do some children just need a lot less sleep than others?

[GColdtimer]

All the charts say that on average a 2 year old 2 "should" be having about 11 hours at night and 1-2 hours during the day. My dd has recently started having about 9 at night (8-5) and I dont let her have any more than an hour in the day to try and make her sleep longer at night. She used to sleep 7-6 (not every night though as she has never consistently slept through the night).

To be honest, the late bedtime coupled with the early mornings makes me feel like I am havig no time to myself at all as I only have about an hour in the evening before I flop into bed. I am resenting it but I am wondering if I need to stop fighting it and just accept that this is all the sleep she needs. She isn't grumpy or difficult so I don't think she is getting overtired, in fact for a 2 year old, she is really even tempered.

I have tried putting her to bed earlier but she just screams and screams because she isn't tired enough

Right then, off to feed the ducks their early morning breakfast. At least its not raining I suppose!

I think some children DO need less sleep than others. My DS certainly does.

He is now almost 7 but has always gone to bed later than his friends. Went to sleep at 9.30 last night and will wake up any minute now.

Last week we were good at bedtime and he went at 8.30 most nights and woke easily at 6.30.

I know some of his friends are asleep by 7.30 and have to be woken at 7/7.30.

My sister always needed less sleep than others too.

She might increase when she starts school. I think what you have to do is accept it and not resent the lack of time for yourself.

some dont need as much just like adults. all 3 of mine are like me and dont sleep for ages..

one of my children has always needed 12 hours, the other (now 10) has never been a great sleeper and now needs around 7-8. He was always awake at around 5.30. And after 10 years of it, now I'm lways awkae at this time too. As you can see. GRrrrr.

eldest son is 14 he does need 8 hours lol middle son is poorly he often sleeps 15 hours youngest used to sleep 3 out of 24 but hes 7 now and only has about 8 hours on a very good night altho he will stay in bed looking at his books.

Some certainly don't need as much. My 2.3 yr old has 10-10.5 at night and none during the day.

Am with you on feeling like there's no time to myself, especially as dd is rubbish at entertaining herself.

DS1 is now 10, and some mornings can be awake as early as 4.30. He goes to bed on school nihgts between 8.30 and 9. He is usually asleep within 10 minutes.

Mine has never needed much sleep, even as a newborn baby. He's never annoying or acts/appears over-tired and he's happy to entertain himself, so we don't mind and it's never been a cause for concern. I shouldn't worry about it too much - some adults need more sleep than others and the same seems to apply to children.

We've kept to a bedtime routine, which he's used to, and he's learned just to play quietly or read if he does wake up early. Now that he's at school he's in bed by 9pm (asleep by around 9:30), and he wakes up anytime from around 6:30-7am (we wake him up at 7:15 if he's still asleep by then, to get ready for school).

This is very hard, I know. Mine don't seem to need anywhere near as much sleep as the books say

What has worked for us is not to spend time trying to get them to sleep, but to get them used to the idea that we will do stuff that is not connected with them while they are still awake. Obviously there are SOME things that they need to be in bed for you to do, but you can have a bath, read a book, etc, when she is awake. The key is a. do it slowly but firmly and get her used to it and b. don't feel guilty about it!

ds1 is 3 at the end of next week. He goes to bed between 8 (if we're very lucky) and 9, and is up between 6.45 and 7.30 usually. He dropped his daytime sleep almost a year ago , although will occasionally sleep if out and about in the buggy and very tired. I've always gawped in a mixture of and at the constant talk of 7 o'clock bedtimes on here.

DS1 nearly 11 is awake between 5.30am/6.30am. He goes to bed at 8.30 on a school night but will read or listen to ipod until 9.30, on a weekend he will go to bed around 9.30pm/10.00pm and still be awake early.

Luckily he is quiet when he wakes up so we rarely hear him.

i believe so, dd is one who needs less sleep, i wish i could have more, seeing as i read this thread title iniatally as 'do some chickens need less sleep'

Yes, some def need less. If they are full of energy and fully functioning they must!
Just wish I had dcs that needed a full 12 hours at night and begged to go to bed at 6:30....
I know of a child like this, he's a dream to babysit for!

lol littleducks, I know how you feel .

That is a good idea fillyjonk, I think that is what I am going to have to do. Actually this morning I had a long chat to my friend in Australia whilst dd played which was really nice and now the mornings are lighter it doesn't feel like the middle of the night at least. It is just so strange to start work at 9 feeling like it should be lunchtime.

See, I am on that path to acceptance already

yes fillyjonk has raised a very good point i used to quite often read my book at 4am whilst ds3 sat and watched a video or built with his duplo equally i could be found cooking dinner ready for the next day or cleaning my windows and one particularly hot night we even walked out to feed the ducks at 4am lol