3yo just won’t go to sleep!

[Imapudding]

My DD, 3 next week, has never been very good at going to bed.

She’s not up all hours but she thinks her bed time is 9pm and that’s what time she goes to sleep, no matter what! You can be outside playing all day long and she just does not ever have an early night. She’s not really naughty she just prats around in her bed, wants to go for a wee, wants a teddy, etc etc etc and take forever to go to sleep.

We get up between 6.30 and 7.30 and I normally have to wake her.

She still has 1/2 hour nap which she really seems to need. But I’m not sure if this is the problem?

Can anyone give me some advice?

Just to add she normally sleeps through or if not just gets up for a quick wee and straight back to sleep.

Drop the nap! It may take her a week or two to properly adjust, but then she will very likely start to go to sleep earlier. I don't think the long light evenings help much either, my 3 year old takes some convincing that it's actually bedtime when the sun is still shining.

My Dil stopped the baby's naps about six months ago. The baby's 2 now. I think it helps, and certainly if she does sneak a nap (maybe in the car), it's harder getting her to sleep at night. Try it. It's can't hurt and it might work.

I've got one of these. It improved a bit when she started school but she's 7 now and it's often 9.30 before she goes to sleep, no matter what what she's been doing or when she goes to bed. And yes, she is tired in the morning.
Let me know the answer when you find it.

I did try a month or 2 ago and she just seemed to get more and more tired but still not go to bed until late. She tends to get really tired about 5/6 (with no nap), but the gets her second wind! She fell asleep on the way home from nursery one day 5.30/6) so I put her to bed but she woke at 11 for 4 hours!!! So I am a bit fearful but think I just need to stick at it?

Mine go to bed quicker because we stayed with them until they were quite a bit older. Now we don’t need to but all the messing about was for attention.

Sitting with them to get them to sleep made it much easier and quicker all around.

It’s defo not that I’ve always stayed with her. No CC etc. Now she’s older I leave her to look at her books / teddies so I can get my jobs done but always come back when she’s ready to sleep. She was driving me mad sat with her the whole time so I find things stay a bit more peaceful if I leave her too it for a bit!

If my DS (3 next week) naps at all (2 hours or 5 min) then he’s up late. No nap and he’s out like a light at 6.30/7pm.

I’d drop the nap and see if that helps! Move bedtime earlier to make up for it

My DD is exactly the same except she doesn't nap. Its a total pain in the bum.

How long has it been going on?

Drop the nap

Would it help to not respond to the requests for things maybe. I have a three and a four year old and once I’ve left the room, unless it’s an emergency, I’m not returning. They can chat and look at a book, but have to stay in bed. And def drop that nap.

She’s always been the same. I think there was a brief period where she went to bed at 7 when she was about 6 months old.

Sometimes I manage to pull it back to more like 8 instead of 9 but we’ve just been away so particularly bad at the moment. 1 was quite pleased with 8.39 tonight!

I’m sure it would help to ignore requests. I’m a bit of a soft touch. Must try harder!!! It’s her birthday party at the weekend and I don’t want her to be a tired mardy arse so I’ll leave it til next week then drop the nap! I think it will be tough but hopefully if we stick at it things will improve.