Toddles Sleep All messed up- HELP

[MyTaupeDuck]

Hi mums, I’m desperate for advice because I feel like I’ve tried everything.

My 2-year-old is only sleeping 6 hours max at night. He used to sleep normally when he was 1, but this new sleep pattern started around August.
His current routine looks like this:

• Night sleep: falls asleep around 10pm, wakes up 4am (completely awake, active and energetic — literally jumping on the bed). We usually try to settle him in the dark room but after 30–60 minutes of playing we end up taking him to the living room.
• Nap: around 10am–1pm (3 hours), because he’s exhausted from waking so early. He no longer naps in the afternoon.

Because he gets really tired by 7pm, I start the bedtime routine straight after supper: bath, low-energy quiet play like books, no screens, Nature’s Aid chamomile/lemon balm in his night milk, then breastfeed to sleep (I tried weaning but it made life much harder for all of us).

He has no problem falling asleep — the issue is that he only sleeps 6 hours and that’s it. The lack of night sleep also makes his daytime nap even longer because he’s so tired from waking at 2–4am.
I’d really appreciate any advice or similar experiences. I’m exhausted and feel like I’m missing something.

you need to reduce the day sleep! It'll be rough for a week but then fine!
At about 2 mine was taking a 2 hour nap and started waking at 5, we limited it to an hour and after a few days he started sleeping til 7.
You could do it in stages if you want to be gentle?

This does sound exhausting, and it’s completely understandable you feel like you have tried everything.

The big thing that stands out is the 3-hour nap at 10am. At 2, that amount of day sleep so early can make nights much shorter because he’s getting a lot of his sleep needs met before midday. It is very common for there to be a reduction in sleep needs at this age.

Most 2-year-olds do better with either:
• A shorter nap (60-90 mins)
• Or a nap that starts later (around 12/12.30)
Waking happily at 4am usually means his body clock thinks it’s “morning”, and nap timing is often the key to shifting that.

You’re doing loads right with the calm bedtime routine. I would try adjusting the nap gradually (15 mins later every few days & reducing the length) and see if nights start to stretch again.
If you want to share what time he usually wakes from the nap or how he copes in the afternoon, happy to help you troubleshoot further. Also would be good to understand how he is between 7pm and his 10pm bedtime.
You’re definitely not alone - this age can be really tricky. ❤️

Absolutely cut down the day time sleep. I get he’s exhausted and it’ll be rough for a while but that habit needs to be broken for nights to improve. First start moving it closer to midday, do so by 20 mins a day if he’s really struggling. Ideally you want him to do max 2 hours, potentially less, and for it to be about midday

The long 3-hour morning nap is likely making his body think 4am is morning.
Try slowly shortening the nap to 1.5–2 hours and end it by 12pm.
Once naps shorten, aim for an earlier bedtime (7–7:30pm).
It’s a really common 2-year-old phase.

Try more daytime light and activity, cap the nap, and keep nights calm and boring. Avoid moving to the living room if possible.