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Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Sleep

How much sleep for 2 - 3 year old?

16 replies

InsaneDame · 21/02/2017 13:18

DS (2.10) has in the last few weeks seemed to cut down on the amount he sleeps. If he naps for an hour then he will only sleep for 10 - 10.5hrs at night. If he misses a nap then he will do 11hrs, sometimes slightly longer. Is this enough for his age? Just a few weeks ago he was having a nap and sleeping for at least 11hrs at night, 12+ if he hadn't napped.

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Doje · 21/02/2017 13:20

I found my 2 yr old dropped his nap really quickly. He went from having a 3-4 hour nap at 2 yrs to no nap by 2.5. I think as long as he's getting 12 hours at night that's ok.

InsaneDame · 21/02/2017 13:26

He isn't getting 12 hrs. He will only do 11 without a nap and 10/10.5 with an hrs nap. Basically he has started waking up earlier than he used to.

He has been messing around with naps on and off for a few months - some weeks he will go a few days in a row without napping then other weeks he will nap every day!

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Joneseygirl77 · 21/02/2017 13:44

My DD 2.10 is the same. She dropped her nap properly last month and has gone from having a 40min nap and 11-12hrs night sleep to no nap and anywhere between 10-11hrs at night. Hugely disturbed sleep at night now- last night we had 5 wake ups and waking early too. She is still napping at weekends though but only about 30mins.

I'm finding it tough going as there have been no other changes in the household either. All seems to have conincided with the loss of her nap.

InsaneDame · 21/02/2017 13:47

Sorry to hear that Jonesey thankfully he is still sleeping through, just waking up earlier than he used to - any time from about 6.15, whereas before he was sleeping until 7 - 7.30am.

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FATEdestiny · 21/02/2017 14:26

I find this really accurate for sleep amounts:

www.mybabysleepguide.com/2013/02/average-sleep-charts-by-age.html?m=1

It suggests 11-12h over night plus 1.5-3h nap at aged 2-3.

Bear in mind that over tiredness can make sleep quality poor (harder to get to sleep, light sleeping, waking more easily).

Have you tried setting him up a bed on the sofa- with his duvet and pillow? Then enforcing an hour's quiet time. He doesn't have to sleep, but never does anything active or out the house for that hour.

Joneseygirl77 · 21/02/2017 14:27

Yes we've had similar as she's now awake from 6.20am onwards whereas before she was generally waking at 7ish. She's still in a cot so she just shouts until one of us comes in to get her out!

If you find a cure then let me know!

Purplebluebird · 21/02/2017 14:29

At 2.5 my boy dropped his nap, and has since then slept 10-12 hours a night instead. It sounds fine to me!

HLBug · 21/02/2017 14:55

Are all his molars in? My DS also 2.10 went through something similar but now napping/ sleeping again ok (touch wood) and I'm almost certain it was back teeth related.

InsaneDame · 21/02/2017 15:46

His last molars came through when he was 22 months so unfortunately not that!

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Deduct37 · 22/02/2017 20:25

My little girl has just turned 3. She has never been a reliable sleeper but always slept better with a nap. For her, the later she goes to bed, the earlier she gets up the following day and her nights can be very disturbed. If she has a power nap during the day and goes to bed at a reasonable time, she tends to sleep so much better. So I think overtiredness can definateky affect their sleep. Have you tried an earlier bedtime while they are dropping their nap? My little girl sometimes goes to bed at 5.45 because I now know that keeping her up until half 6 just makes things worse.
On non napping days, she goes to bed at 5.45 and is generally asleep within minutes (almost always before 6). She will then get up between 6.30 and 7 the following morning
If she has had a nap like today (30minutes is pretty much all she has EVER napped) she goes to bed at 6/6.15 and is generally asleep for 6.30. She still gets up between6.30 and 7 the following day.
She needs between 12 and 13 hours a day. I am aware she has a VERY early bedtime but in our house, this is the only thing that helps improve her sleep. She stil has nights where she can be unsettled (usually when she hasn't had a nap in a week) and there are still very odd mornings where she gets up a bit earlier, but on the woile she is now a great little sleeper (unless her routine goes to pot on holidays etc then her night sleep becomes horrendous!!!)
If she has a restless night, the following day I will take her out for a drive around 11.30 so that she has the opportunity to fall asleep. This tends to sort her back out for the following night. We generally have 1 bad night a week so we tend to make sure she gets at least 1 opportunity to have a quick nap in the car

InsaneDame · 22/02/2017 21:33

Thank you for the replies. Deduct when he has a none nap day he is in bed by 6.45 but doesn't go to sleep until around 7.15. I couldn't get him to bed much earlier than that as we eat dinner at 5.30 (when DH gets home). If he naps then he will be asleep by 8/8.30pm. I'm not sure it is an overtired thing as he was sleeping 11 - 12hrs a night on the same napping/not napping routine and bedtimes, so nothing has actually changed - he has just decided he wants to get up earlier and now seems to be stuck in that habit....

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InsaneDame · 22/02/2017 21:36

When he does have an hours nap that means he goes to sleep an hour later than when he doesn't have a nap. Wake up time is the same regardless and sleep amount in 24hrs is the same.

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LapinR0se · 22/02/2017 21:42

Mine turned 2 in September so that makes her 2 years 5 months.
She was doing 11hrs overnight and 1-2 in the day until this week!
Now it seems to be nothing in the day and12 hours overnight. I do miss the daytime sleep but bedtime is literally a case of night night darling and she's asleep

NapQueen · 22/02/2017 21:44

Could you start using a Gro Clock? They show a bright yellow image of a sun at a time set by you. Before that its a dull blue with a star on it to signify sleep time. We used it with dc1 and also now use it with dc2 (2y4m). We have two times set - 7am for weekdays and 7.30am for weekends.

You set it for their usual wake time for a week or so, make a huge song and dance about it "yaaaay the sun! Morning time whoop!!!" Then just move it forward ten mins for another week. Then another 10 mins for another week etc.

Our dc2 sleeps 7pm to about 6.30am and has a 2.5hr nap usually 12-2.30 every day.

NapQueen · 22/02/2017 21:45

What time does he nap?

InsaneDame · 23/02/2017 07:22

Thank you for advice. He doesn't have a night light or anything so didn't really want to go down the gro clock route. He naps 1 - 2pm then I wake him to preserve bedtime.

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