Please tell me your 18month - 2 yo sleep schedule!

[sotiredfornow]

Our DD has just turned 2. I already posted this week about her sleep issues. She is having so much trouble dropping off at night and I don't know what to do! My DSIS cut out my niece's lunch time nap for this reason but I think it's too early to do that, right?

It's been raining a lot lately so maybe she's not had enough physical activity outdoors?

Please tell be what time your DC at this approx age wake, nap & sleep!!

22 months

Wake up 7.30-8
Nap 1.30 - 3.30
Bed 7.30 ish

Almost two year old DD sleeps 7-7, no nap at home, may have a 45 min one in the morning on nursery days.

My ds is 2 in a few days.

He's not quite ready to cut his nap out completely but I've been reducing it. He's been having the odd day without a nap if we are just pottering at home. He had started either refusing to nap in cot or if he'd had a long nap he didn't want to go to bed at 7pm. If he won't have a nap at home but is obviously tired I take him out in buggy or car so he'll have half hour.

At the moment he wakes around 7am. The magic nap time at the mo seems to be from around 1:15 - 2:30. He's in bed by 7.15. Sometimes chats for 10 mins or so before going to sleep so probably asleep by 7.30.

He tends to only need 11 hours per night.

He is totally different to his big brother who would sleep a good 7-7. Usually waking closer to 8am plus still needing a solid 2 hour (12:30 - 2:30) lunchtime nap.

Dear God I wish I had a 12 hour overnight sleeper....

23 mths old:
Wakes 6.30-7am
Nap: 75 mins (anywhere between 12-3pm).
Bed: 8pm

Dd does need a lot of activity otherwise doesn't want to nap until 4-5pm then is very ratty.

Personally I'd try a shorter/earlier nap (with lots of activity in the morning). Friends who have toddlers who are big nappers are struggling with bedtimes at the moment.

^ I would try and put her to bed earlier. Maybe she's overtired and therefore doesn't sleep well. This really helped with my ds

18.5 months

7:30am wake
12pm-2:30pm - nap
6:30pm - bedtime

Thanks for all the info ladies.

We put her to bed at 7.30 and she's still crying now, 50 mins later, off and on crying the whole time.

She was up at 6.50, napped 12.15 for 1.5 hours. We've had tons of fresh air morning & afternoon. I know she's tired, she looks it and yawned twice around 6.45 before we started bath & routine.

She didn't end up sleeping until around 9.30 last night so she must be overtired?

So fed up with this. I really don't know what else to do. It's making me ill!

Poor you, have you spoke to a sleep specialist? There's some good ones.

Some kids just don't need as much sleep, not helpful I know!

What time does she eat dinner and does she have milk before bed still?

We do dinner around 5 ish. She hasn't had a bottle at bedtime for a long time. The advice is to stop bottles at 1 yr so I did soon after. I offered it in a cup for a few months but she would only have a really small amount so I stopped altogether. She has water before bed. Do you think I should be giving milk??

It might not hurt to try milk or another snack? My 2.2yo still has milk before bed (still in a bottle as well!). I know when she is fighting her naps then a nice drink of warm milk normally sends her off.

Watching this as DS has started waking in night again.

He typically wakes 7-7.30
May nap - but often not till 2-3
Sleep 8-8.30

He won't go to sleep without holding mine or DH hand. Have tried all sorts to break that...and failed.

Yep, I would do milk.

I would try everything! Mind you ds1 was like this. It could take over an hour and sometimes 2 to get him to bed at night, even though he was shattered. Once asleep, he would sleep all night. He is still the same at 9. Last night he padded down the stairs at 10 o'clock to tell me he couldn't sleep.

Ds2 is no bother to get to sleep. It's staying asleep that's his issue!

Try music, blackout blinds, explaining that it bedtime, gradual retreat, toys in the cot, different bedding (grobag, quilt, sheet etc) cooler room, a banana before bed, milk, cuddles and singing....anything!

Good luck.

Is the room dark enough? Or, is it perhaps that it is too dark and she wants a nightlight?

Yes I bet she's hungry as its a good few hours after. My ds is 15 months and he still needs his milk to settle him before bed, no harm.

Apparently warm milk has a chemical that helps you feel drowsy.

7am wake up and definitely needs some energetic walk/scooter to get tired for nap

11:30am nap
1pm wake up and lunch

5:30pm dinner

7pm bedtime

The room seems dark enough even at 7.30pm. We have blackout curtains. Certainly dark enough now but she has the angel care monitor night light too.

I will try a bottle of milk and banana.

I've tried everything else.

Honestly, my marriage is on the rocks because of the last 3 months sleep issues. To think we had a baby who slept through the night from 12 weeks and 7pm - 7am consistently for such a long time.

I just went to look at your other thread to see what the issues were. You've had loads of suggestions, the only thing I'd say is don't try too many at once!

Personally I'd go for milk or a snack before bed, and if that doesn't work, some of the suggestions on the other thread about changing the bed etc.

Trying to get DS to sleep without hand holding tonight as I feel it's impacting on him self settling when he wakes in the night.

Consequently he is still awake at 11.20pm.

I feel your pain, I really do.

Oh god, you poor lady. 11.20 is really late. What time did he eventually go off? DH managed to get DD off around 10pm. She's now up at 7.30.

I'm going to try a bottle & banana tonight. If that doesn't make any difference at all then I'll cut out her nap tomorrow (even though I know she's overtired) as that's about the only thing we haven't tried.

I'd be wary of expecting a quick fix - give it a few days to see. Sometimes they wake through habit and it could take her a few days to realise that she's not hungry and go off to sleep. Chopping and changing between snacks, long naps, no naps etc might confuse her a bit.

Thanks, so tired. He eventually went off at 11.30. He woke once in the night & then slept till 9.45!! Which is ridiculous as now he won't sleep tonight - bit we were so tired we didn't wake either.

At least he got some hours in.
I think the black out blinds helped. DH is taking him swimming in a bit & we are off for a kick around in the garden so hoping he'll be good and tired tonight.

The thing is we are going on holiday tomorrow (Italy) so his body clock will be well & truly confused! We'll have to go with the flow a bit.

Hope you have a good night tonight & do better with consistency than us.

How's it going tonight, sotired?

Thurlow - you're right, of course, I will keep that in mind.

Henrietta - just by chance our day turned out quite different to normal and she didn't fall asleep in the car at the only possible time for a nap. She yawned several times around her usual nap time but then carried on with her day and didn't seem noticeably tired or irritable. We did give her milk & banana just before bed too - DH gave her milk sitting in her chair in the bedroom. After about 3oz she points to the bed (yes, really!!) and her puts her down. Done.

This was 7.30pm.

Be interested to see what time she rises in the morning but after 3 months of early rising, night wakings and trouble dropping off we are now very open to the idea that maybe she just doesn't need a nap like most kids her age do.

How did you get on this evening?

That's great!

We didn't put DS to bed too early as he slept so late. He went to bed & was asleep within 20 min, WITH NO HAND HOLDING.

Granted it was 9.30pm but that's 2h earlier than yesterday.

We will see what happens tomorrow after our 3h drive to Nana's.