Toddler bedtime wind down

[Lavender14]

So ds is coming 2.5 and is normally a good sleeper. He goes to bed at around 7.30 and sleeps straight through 99% of the time until about 8am. We've had the same bedtime routine for a long time and it's always worked until fairly recently. Normally he is sleeping within about 20 minutes, however since the clocks changed bedtime is taking at least an hour every night. I don't know if it's just a phase he's in or if it's linked to the brighter nights but I'm a lone parent, the only time i get to do housework or have a couple of hours to myself is when he's in bed so the dragged out bedtimes are driving me crazy. I end up getting really frustrated and I hate that!

Normal routine is: we make and eat dinner together, a little time to play together, then a bath, quick massage with his lotion, teeth, into jammies and then he has a story and a cuddle and then into his cot and I sing him a lullaby or whisper him a story. I don't let him have any screen time when he comes home from nursery although I know they use some screens there and I generally try to save screens for when I absolutely need them.

Anything else I could be doing/adjusting or do I just need to stick it out. I had thought about getting blackout curtains or a black out buddy for over the window in his room but we're staying with family while we save for a house and they don't want anything different put up in the room. There is a slight gap at the bottom of his curtains so the room hasn't been just as dark since the clocks changed.

I'd definitely address the light in the room first. If that makes no difference after a week I'd get him up earlier. If he's up at 7am you should be able to get him to sleep earlier in the evenings.

Does he still nap?
we had to drop my 2.5 year olds naps as bedtime was dragging on forever!

Is he still waking at 8? If he is, how woukd you feel about bringing it toward to 7 so he’s more ready to go down earlier in the evening? You could try waking him at 7.50 for 2 or 3 days, then 7.40 for a few days and keep bringing wake up time forward by 10 minute increments until you reach 7am.

I got a black out blind that attaches to the window with suction pads. Been attaching it to the window each night and closing the blind for bedtime since the clocks changed. The room is now quite dark for bedtime and early morning.

We have a 2 year old and are going through exactly the same thing!
I don't think it's the light for us - I think it might be the start of wanting to drop the nap, and generally just being more chatty and active and wanting to delay bedtime.
What used to take 20mins, now takes up to an hour!

He dropped his nap back in August last year so he no longer sleeps during the day at all. I wake him up at 8 if I let him lie on he'd wake up by himself at around 9.30. I know he's tired by the time we get to bedtime, it feels like it's a case of him not wanting to miss anything so he'll try and talk or ask for water or mess about just trying to keep himself going even though I can see he's getting cranky and we're veering towards him getting over stimulated. Even though he won't nap during the day, sometimes hes so tired coming out of nursery his eyes are rolling and he's fighting to stay awake in the car. I cant get him any earlier due to work though. He also gets very rough before bed, hitting and nipping while I'm trying to get him ready which he only does when he's overstimulated/over tired but I'm not sure how else to help him wind down. We do breathing exercises before bed as well and he's good at doing them but it's just not enough.

Gosh that’s amazing. My kids went Fuen about 7.30, but son was up at 6 and DD 7ish. Maybe your kid just needs less sleep now. If you’d rather keep 7.30 bedtime get him up earlier.

I don't mind doing this - the earlier start wouldn't bother me. It's just that I worry since he's dropped his nap so young that he might not get enough sleep since its so important for development. I've also tried an 8.30 bedtime and even a 9.30 bedtime while we've been on hols and it was the same deal trying to wind him down. And we're really active he's on the go non stop every day pretty much all day with lots of outside time. Sometimes I feel like he's quite tired during the day and could actually use a nap. Like the other day we were driving for an hour and he was yawning and nuzzling his face into the side of the car seat pretty much from we set off but just refused to let himself sleep. He kept chatting etc to keep himself going and then was crying with tiredness on the hours drive home but again didn't sleep and then at bedtime he still took an hour to go down at which point I was struggling to keep my own eyes open.

If your having to wake him your putting him to bed to late..our 3 3 year olds all go around 6-6:30 and sleep thru till 7:30-8 similar routine to yourself no screen time, tea 5-5:15,bath every other night unless they are exceptionally mucky lol,play time,then story in there beds and lights off by 6:30...the only time they were a little unsettled was for 2 mornings waking at 6am when the sun started early so we purchased a blackout blind for both rooms and the problem was solved on the third night

Tommee tippee do a blackout blind that just suctions to the window glass. When you remove it, all the window needs is a clean with some windowlene and it doesn't leave any marks. Would your relatives be up for that? I couldn't be without it at this time of year and into the summer!

Putting him to bed earlier unfortunately isn't really an option as we only get home at 6 by the time I've done the nursery pick up and then need to sort a quick dinner etc. Plus ds always looks for some time with me after nursery or he gets very clingy so 7ish is the earliest we can practically do.

I'll try the tommee tippee cover to see if it helps!