Typical 2 year old naps

[Gecko2014]

Hi all,

I'm sure you get this question a lot but I couldn't quickly find a thread about it. My DS has just turned 2 and has also been a low sleep needs baby. He typically sleeps 10 hours at night (rarely more) and 90 minutes during the day. If he sleeps too long or too late in the afternoon we often see NWs (for singing and general chit chat). Because these can go for hours, we tend to cap the nap around 2pm or after 2 hours if he went to sleep unusually early (which happens more commonly at child care) or woke up super early. A typically day at home looks like this:

WU: 6am
E: 630 (after laying in bed with us for a bit)
S: 1230-200

BT: 700-730

On the odd day that we are out and about at nap time, he will take only 30 minutes and seems to cope with this. We do a slightly earlier bedtime but I'm not sure it would matter if we didn't. What we are seeing is a bit more resistance at BT these days. Its not every night and it's not only on the days where the nap was long or late. But when he doesn't go to sleep quickly and easily on his own my DH or I need to be sitting with him until 8 or 9, even though he went into bed at the normal time.

So my questions are these:

- What is a typical nap time and nap length for a 24 month old?

- Should I keep everything consistent and let my LO gradually short his own nap or I should I be manipulating it some more to preserve his BT and night time sleep?

Thank you

[anna*]

My little one was always high sleep needs as a baby, but around 26 months it started to take a ridiculous amount of time for her to fall asleep at night, even with a nap capped at 30 minutes. So she dropped her nap at 26 months.

[Gecko2014]

Far out! Thats a scary thought... but its a price I would pay for easy evenings and solid, predictable nights!

[-Maya-]

My ds tends to have shorter nights and longer naps. Now at almost 25 mo he sleeps 10 to 10.5  at night and 1.5 or 2h for naps. He always loved his naps and he solidly moved 2-1 at 20 or 21 mo. Now he takes 30 to 45 min to fall asleep, but not sure if he just wants cuddle before falling asleep or if he is ut.

Hth!

 

[creations]

Mine had a lovely settled routine of 2 hr nap and 10.5 hr night for a good time until 25 months when his nights became shorter and he entered the 1-0 nap drop phase.  For us that took several months, he really couldn't don without his 2hr nap, capping was not helpful although I did try it, throwing in a no nap day also didn't help us, really it was 6 months of winging it and riding it out until he was finally ready to drop the nap cold turkey and could cope without. At that point night sleep increased (probably not the first night it often takes time for the night to increase when they drop the nap) to 12 hours - have to say a 12 hour night is AMAZING!!

So, maybe cap the nap like Anna did (you can just reduce nap by 15 mins) or move BT later like I did.  Our BT was 8pm for a good while which I was fine with, the period during the 1-0 he began refusing BT so it took up to 9pm to get him to sleep which is why I knew we were on the road to nap dropping. He did not fully drop it until 31 months.

[Scottishmummy]

Not sure if this would be an option or not as you say he can't sleep too late in the afternoon..but my DS at 24mo had a similar Wu time but a slightly later naptime. He needed the long first A to be tired enough to nap & also to avoid waking any earlier in the morning then a shorter A time to bed. So our day was:

Wu 6-6.30
Nap: 1-3pm
BT: 7.30pm

Before age 2, we had 7pm BT but shortly after his 2nd birthday he started EW again, he couldn't cope with a shorter nap so we pushed BT 30 mins later and that worked for about 6months. Then around 30 mo he started refusing the nap at 1pm (start of 1-0) and he started it gradually later & later although still up by 3pm. 

[Gecko2014]

These are all of the options I've been considering. Just not really sure where to start. I think you are correct, creations, that days of BT refusal (when that hasn't been typical for him) suggest that 1-0 is coming. We have been on 1 nap since just after the first birthday.

We have had some nights of doing the later BT and that is okay, except that it can make it difficult for our older DS to settle when little brother is still up. This has happened most commonly when the nap has been later, like the 1-3 suggestion but this also meant late or BT refusal.

Most days, he is happy with the capped nap, so that might be the best place to start. Or keep an early nap so that it ends up being a CN and see if he keeps waking happy

[creations]

Most days, he is happy with the capped nap, so that might be the best place to start. Or keep an early nap so that it ends up being a CN and see if he keeps waking happy

Sounds like a great plan to start there