2.5 Waking earlier in morning

[Chloevalentine]

My lo just turned 2.5 and he wasn’t messing around with naps for a while. If his brother or father or someone is here it’s hard to get him down so there are days when he doesn’t nap and he clearly needs it since his afternoon gets really ugly without one. So even on days when someone is home and he’s fighting the nap I can sometimes still get him to take one even if it’s late at 2pm! My question is that he’s waking earlier in the morning even on days when he doesn’t nap he’s not tacking on sleep. He’s only getting 10 hours of sleep on those days or 11-11.5 on days when he does nap. What’s typical amount of total sleep for this age. Is there anyway for me to get him to not wake so early in am? We have white noise machine and blackout curtains but he’s still waking early. Thanks

[Haribo2012]

Are you putting him to bed early when you don’t have a nap?

[Chloevalentine]

Not really. It’s toughh because he and his older brother have their nighttime routine and he gets so upset if he misses it. So we do try our best for earlier bedtime but sometimes he does a 13 hour day with no nap and it’s awful.

[Haribo2012]

He’s prob waking early due to OT. If you can’t change BT you might have to just ride it out or get a nap on those EW days!?

[Chloevalentine]

Now with the time change it’s really all over the place. It seems like he needs 6.5 hours in morning before he will take a nap if he does even nap and he’ll typically do an 1-1.5 hour nap. Used to be two hours after only a 6 hour A time. At least there are days when he does still nap because he struggles in the afternoons when he doesn’t. He def is awake a bit later at night but I think it’s due to the time change I hope. But it usually asleep by 830/45 pm so about 5.5 hours A time.

[Chloevalentine]

We did get him to bed earlier the past two nights being that he wouldn’t nap so about a 12.5 hour day going to try for a 12 hour day moving forward. So 730 am-730pm. Is that about right for a 32 month old? This issue is we have a bedtime routine with him and his older brother who’s 5.5. So changing that routine has been tough and he’s looking for big brother. Although big brother usually only does a 12.5/13 hour day but I think 730 might be bit early for him to go to bed he’s usually asleep between 8-830. The 12 hour day is still tough for the little one it’s a long day and he doesn’t stop to rest at all he just goes and goes all day and he’s cranky without the nap. Maybe I can still hang on to every few days of a nap. Is that typical either ? Any tips on bedtime routines for two kids together that are three years apart?

[Haribo2012]

Mine are 3 yrs 9 months apart so now have just over 3 year old and very nearly 7 year old.
We do bath time together unless older one has shower bit later or is at football practise then they both come downstairs for a drink, little one goes up about 7 ish and older one goes up45 mins later. We’ve always done the split since LO dropped nap. 12 hour day very common sometimes 11.5 hour if very tired and won’t nap, but yes every say 4 days we’d get a little 20 min CN but I always prefer no nap as BT and night sleep better.

[Chloevalentine]

Thanks for sharing. I just feel bad that they are missing their book at bedtime routine together. But it probably just needs to be done separate now. When do I stop doing naptime and just let him continue to play. I can never tell which days he still needs the nap or which days he will nap.

[Chloevalentine]

Also how much sleep does your bigger one get ?

[Haribo2012]

I just let him have a snooze in the car or he will sometimes say sleep in pushchair and then wake me mummy ha ha!
You could do story together after the bath then split them?

My DS1 prob gets 10 hours these days but he’s lower sleep needs

[Chloevalentine]

The past two days around his usual naptime when I try to get him to go up to his crib he fights me then he says to me “let’s go in car for ride” and he falls asleep! THis is a kid who never slept in the car. What is it they are tired but just don’t want to go to their room to nap? Lol how long of a day does your lo do after a car nap? Mine will sleep like 45 mins.
My older one I usually wake at 730 am and we go up to bed around 8 and he’s asleep by 830.

[Haribo2012]

I think life is just to interesting to go to sleep in bed lol!

If DS2 has a cheeky snooze his day doesn’t really alter as it very few and far these days, I’d maybe only add 15 mins on to his day and just judge by his tired he seems x

[Chloevalentine]

I think for mine he really still needs it so I also don’t make the day much longer. I’m depressed this isn’t happening. I’m missing the nap already. It’s such a long hard day.

[Haribo2012]

It gets easier and we just go out and do stuff in between school runs or we chill with some TV after lunch x