Is my dd 23 months sleeping too long the lazy bugger!

[Breastfeedingworries]

Hi sorry I posted in the sleep board but no one has responded. This isn’t meant to be a stealth boast or annoy anyone.

I’m worried that my dd is needing too much sleep for her age. She sleeps 7-8:30 usually today she slept in until 8:49 (I’m keeping track, I wake at 7 automatically) she’ll the. Sleep 12:30-3 for her afternoon nap.

It sounds brilliant but it’s tricky because before lockdown I’m tired to the house struggle to make plans as I’m ruled by her sleep. I’m also worried she sleeps too much could this be a sign of something SEN? I’m first time mum so unsure of these things.

Please be kind, I can’t tell others in real life because it sounds smug but I am not. I’m wondering if she’s sleeping too much. I’m genuinely concerned her needing so much sleep could mean something sinister Health wise.

Thanks all

I meant I’m tied to the house ect, obviously it isn’t an issue currently. I just want to know if this amount of sleep is okay and doesn’t mean something else.

Some children sleep really well. My son was similar. His afternoon nap would go on to four if I let him! He was always on the go when awake ate well. If you havd mo other concerns I wouldn’t worry. X

My daughter used to do this. Now she is a very normal 9 year old who is a night owl and would sleep til 10 or 11 am if left to her own devices

No advice unfortunately but my DD sleeps alot too, always has done. Sleeps 8pm - 8:30am as standard but sometimes will snooze until 10am if left! (rare!)

She dropped her naps around 18 months though, but will still have a quiet hour in the afternoon or very occasionally a snooze in the car.

My eldest loved snooze. Good 3 hours during the day then bed around 7 to 7. If she is happy. Let her sleep.

I’m not sure. But I wouldn’t say you tied to the house. If she sleeps that long then you just move her into the car (secure her in seat etc) and drive off no? Presumably you could then move her to her buggy.

Probably a growth spurt! They grow in their sleep...

Two of my children would have done this, bed at 7 or 8 and then would have had to wake them to bring kids to school. I knew of other children who were the same. The only time I'd ever worry would be children seeming too lethargic over the day otherwise no problem!

My 18 month old has slept 7 till 9/10:30 for the last few months, and a 1& half-2 hour nap in afternoon. I was worried but I’m not anymore, I think he just loves the sleep. I asked the health visitor and she said as long as eating an drinking enough it’s fine. Which he does- he is on the 99th centile for weight and height so going to be a big tall boy. Perhaps that’s why? I’m sure it won’t last for us anyway just enjoy it for now ! X

I could have written this. My daughter is almost 22 months and sleeps amazingly.

Her preferred bedtime is 1830 and sleeps until about 0830 if not later. She has a MyHummy white noise machine that has a 12 hour setting so if I remember I try to reset it at 2000 so it'll go off at 0800 in the hope she'll wake up around then. I'm starting to get the fear that if she sleeps to long at night she'll either drop her nap sooner or it'll be short.

She'll nap for around 2 hours, sometimes more and sometimes less, after lunch.

However she is an absolute live wire from the moment she wakes up until the moment she sleep. She climbs, she runs, she jumps, she rolls. She is an absolute danger mouse. So I try to reason with myself that she sleeps so well because she is also so active when she is awake.

I was also a slave to her naps when she was younger, she likes to sleep alone in her cot in the dark. If I suggest we cuddle when she knows she's about to get in her cot she practically leaps out of my arms and waves and says by whilst pointing me to the door.

I do wonder if it could be a sign of something else, I'm just not sure what!

My son was exactly the same hes 40 now and still likes to sleep but works full time and has a degree so I wouldn't worry.

19 minutes is nothing. I would allow an hour either way as normal variation

My now 15 year old ds was the same. Slept a good 12/13 hours in the night and then a 3 hour nap until he was 3. No Sen. Just liked his sleep

Seems normal to me, I always encouraged long sleeps and afternoon naps for mine as long as they would go. A bit of peace for me.

@Breastfeedingworries Sounds normal to me, and also healthy.

I despair when I see people with toddlers still up at 10 and 11 pm...tearing around the house, screaming and playing and ranting and tearing the place apart. And then up at 6 am. They usually have parents who think nothing of taking their 3-6 month old baby to the pub, and staying til 11pm.

No way can a toddler/infant grow and function and learn properly when they go to bed at 11pm, and get up at 6 to 7am. And no, they DON'T sleep in til midday, if they don't go to bed til 11pm. They will still usually wake at 6 to 7am. But 7-8 hours a night is no good...

