Coping with less sleep

[poppet31]

First please don't think I am bragging - I know how lucky we are that we have a great sleeper! My 3 year old goes down at 6:30pm. Always asleep before 7pm and then usually awake between 7:30am and 8. So he averages about 13 hours of sleep a night (no daytime naps.)

He seems to really need this much sleep but I am going back to work soon after a year's adoption leave and he will be doing some full days at nursery. He will therefore have to get up a bit earlier and probably down a bit later and I'm not sure how he will adapt. Do children just naturally need less sleep as they get older? He will only be at nursery 3 days and we'll need to leave before 8 on those days so I suppose he can have a lie in on the other days if he needs to. I'm just worried he's going to be shattered and grumpy all the time!

He'll probably sleep at nursery, so he'll make it up that way.

Sorry to say this, but children usually need more sleep when starting nursery, not less. The same can be said for starting school, you suddenly find DC needs an extra hour or so sleep. It's all the extra stimulation they are getting.

So I would suggest asking nursery to try getting him to have a lunchtime nap. Or at least an hours "quiet time" where he lies down quietly even if he doesnt sleep.

That might playing it by ear a bit at bedtime, so having a more flexible bedtime window (say 6.30-8.00pm) rather than a set bedtime, depending on his nap that day.