Toddler Not Sleeping Enough

this is good info about sleep:
http://www.familysleep.com/15-months-to-3-and-a-half-year...

try EARLIER to put child to bed, not later...

When I asked the doctor about my son who only slept from 1:00am to 6:00am and only one thirty minute nap what was wrong he told me some kids just don't need as much sleep. He did start sleeping more after age 4 but even now he does not sleep much and he is 18.

W. T.

Try putting her down earlier, like 7 or 7:30 - seriously, "sleep begets sleep" and it is my experience that this is absolutely true, although it doesn't seem logical. I have two great sleepers (4 and 2.5 years old) and they have always been great sleepers - well, not always......what made them good sleepers was the "Sleep Lady Shuffle" which is a technique from the book "Good Night, Sleep Tight" by Kim West. I recommend this book to anyone who asks abotu sleep issues. I'm not a believer in the harsh cry-it-out methods, but I do realize it will have to occur but Kim West's technique has you in the room with them the whole so if they cry it's not hard so hard to handle. I didn't follow it to a "t", I modified it to my comfort level and abilities and it worked; it took just a couple of weeks of patience. The goog thing about the book is that you don't have to read the whole book to use it - just the first chapter, then whichever chapter is appropriate to you at the time. We've had different issues here and there and I've gone to the book for help with other issues involved and it's been a great help. Good luck, I hope this helps you.

Try moving her bedtime up to 7:30. Sounds counter-intuitive, I know. But try it.

These ladies are giving great advice!

They're right. If you put her to bed an hour or so earlier, generally she'll sleep longer. Also, a firm bedtime routine helps.

And it's right that they're just guidelines. Is your daughter tired? Does she seem to need more sleep? I'm sure YOU need more sleep (I certainly would after waking up at 5:30), so try to put her to bed earlier. If it doesn't work, don't worry. If she's happy and healthy, forget the guidelines.

Don't change her bedtime or eliminate her nap. It is probably just phase. I think putting her to bed later could actually backfire, as often when toddlers are overtired, they do not sleep as well. My son went through a phase of waking up before the sun, just after he turned two. I kept his bedtime consistent (8 p.m.) and after about four months he was sleeping until 7:00 again. It is not uncommon for toddlers to go through sleeping phases, eating phases, you-name-it phases. Lol.

Is your Toddler taking naps in the day time ,may be you should cut those .If not than get her really tired before bed that works with my daughter.

i would leave things the way they are. it's tough especially if you work, but she will eventually start to sleep later. my son was waking up at 4am every morning. i tried laying him down at 10pm and he still woke up at 4am. he's almost 3 (at the end of july) and now he has gradually started sleeping until around 7am most mornings. sometimes earlier and sometimes later. feel lucky until i went to the hospital to have my son, my daughter was still waking me every 30-45 mins every night and was only napping for abt an hour. fat, pregnant, and tired with another baby to watch, could it get any better? :)but now she goes to bed btwn 8-8:30p and sleeps until 7:30 or later when she's not in school. so things DO get better.

OH have i been there. Try the bed time a bit earlier and check the windows. If its too bright that will make her wake up too.

If none of that works, wecolme to my world. We get up early adn then she nap long later on. If i napped with her it could be a 2-4 nap. Always right when i was needing to go out. Luckily her sleeping patterns changed, eventually.

C.,

These things that we parents read are just "guidelines." They are not absolutes and every child is different, requiring more or less food, more or less naps, more or less playtime, etc. Don't compare your child to the "national average." You are LUCKY that your child sleep 9 hours straight. That is awesome. Some children need or want a nap during the day, others do not. Do not force it if your baby is not tired. Can you sleep if you are not tired yourself? Probably not so the same applies to your child. I don't advise forcing a child to cry themselves to sleep. It's unfair to your baby and it's only going to make you feel bad.

Every person has their own sleep needs, the guidelines are an average. If you want your daughter to sleep later in the morning then you will have to put her down later at night. Some may tell you to skip the nap, but at this age that isn't good for her or you, when she is old enough to skip naps, she will stop taking them.

