2.5 year old taking an hour to fall asleep

[Becksiv]

Hi!

So DD is 2.5. Over the last week she's happily taking her daily nap for an hour at 12.45/1pm

However, she's taking over an hour to fall asleep at bedtime, which is 7pm

She's still in a cot and will just roll around and chat to herself. Nothing has changed in her environment, blackout blind with white noise etc.

She's also waking up before 7am which is unlike her... too much sleep in a 24 hour period?

The question in dreading to have answered is, should I be thinking about dropping her nap (dies inside just at the thought of it), although she very much still needs it come nap time.

No one knows OP 🤣 I tried all the advice on sleep and none of it helps

If she’s napping in the day AND happily chatting to herself in her cot for an hr at bedtime before peacefully sleeping then you are winning, change nothing is my advice to you!

Following this for advice as my 1year old is doing this too. She has a decent nap in the day until 2pm and then her bedtime is at 7pm. We lie her down in the cot as per normal routine after milk and story and she'll seem all sleepy. Then as soon as we look at the monitor she'll be sitting and nattering away to herself/playing with her teddy until she falls asleep. We tried pushing her bedtime back but didn't help.

I think it’s totally fine as long as she’s not distressed! My DD was the same, used to burble and sing to herself … just left her to it! Kept nap time till nearly 4 as that was the routine in the nursery (started to be problematic towards the end of that time but not at 2.5 I don’t think).

Bedtime is far too early for a two and a half year old! Also much too old to be napping during the day so if they are, cut it out and that'll help.

My DD 19 months is also doing this all of a sudden! Sleeps 1.25/2 hrs in the day. Usually 1.5 hrs. Is now singing and laughing to herself at bedtime rolling about the cot, when she is blatantly tired. We have tried going in to see if this settles her more but it seems to 'reset' her as she then needs the same time to do her messing about! We just wait it out now provided that she is not unwell and hasn't done a poo/very wet nappy

ds1 is the same age. His bedtime is at eight o’clock , seven seems too early for him. He generally sleeps in after 7am, often much later. He had a phase of skipping his nap but we’re back to routine again.

also try cutting nap time short, I wake him up at three thirty after he falls asleep at one, he’ll have some days (less frequently now) where he’ll be happily playing away with his toys in his toddler bed at nap time before he falls asleep, I let him crack on with it.
He falls asleep easier on days he’s done lots of physical activity.
Oh and no screens before sleep.

How long is she napping for in the afternoon? My daughter was 2 in March and I’ve noticed she needs less nap time lately. I only let her sleep for 1.5 hours. So nap from 1-2:30 and then bed time is about 7:45-8. You likely need to shorten her nap and push her bed time later. Hope this helps!

If she's still napping try a later bedtime but I would suggest if she's happy leave her to it. Once she drops a nap bedtime will be earlier again.

Sometimes if you leave it too long they get overtired and then bedtime is harder.

It's basically all trial and error!