Sleep....what time do you put your 2 year old down for nap and bedtime?

Kelly - posted on 07/22/2012

I have twin boys, they will be 3 in Oct... They wake up at 10am, nap between 3 and 4pm usually sleep till about 6pm (they don't nap everyday) and go to bed at 10pm

Kimi - posted on 05/20/2012

Shorten her nap time. If it is this much of a hassle at bedtime, it may mean she is getting to much sleep during her nap. Nap time is just time for rest. Unfortunately for me my youngest had to stop taking naps when she was 2 because we had the same problem. I am not saying cut out your daughters nap completely just shorten it by an hour and see if that helps.

Krista - posted on 05/17/2012

my daughter is 2 1/2. she wakes up around 830-9 am she doesnt have naps anymore. and she goes to bed around 8, but she loves to put herself to bed. she just comes up to me and says mommy its bed time can you read me a book. and then we take a bath and go to bed. she loves watching tv while going to bed. but ive never had a problem with her going to bed. shes always loved sleeping!

Tricia - posted on 05/12/2012

My twin daughters go for nap from 12:30 till 2:30. They often fight it, but I am firm on the time and duration.I put them in their room by 11:45, let them have "quiet play/book/cartoon time for 45 min then "lights out".
Bedtime is 8:20pm. they wake up between 6:30-7:00am.

Tracy - posted on 04/12/2012

My girls are 2.5 years.

wake time 7:30 or 8:00

nap 1:30 or 2:00 until 4:00 or 4:30 (sometimes even 5:00!!)

bed 8:00 or 8:30, asleep by 9:00



Like you bed time seems more challenging than nap time for me. I have twins and put them to bed solo just over half of the time. When it is just me, I can just close the door and leave without crying, whining, or having someone spring out of bed (they have big girl beds) a little over half of the time. A couple days a week at least one will make excuses to drag bedtime out: potty, drinks, band aids, songs, books, back rub and the list goes on. Interestingly, the daughter I put down first (we mx it up) rarely fusses. It's like she knows I need to attend to her sister and will not drop everything and run back to her room. When my husband is home I sometimes find there are more excuses and "special requests" at bedtime. However, my girls have never shared a bed with me past 4 months old. That was one thing I always insisted on.



Of course, there are times when one of them does not sleep until 9:30 or 10:00 but that is not the norm. When that happens I sometimes have to sooth them back to sleep. Both like back rubs. One likes bedtime songs, the other will ask to be rocked. I don't mind doing this once in a while but if it happens more than once in a one or two week period I get tougher at bedtime. I consciously choose not to let them play games at bedtime. Things are good for a while then the excuses start again and repeat the pattern until I get tougher at bedtime. I am convinced my girls know exactly how much the can get away with at this age.

Irene - posted on 03/26/2012

My daughter sleeps in her bed(never had a toddler bed,a twin bed) She sometimes takes naps but mostly no naps. I put her to bed the same time i send my ten year old to bed which is 9:30. She will wake up between 8-10am. Sometimes i will wake up with her on my foot end of my bed. My husband thinks it is cute. She only does it once in a while. I think she sleeps in her own bed and room because she has always slept in her own bed since she was born.

Vicki - posted on 03/07/2012

My daughter very often refuses to nap during the day, but will now and again catch an hour at about 12.30 ish. She then has her bath at about 5.45 pm, followed by story time and a drink of milk and is generally laid in her cot ready to sleep at about 6.45 pm. If she hasn't slept during the day she goes to sleep almost instantly, if she has it takes her about 30-45 minutes. She likes to have her back rubbed before she drops off - they do this at nursery to encourage the children to sleep.

Tricia - posted on 01/24/2012

Anna is no problem putting down for nap about 1 then bed between 8 830 as long as she doesn't think she is missing out on anything, she does occassionally wake up about 9 and then I have to bring her down to settle down again. I've noticed story time with no tv 30 min prior to pillow time helps.

Michelle - posted on 12/29/2011

my daughter is 2 1/2 and she gets up anytime between 6:30-8:30 am depending on if she hears her 10 year old brother getting ready for school. Goes to her room around 1PM and may or may not nap depending on her mood but she has her barbie house in her room so will play with that until about 3. Then goes to bed anytime between 8-9 depending on if she has napped. She is in a normal twin side bed with a bedrail as she has fallen out of bed. She didn't like the toddler bed she wanted to big like her brother. She goes to sleep on her own, we have a crib toy still attached to her bed that projects pictures on her ceiling and plays music which she knows how to use and she self soothes with that.

Annemarie - posted on 12/29/2011

Tori wakes up between 7 and 8 am, nap/quiet time is from just after lunch until about 3pm (so about 2.5 hours) and bed time is anytime between 7:30 and 9. She is still in a crib though. We have tried converting it to a toddler bed and she has SCREAMED every time. Our Dr has said that as long as she is happy and not climbing out, leave her in the crib. On the days that she actually doesn't sleep she at least has the quiet time that she plays and at least has "down time".
I suggest making sure that his room is a "safe zone" and put a gate across the door. That way even if he wakes in the middle of the night, he is safe and will learn to self soothe and put himself back to sleep.

Stephanie - posted on 12/24/2011

my daughter has no naps during the day, goes to bed on average about half 6 but can be as early as half 5, or as late as half 7. quite often she will tell me when she is ready for bed. i put her in her toddler bed, read a story, leave her with the book and within 5 minutes she is asleep.

some nights she wakes and gets in my bed, but i just pick her up and put her back in her bed, and she doesnt even stir (so i think she is sleepwalking) then she wakes properly between 6 and 7.

if your having trouble getting your daughter to bed early try making her nap shorter

Lise - posted on 12/01/2011

And, dd goes to bed in her bed (this is new - she's been bedsharing), but comes to our bed when she wakes at night.

Lise - posted on 12/01/2011

Waking - 7-830
nap - 12/1-3/330
bedtime - usually 9-1030

Sharon - posted on 11/26/2011

Our little guy turned 2, 3 wks ago and he goes to bed between 630-7pm, and wakes at 5am on the dot. It doesn't matter what time he goes to bed, he's still up at 5 (sun rising just after 4am doesn't help).
He has daycare 3days a week and naps about 1145-115/130pm (1.5 - 1.75hrs). The other days at home he usually sleeps between 2.5-3hrs, we put him down at 11am.
As for putting him to bed, we probably don't do it the best way, but it suits us well. Hubby or I will read him a book, we then sit next to his bed until he nods off. (we used to be able to just put him in there but it changed after his baby brother arrived). He'll wake anywhere between 11-4am (mostly 3-4am) and crawl into our bed, which we are ok with.

Hayley - posted on 11/24/2011

hi my son has just turned two i put him down for his nap between 12 half 12 he will sleep till about 3 if i let him but i have started to wake him up he then goes to bed at half 7 he will play with his toys a bit and then drop of normally about 8 he is also in a toddler bed and i have a gate on his door so i can hear him at all times sounds to me like your daughter knows if she crys long enough then mummy is gonna give in my son did do it for about a week i used to just go in and put him back to bed it was hell but totally worth it in the long run he is a brilliant sleeper hope this helps x