They need at LEAST 12-13 hours sleep - as they are growing so fast (should be anyway!) and they are very energetic, and are learning something new every day.

Toddlers/infants who stay up til 10 or 11pm (frequently,) will usually be the most difficult to control, and hard to teach, and will struggle academically later on, as they will be used to getting their own way, and will have spent too much time in their formative years, not getting enough sleep.

Both of mine went to bed at 6.30 to 7pm every night between two years old and around seven years old, and woke at around 7.am. Sometimes 8am. Up to the age of 2, they'd sleep for 2-3 hours longer than that (per day.)

Like the examples of several other posters, mine excelled academically, and have both graduated from very good universities.

Only people whose kids are allowed to stay up til the pubs close will disagree with you, and say this is not right. Ignore those posters.

My son was (is) the same. He will just sleep and sleep if we let him. Up until he was 5 he would easily sleep 13-14 hours overnight and was having an afternoon nap right up to starting school. Some days he was only awake 8 hours out of 24! I too was worried so took him to the doctor for blood tests (all normal) and paid to see a paediatrician because I was worried he might have something wrong with him. He was thoroughly checked out and the conclusion was that he was fine. The paediatrician said that sleep needs are on a spectrum and he's at the high end. As he's getting a bit older I feel like his stamina is increasing. He still sleeps a solid 12-13 hours a night but he no longer naps in the day and he can function on less sleep if required (albeit grumpily!).

If you're worried you could ask your GP to do blood tests just to rule out anaemia or any other conditions but hopefully it's nothing to worry about and you just have a child who needs / likes their sleep.

Personally go with it. All mine were big sleepers. My 3yo still sleeps for hours during the day. On days she’s at nursery she dosnt sleep at all. When she’s home she will sleep anywhere from 1-3 hours. She will still go to bed between 7-8 and sleep. I’ve never liked waking my DCs up, if they need sleep I leave them to it. If I know I need to go out, school run etc.. I will try and put her down early if I can, if not I will have to wake her, but I try and do it gradually, open her door, put baby shark on the tv so she can hear it from her room. I find trying to force her awake dose not work to my benefit but if she gets up herself to something she is far easier to deal with.

I have the opposite problem. My 22 month old has consistently slept for 9.5/10 hours at night for the last 4 months. He rarely goes to sleep before 9pm (his choice) and will sleep for 10 hours maximum (if he has an “early night” and is asleep for 8pm he’ll be up at 6am, or late night at 10pm he’ll sleep until 8am). He also rarely naps for longer that 40 minutes during the day.

I’ve always been laid back about sleeping and routine and gave just been led by him. But @LisaLee333 comments are now making me worry. He a healthy size (50th centile consistently since birth) met all milestones and is generally a happy well adjusted toddler who rarely tantrums (I’m sure I’ve got that to come though)

So as long as they’re happy/healthy otherwise then I’ve been trying to not worry too much about sleep. Hopefully that’s the right thing to do.

@LouLou2020 Oh god, ignore LisaLee333! My DS is exactly like yours even down to the nap length and he's thriving too. Every baby is different and has different sleep needs.

In many other countries they think Brits are crazy for putting their children to bed so early only for them to wake up at the crack of dawn. I mean, if that's your baby's natural body clock, great, but I don't think it's anything to aspire to. Many people value family time together with their small children in the evening after work, they are not all "down the pub" Children abroad also grow up "excelling at good universities". Funny that. Who would have thought there is no correlation between the time you go to sleep as a baby and how well you do at university?!

Oh, and OP, your DD sounds like a dream! That sounds like a perfectly reasonable amount for a toddler to sleep.

My son was doing the same at age 2. He was constantly moving when he was awake though, never sat still etc... So that kinda made me realise why he needed so much sleep.

My eldest was a 12-13 hr sleeper wasn't to fussed on long mid day naps though. The youngest has slept a max of 10hrs EVER and is now well into their teens and still a really restless sleeper. The others were consistent bed at 7. 30 up around 6ish. Ify last had have been my first she may have been my only, she is perfectly healthy in all other respects just doesn't seem to need much sleep.

My twins once they started sleeping through the night they REALLY slept! They napped every day until they were 4 as well, thank god to be honest.

I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about

Oh god I’d kill for a good sleeper my 3 year old has been up since 3am

@LisaLee333 toddlers aren't allowed in 99%of pubs after about 8pm.