2 year old not sleeping much

[10krunner]

Morning all,
Can anyone tell me if my DD is getting enough sleep. She wakes at 5.30 a.m. and won't sleep in the afternoon, and goes to bed at 6.15-6.30 p.m. but doesn't sleep until at least 7.00 p.m. In the afternoon her behaviour really does deteriorate which I think is because she's getting tired but I've tried to get her to have a nap but she just won't sleep - any ideas please?

Thanks
Sue

Hi.

The average 2 yr old needs between 11.5 and 13.5 hours of sleep per day so on the face of it your DD might not be getting enough, especially if she is really tired in the afternoons.

2 things I am wondering are, if she isn't upset at bedtime and still takes 45mins to go to sleep maybe she doesn't need as much sleep as the average child and is not tired enough to go to be so early. Would you have more luck moving her bedtime to 7pm.

If she is really tired then you need to find a way of either getting her to sleep longer at night or more during the day. How long have you given her to fall asleep during the day? Do you think you have given her a chance, given how long it takes her to settle at night?

What about when you go out with the pushchair or in the car - does she fall asleep in the afternoons then? My DS2 didn't like afternoon naps much and I ended up taking him out in the car or pushchair just to get him to sleep. Not ideal but it wasn't a long term thing, not after the age of 2.

It maybe that you are just at a difficult age where she doesn't need an afternoon nap everyday but she still gets tired sometimes. Some children do give up any hope of napping at 2+ yrs. You might have to sit it out by just having some quiet time after lunch, with a DVD or a story and a cuddle so she gets a rest even if she doesn't have a sleep.

She isn't upset at bedtime, she just lays there singing and talking to herself :-) She doesn't sleep when we're out and about either. I swing between maybe she just doesn't need as much sleep but because she's grumpy in the afternoon I think she does need to sleep. I've taken her to bed and lay with her for up to an hour and she's not dropped off and it doesn't seem enough for her just to have piece and quiet and no stimulation for that time, she'll still be in a horrible mood for the rest of the day. She's the most contrary child I've ever met and she's all mine :-)