2.5 year old staying awake till 8-8.30 most nights....

[ceebeegeebies]

He asks to go to bed at 7.15 most nights, seems to be sleepy but then is still awake when DS1 goes to bed at 8, still awake after DS1 has gone to sleep and it is usually about 8.30 when he drops off.

He just lies in bed for that time - doesn't really make much noise, doesn't get up and out of the bedroom....just lies there listening to Thomas audio stories and staring up. I offer him books to look at but he will not have them in bed with him - just wants to lie there quietly.

Not sure if I should be concerned - he still has a nap most days after lunch (if he doesn't he falls asleep at 4ish and then that just compounds the problem). It is great that he is happy to lie in bed for all that time (particularly as DS1 would never stay in his bedroom and would stand at the stair gate shouting etc etc).

Sounds like he probably just needs a bit of quiet time before falling asleep. My DD is 2.5 and pretty much the same (although I wish she would ask to go to bed at 715!). She's pretty full on all day, but seems to need a bit of time to herself to unwind before falling asleep.

It hadn't occured to me to be concerned tbh. I am pretty sure that at this age if there was a problem i'd be hearing about it vociferously!

I appreciate that he might just need some quiet time (particularly from DS1 ) but an hour (plus) seems a long time to just be lying there doing nothing...or maybe I am stressing over nothing

Mine also falls asleep around that time but is still chatty, wants stories etc, so I envy you! If he's asking to go to bed and settles himself, it sounds like it is working for him, so I wouldn't worry.

Don't worry about it! If he's being quiet then that's fantastic

My friend's DS does this for around 2 hours, my DS is more like your DS1 and if he can't sleep has to be noisy about it.

Hey ceebee :)

DD definitely doesn't want to settle down quickly if she's had a decent nap in the afternoon. Unlike your DS tho she often gets out of bed, although will play relatively quietly with jigsaws/books. She and DS share a room and he will often doze off while she is still pottering around. We now only go upstairs after putting them to bed if there is major shouting - I'd say if DS2 is happy to be quiet on his own then don't worry about it...

Hey Rhinestone

My 2 share a bedroom too and DS1 goes to bed a good 45 minutes after DS2 but DS2 will still be awake long after DS1 is asleep

Maybe it is because I couldn't lie there for an hour without doing something that I find it difficult to appreciate that he can.

Had to look at this because my ds2 (2.6) is awake for about 1.5-2 hours every night lately, it's driving us crackers! Wish he lay quietly like yours though, he started off laying there singing for an hour or so a few weeks ago, and it's now developed into playing/shouting and my personal favourite-wallpaper stripping He always has a nap after lunch, and could sleep for hours if we let him, I did wonder if all this playing and staying awake for so long meant he'd be better off not napping, so I tried that, but then he's overtired and worse. Sorry, I know none of this helps you. But I hope you get some useful advise, and I can borrow it

DD aged 2.3 sings Santa claus is coming to town for a good hour before sleep whilst in bed. As long as she doesn't need huge amounts on input I'm happy with her spending the time to work herself over.