I had one child who needed 12 hours a day but could manage with ten (even now) and one child who never slept more than seven hours a night, and often less, all her life until adulthood, with two children in between.

It sounds to me like she's sleeping enough. In order to get her to sleep longer at night, make sure she's been well fed and relaxed (bathtime, reading books, no TV, etc.) Also, make sure she gets enough exercise during the day to wear her out at night. I've been taking my 2 yr old to the park later in the evening when it's not so hot and when we get home, he's ready for bed after a bath and some quiet time. Maybe she wakes up early because her diaper gets uncomfortable? If you are still concerned, call your pediatrician for advice. I hope this helps.

I know it's gonna sound strange but if you put her to bed earlier she will sleep later. You should put her to bed by 7.30 and chances are she will sleep until 6.30. A few of my friends and I all followed "3 day sleep solution" and it worked for ALL of us. It is a simple way to get your child to sleep longer or fall asleep on her own. (you can look it up online). But the idea is by putting them to bed earlier the will sleep until the same time or usually later. I know it is hard for those who work to put their children down by 7 or 7.30 but they do need the sleep and if they get it, the awake time is better because they are happy and rested. Once you have her sleeping 11 hours you can slowly increase bedtime by 5 minutes later and hopefully she can sleep 5 min later in the morning. But first you need to stick to a strict 7-7.30 bed tine for a while. Try it for 3 days and see what happens. Good luck!!

Everyone has their own clock; but society tells us to work from 9 to 5, eat at 7 and go to bed by 10
And what happens? Some of us go stir crazy because we are naturally nocturnal, or require less or more sleep than the "average person"
Let you baby grow into a healthy schedule that suits you as well, becuase you need your rest, "alone time", get your chores done, take a shower, etc...all those things we did on our own schedule before children came along to change our world....god willing, for the better!!!
Although I found nap time for the kids meant time for me to get things done, it's really the time to get a rest, too. When they woke up, I was exhausted and they were ready to go!!!

my 19 month old is the same compared to his 8 yr old brother who slept through the night at 8 weeks.

My 19 month old takes 2 naps during the day, usually about an hour and a half to two hours. If by chance, he misses a nap, he doesn't even sleep extra at night! It doesn't make sense sometimes!! Haha!
If he goes to bed before 9:30, he's up at 6. That doesn't work well for us so we usually put him to bed around 10 so that he sleeps until 7/7:30. We've tried several things all through his 19 months and he still does not need more than 8-9 hours.
Before I had him, I would have told everyone that asked, that they could make it work out for them but this one has proved me wrong...again and again!
We both work full time but he is very "on demand" and it's manageable.

Each child is different. She's actually getting the full 11 hours if you count the nap. Some children will never sleep late. I have one of those that is up with the sun most days. I try to make his room more conducive to sleep so that he will sleep a little later and it does help. I got dark curtains to keep the room dark when the sun comes up. I have a sound machine to help drown out the other noise like neighbors leaving for work or people out for their morning run with their dogs. The garbage man still wakes him up everytime though. But the sound machine helps. I also keep it cool so the warmth of the bed will be more alluring to stay in. As far as what time you put her to bed... well that's up to your schedule and preferences. If you have someplace to go in the mornings, and you need to get up early to get ready, keep her at the same time. Mine usually go to bed around 9, but I'm a stay home mom so I don't have to get them up early to go to daycare or anything. Once they're ready to start school, the bedtime will be moved closer to 8 so they get enough rest.
She sounds like she's on a pretty normal schedule to me. I wouldn't worry at all.

C., with what she's sleeping at night at her nap time she's getting enough sleep. However, try putting her to bed a little earlier. Try doing it in fifteen minutes increments. I've learned that the earlier they go to bed the more that they will sleep. I put my 20 month old down by 7:30 and she'll sleep a good 11 to 12 hours at night along with taking a 1 1/2 to 2 hour nap during the day. At this age sleep is critical to their growth and development, but if she doesn't take to going to bed earlier it's ok. If all else fails bring her to bed with you when she wakes up until you're ready to get up... Good luck to you!