Moms I need some advice. My 2 year old used to sleep in until 7-7:30. now he is getting up at 6:00. He is not rested he is still tired when he gets up. I put him down at 9 9:30 every night. My husband thinks its because he hears him walking around. I don't know what to do. We can't go anywhere because he is so tired by 10-11 o'clock. He will take a 3 hour nap. then he will be tired again at 9:00. Can you please give me some ideas, it is greatly needed.
M.
I found Dr. Weissbluth's book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child" helpful! It can be a little thick in areas but it has step-by-step thoughts on all aspects of children and sleep - including the earlier sleep advice you've already gotten! His big mantra is "Sleep begets sleep."
Hi M.,
After 9 is way too late for a two year old. Try a bedtime between 7-8pm the latest. He may still rise about six, but he should be better rested. His nap should be somewhere around 1 and 1/2 to three hourse between 12-3pm. Early to bed equals late to rise and Late to bed equals early to rise when it comes to kids. Good Luck.
Some kids do a lot better if they are put down earlier. I started putting my kids to bed at 7:30 and they sleep WAAAY better. Start a little earlier and every couple of days change the time so that you are putting him down by 8 every evening eventually. I think 9pm might be a bit too late for him and he's just getting overtired... sounds just the way my kids behave when they get overtired :)
god luck and hope this helps
Aarti.
I have to agree with everyone else. Try putting him down around 7:30 or 8:00pm. I've been putting our 3 year old down to bed not later than 7:30 since she was about a year and 1/2. She sleeps from 7:30 till 7 or 8 in the morning.
Try and earlier bedtime routine.
Good luck,
A.
I am in agreement with everyone else ~ put him to bed earlier and he will sleep later. When my daughter goes to bed later she is always up earlier. Last night we put her to bed at 7:00 and she woke up at 8:00, but if she goes to bed at 9:00-9:30 she is always up at 6:00-6:30. I know it sounds crazy, but it really does work out that way.
I agree with the other poster. Just b/c you put a kid down later doesn't mean they will sleep in. Put him down earlier and try to have his nap around noon. You might need a couple days to make this adjustment slowly. Good luck!
It's sounds crazy but try moving his bedtime earlier. Do it gradually.
M.,
Our 2.5 year old was having some crabby issues in the morning and was crying when I dropped him at daycare. Finally, we changed bedtime from 8:30 to 8:00 and it worked. We now start the bedtime routine (teeth, reading, bed) at 7:30 and it works really well (most of the time). He wakes up on his own at about 7:00 and will play in his room for a little bit.
The other night, he stayed awake in his bed until almost 9 and still woke up at 7, but was a CRAB! Difficult, moaning, argh. I think an earlier bed time would be a good idea for you.
As for the nap, our son naps from 12:15 - 2:15 everyday. I noticed it's getting to be a little less this week (by 20 minutes or so).
Hope that helps.
I agree with the others, my kids sleep way longer in the morning if I put them to bed earlier at night. My 3 and 5 y/o's go to bed by 8, earlier if they're grumpy and my almost two y/o twins are usually in bed no later than 6:30. They all sleep till 7-8 and the twins and the 3y/o nap at noonish. It's great cause they sleep better going to bed earlier and it gives me more time at night to be with my husband.
