Toddler taking too long naps - what shall I do?

[HungryDam]

Toddler is usually up around 6.30. Naps around 2.30am for 3 hours+. Bed at 8pm but wakes up at night and is wide awake.

How long should I let her nap during the day? She has just turned 2

Thanks!

She needs her nap much earlier....either before or after lunch for one hour.

I used to just wake mine up when they were this age....or they'd have slept too long. Just open the curtains after an hour and gently prod them...chatter to them. it will take a while to adjust her to it but she'll get there.

My 2 yr old has max 2 hours from about midday, no later than 2pm - up anytime between 5.30am and 6.30am and bed at 7/7.30pm. Usually sleeps through or wakes up briefly.

At this age DS used to wake 6/6.30am. Have lunch at 11.45am and have lunch sleep from 12.15/12.30pm-1.30/2pm. I would actually wake him at 2pm if overslept - very rare. Bed time was at 7pm. Slept through. Though he gave up after lunch naps (any naps) at 2yrs 4 months. And then happily slept 11-12 hours each night with no wakings.

I think you need to bring lunchtime nap forward by about 2 hours.

bring it forward to 1pm and max 1.5 hours or the night will get short somewhere along the line.

DS3 is just two and generally goes down somewhere between 1 and 1.30pm. I wake him around 2.30 ish to go on the school run.

Their sleep needs can vary a lot at this age but three hours at that time of day will play havoc with night waking as you are finding! Personally I'd move her nap forward if at all possible, try and get her going down nearer to 1pm and give her 1.5 hours max, and see how she goes.

I would move nap to 1pm, wake by 3pm

mine is just two and refuses to nap until the school run at 3 I wake him after an hour and he's asleep by 8pm. one night waking usually but goes back to sleep easily then up at 7ish.

I would just cut the nap down to an hour max

I agree with the other posters. Limit naps to 1.5 hours, try to establish nap time after lunch (around 1pm). Then bedtime a bit earlier, 7.30 or 7pm.

To wake my toddler i just open the curtains and start talking to her. Sometimes she takes a while to wake up and she needs to be cuddled etc but it's SO worth it for the night-time sleep. She's just about to turn 3 and has now dropped her nap completely.

Mine is just two. We either don't have a nap or it's 45mins only otherwise she is up in the night trying to play. I don't think we will be napping for much longer!

Max of two hours after lunch.. Usually works.

I think I must have an odd child! He is 2.6 years old and has always loved his naps. Currently he wakes around 6/6:30am and goes for his nap around 1pm. He will usually nap for 2-3 hours, although we have had a few 4 hour naps recently, for no apparent reason . We don't ever wake him from his nap, unless we are going somewhere.

He goes to bed around 7:30, maybe a bit later if he's had a very long nap, plays with his bed toys for about 15 mins, then straight to sleep . And rarely wakes during night. We are very lucky!

Mine has just turned two and I have to wake him after 1.5 hours, max 2 otherwise he won't sleep at night.

He normally sleeps from 12.30 or 1ish. I always make sure he's awake from 3pm either way!

Thanks everyone!

I will cut it down to 1-2 hours and try and bring it earlier on! She avoids it until she is completely desperate to sleep.

If she won't sleep until 2.30pm and she refuses to nap any earlier, then stick with the 2.30pm nap but just wake her up by 3.15pm at the latest and then aim for a 7pm bedtime.

Basically: she needs much less daytime sleep. Cut it down one way or another and you will get your nights back!

How do you get her to sleep Hungry? I used to also wait till lo was extremely tired and then push him around the street in his pram to go off. It took me a long while to realise that I could put him in his cot to go off, and for this to be before he was exhausted. Initially he did sometimes cry for a little, but now he is fine.