2 hour nap at lunchtime too. The girl likes her sleep!!!

My 2 are like chalk and cheese and it was nothing to do with doing things differently. Just their nature.

[BettySpaghetti]

DS is 2.1 and sleeps 12 hours approx (7pm-7am) with an hour after lunch.

During the night he goes off fine and only tends to wake up if hes lost his cuddly toy.

However, wE'VE HAD THE ODD SPELL WHERE HES NOT WANTED TO GO DOWN FOR DAYTIME NAPS, DESPITE DESPERATELY NEEDING IT (OOPs sorry), but have persevered with a bit of CC and he soon gets the message that he IS having a nap!

[clairemow]

kbaby, DS is 2.3, sleeps 12-12.5 hours a night, v. rarely wakes up. Also has a nap after lunch, about 1-2.30/ 1.30-3. At nursery he sleeps much less (today he refused altogether), and then is much more tired at bedtime (was in bed asleep by 6.45 tonight). He's getting much better now if the nap in the day is shorter, or in the car or whatever, but I find if we do that for more than 2 days in a row, he becomes the devil child the following day...

Try and persevere with the napping and nighttime - try to resist going in if it's not totally necessary!