Bedtime for a 3 year old?

[CrazyCatLadyWantsADog]

As it says above really - I’m looking for advice regarding bedtimes for our (just) 3 year old DD. She hasn’t napped since she turned 2 but sleeps well at night. When she dropped the nap a year ago I put her to bed and asleep by 7 (latest 7.30) as she was melting by that point! But recently, she’s been upstairs in the dark chatting away and playing for what feels like ages - until 8.30 some nights. She’s perfectly happy and whilst tired, doesn’t seem overtired. She chats to me, to her toys, tells me stories, reads books, and then happily goes to sleep between 8/8.30pm. I’ve worried it makes her too knackered for nursery the next day; but she gets up happily at 7/7.30am without an issue. My question is - do I need to stop putting her to bed at 7 now? She seems fine with the later bedtime, but I’m worried she’s setting herself up for total exhaustion (nursery is 8.30-5.30 five days a week)

At that age mine were in bed for 6/6.30 they too would play for half hour in there beds till they nodded off. My youngest DD6 is in bed for 7 still sings and plays for half hour before she goes to sleep, she is up 6.30 every morning though.
If it works for you and she sleeps all night most of your battle is solved. She probably enjoys the independent play before bed in the dark its part of her routine. Good luck OP

Unless you really want to keep her up later I'd leave everything as it is. She may need that quiet time before bed to decompress. If she's happy and you're happy, leave it!

No that set up sounds great. It's brilliant that she doesn't need you there to fall asleep. I wouldn't change a thing.

Are you sitting up there with her for the whole time? (Just because you say she chats to you).

If so I would try a later bedtime (or try to leave before she goes to sleep) because that’s a long time to be sitting with her.

If she goes to sleep on her own, then I wouldn’t change it if she’s happy.

I would keep the routine as is, my DD has a similar and is 3 next month. I think she just needs the time to wind down. If I try any earlier she gets wound up and bored.

Sounds like you have a good thing going to me! 11-14 hours sleep is the normal range.

If she's happy hanging out on her own for that long and you're happy with your evening routine, I'd leave it. If you're having to sit up there with her for that long, or she's not thrilled about playing in bed for that long, or it would make your evenings easier to have a bit more time before bed, I'd put bedtime back a bit later.

If she's sustaining this pattern and getting up easily, I wouldn't worry about her not getting enough sleep – she may just be lower sleep needs (both of my children are). And you can always make bedtime earlier again if you need to.

if it's not broken don't try to fix it. Ds1 was always a 7-7 sleeper at his age, now at 7.5 he's still asleep by 8 and sleeps to 7am.

Ds2 is a completely different child, he's 3 next week - only needs around 9-10 hours of sleep. Is usually just dozing off around 9pm and up for 7 absolutely fine at nursery 5 days a week. it works for them so we let them get on with it.

For my son it used to be 7pm. Now it’s stretched to between 7:30/8pm.
he turned 3 in March and I think part of it is the lighter evenings.

Up at 6 and raring to go

3 yo DS’ bedtime is closer to 7:45 now (by the time he falls asleep) compared to when he was 2 and I could drop him into the cot practically already asleep at 7. Average sleep at this age is 10-13 hours so she’s well within that. As others have said, if it’s not taking up your whole evening sitting with her then leave things as they are. If you’d rather just keep her downstairs then push bedtime back a bit.

Have exactly the same. DD was 3 in April and dropped her nap last October.

If I put her to bed at 7.30pm /7.45am sometimes it's taking 45 or 50 mins for her to drop off. She's in school 2 hours per day and always has lots of physical activity, park, beach, walk etc with whoever is looking after her that day.

She will then sleep from 8.15pm ish until 7.30am sometimes later. Some nights she wakes for a drink or toilet but goes straight back. I'm wondering if either she is thinking about her day or if it's because it's so light now. We do have blackout curtains.

Like your daughter she's not fussing just taking to herself etc and falls asleep on her own. It's just started all of a sudden x