BabyWhispererForums.com

SLEEP => Sleeping For Toddlers => Topic started by: eogan0622 on September 01, 2017, 11:43:57 am

Title: 2.5 year old sleep help!
Post by: eogan0622 on September 01, 2017, 11:43:57 am
Hi All,

I've written countless times in the past couple years and always appreciated all the support and advice!  As is typical, my DD goes through phases of being a brilliant sleeper to needing some extra TLC for bedtime and naps.  Over the summer, we went from the 2 year sleep regression April-June (which was terrible)- but resulted in her finding a later schedule that worked for all of us all summer.  She would go down around 845pm and wake up between 745-830am.  Much later than her usual but it was great for us (I'm pregnant) and afforded us nice mornings to enjoy the weather!  I continued to cap her nap (have been for about 8 mos now) even shorter to 1 hr 15 minutes.  After a couple months of this routine, she started waking earlier and earlier, so we started moving BT earlier, and NT earlier too.  But my concern is that she isn't getting enough night sleep.  I'm really not ready to cut her nap out, and definitely don't think she is ready, as she really needs that to get through the day and will be starting a school program a couple days next week which will definitely exhaust her.  I'm thinking I might need to cut naps back to maybe 1 hr but wanted to see what everyone thought?

Right now her day looks like this:

630-645: WU (her gro clock goes off at 7, so I go in once and tell her she has to go back to sleep until her clock turns- she usually whines and stands until 7 when I go back in)

1:15-2:30: Nap (I wake her up every time!)

8:30: BT (after bath, books, potty, etc)

Does this seem like enough sleep?  Ideally I would love an 8pm BT and a 7am wake up but that's probably asking too much!  Do you think cutting that nap is the best option?

Thanks!

Title: Re: 2.5 year old sleep help!
Post by: ginger428 on September 01, 2017, 17:43:12 pm
It is a bit tricky, but YES, I do think cutting back the nap length will help in the short term. Usually, earlier mornings at this age indicates too much day sleep.  For starters, you can make nap 1:30-2:30, if you prefer the 8:30 BT. If you want an earlier BT, shave the nap and make it 1:15-2:15, BT 8:15.

Am I correct to say that she was sleeping about 11 hrs a night, with 1.15 nap? so about 12.15-12.45 total sleep?

It's common for toddlers to drop sleep need as they get older, and then to either level out or lengthen again later around Kindergarten time. She may be going down to 11-12 hrs max for her sleep needs... as she is now sleeping 10 hrs a night with 1.15 nap.

It'll be quite a balancing act between school schedule, being stimulated and tired for nap bc of school, proper and age-appropriate awake times, NT, and BT and night sleep.

8-7 was my ideal sleep schedule, too! but I could ONLY get it if DS didn't nap. But it meant he was super tired after dinner and would fall asleep at 7, which meant a 6 or earlier wake up.  If he napped for any length, his nights would be 10 hrs and less sometimes. At that age, he still needed his naps but could handle a day here and there without it.  It is another one of those messy transition phases.

Here's an article about the 1-0 if you haven't read it already. 
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=244514.0