Good nap and bedtime for 21mo?

[SarahDay1990]

Hi there I’m struggling with my LOs routine at the moment. What time would you have her asked for her first nap if she wakes at 6am? Would you then cap this nap and then what time would she be asleep for bed? I’m not sure if at the moment she’s overtired or undertired but she’s waking at 6am but then very tired and grumpy until she goes down for her nap. I used to try and push her to 1pm but I now put her down around 12ish. I let her have 2 hours and then start bath and bed routine at 6.30. Some nights she’s asleep by 7.15 others it’s gone 8! She’s all over the place!

Well mine is 19 months but he gets up at 6, naps 12-2 and is in bed for 7ish.
My 2 older ones had the same routine too although they got up closer to 7.

Could you let her have a longer nap? It seems counter productive, but 6am is very very early. It probably would not mean she would go to bed any later really.

I've got a 21 month old - our schedule is as follows:

Up between 6 and 7 am
Nap 12.50 (between 2 and 3 hours) although sometimes she will fight this and takes a little while to drift off. I let her sleep until 4.30pm if needs be, but I realise this would be too late for many children.
Bedtime - down between 7/7.15 and asleep no later than 8pm.

From what I've seen, your LO has a fairly good routine. Out of all my friends, my LO is one of the best sleepers as many of them are still up throughout the night.

I think it is recommended that they get between 11-14 hours sleep which your LO is.

I do wonder about a longer nap but I’m worried that too much day time sleep might make the mornings even earlier....she’s not happy waking at 6 so she’s not a naturally early riser. I just don’t know what to do! Just makes the days tricky with a moany toddler!!!

Used to wake c 6am/ nap was after lunch (lunch c 11.30) and then a 2/3 hr nap - bed at 7

Wow 6am. We had that for a week and it nearly broke me. We have a late bedtime anyway so we moved first nap later and it helped.

Up at 7.30/8am (he's still asleep right now!)
Nap 11.30ish for about 1hr30
Start bedtime at the first sign of grumpiness between 7.30 and 8pm - he usually does make it to 8 and is asleep by 8.30.

Any sleep later than 3pm and he's a nightmare at bedtime!

The early waking is likely due to overtiredness though. The better mine naps, the later he wakes the following morning. A 20 min nap the other day resulted in a 4.30am start the following day!

A 6am wake up isn't far too early for a toddler!

@turnthebiglightoff

A 6am wake up isn't far too early for a toddler!

It really is. It is the middle of the night really.

My 20mo wakes up at 6 every day!

She sometimes does not have a nap either

Middle of the night? It’s a time that a large number of adults get up to commute to work.

@Sheenais

I'm assuming you have discussed this with a large variety of people, because 6am is perfectly normal.

OP DS is 22 months and wakes up around 7am, naps 12-2 and goes down for bed at 7.

So I'm assuming an 11-1 nap might work well for you, with a 6:30ish bedtime

DS is 22 months and at home we do wake up 7ish, nap 11.30-2pm (we wake him up at 2 or he’d sleep for ages and not go down at night), bath about 6.15 and in bed by 6.45. Usually asleep by 7 or 7.30 ish. But he’s always been a sleeper! (When not teething, which he has been solidly for about 6 months.)

6am is normal 7am is a godsend, anything with a 5 infront I’m crying - 8am has never ever happened.
I know people that put their toddlers to bed at 10 so they sleep until 9....not worth it to me!

Thanks everyone! I’d say 6am is early for us as she’s miserable! She’s not really an early riser by nature so I think I need to adjust her routine. But I just don’t know whether to cut the nap or even make it longer?! I’m happy with a later bedtime if it meant a later rise and a happier toddler!

Also remember OP if in the U.K. the heat and sunlight will affect the wake ups and routine, like us adults kids will struggle to sleep in the heat so everything may be a bit all over the place this week. If you notice your child is particularly tired and grumpy pre lunch put them down for an hr nap- and then another in the afternoon- I would just say wake from the nap no later than 3.30pm.

Is the room too bright ?

We have blackout blinds so it’s like a cave in there! This morning she woke at 6am after only sleeping an hour at nursery yesterday so she’s been shattered today...I put her down at 12.30 and think I’ll let her sleep as long as she wants (but get her up before 3) as she’s been such a misery today through tiredness! Although she might now be overtired and not nap! It’s never easy is it?!

@Sheenais you are joking, right?

OP I sympathise as my nearly 2 year old is exactly the same. I've tried shorter naps, longer naps, earlier naps, later naps, earlier bedtime, later bedtime. Nada. He is awake by 6. The benefit is that he is happy in his cot til nearly 7.

I think its just how some of them are made. The horror by some PPs at 6am start is a bit silly. Perfectly normal albeit very frustrating!!

Yes I wouldn’t mind the 6am start as I’m awake then anyway - but she’s so miserable because she’s so tired!

We are exactly the same. If we drive anywhere in the morning he will have a snooze and wake up happier but we have really struggled to get to naptime sometimes.

How is it going @SarahDay1990? DS went to bed at 7 but hasnt settled yet and I'm in with him. I know this will mean he will wake early tomorrow and then the whole thing starts again.

I really need a break.

@OhToBeASeahorse it’s hard isn’t it. I let her nap 12.30-3 but then did wake her - she wasn’t happy about that! So I pushed back her night routine a bit so she had a bath at 7 rather than 6.30 and was asleep just before 8. But I went in to check on her as her room is so so hot and she had done a poo so just had to change her! Doh!

Oh that's annoying! DS is still awake. Unbelievably late for him. Everything I've read says awake between 2.30 and 3 for a 7pm bedtime but DS just doesnt seem ready for that!

17 month old - wakes at 7(ish), nap time is 12.15 or after lunch for 2-2.5 hours. Bed time is 7pm. If she wakes before 7 she can be grouchy in the morning and may go down for her nap earlier and have a later lunch.