How many hours do your 2 yrs olds sleep a day?

Hi ladies! Recently, my kids started waking up around 6 something. They go to bed at 8. They used to sleep from 8-8 somedays 8-9. I tried everything they still disnt go back to bed. They just decided to started the day that early. However, they still keep 2 hour nap. So basically they sleep about 12 hrs/day. Is it enough for 23 months olds? They used to sleep like 14-16 hrs/day. I really missy alone morning time, cant have it back anymore. Tia!

 

My girls sleep a ton still. Nights are from 7:30-7:30 (they'll sleep until 8:30/9 on weekends) and they still take a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoons.

We are NEVER giving up nap time. I need it more than they do.

 

I think that's pretty normal, myself. Mine go down at 8 (asleep by 8:30) and are up by 7:30 (sometimes 6:30) with a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. It's been that way for quite some time, too. We used to do 7:30 bedtime but they were taking like an hour to fall asleep so that had to be pushed back.

 

I think that's normal too, most kids will shift their sleep patterns around 2-2.5 yrs old, which is why a lot will give up naps or start cutting their naps short at that time frame.

At age 2 mine were going down around 9:30pm, getting up around 9am and napping about 45-90 mins. My boy twin liked to sleep closer to 90 mins, my girl twin always got up around 45 mins. If I could get her out of the bedroom fast enough Liam could sleep longer, if not, he was a little grouchy

At age 2.5 bedtime became a nightmare, taking upwards of an hour to get them settled down, so we cut the nap out completely, and they started sleeping 12-13 hrs at night. Now, at age 3, they sleep about 11-11.5 hrs at night, and the only time they nap is when they are not feeling well, or are exhausted, like today They played outside for almost 2 hrs this afternoon and they are both currently crashed on my couch!

 

My kids typically go to bed at 7:45pm and are up around 7am (sometimes as late as 7:30, but that's if I'm lucky). So they get around 11 hours at night. For nap, they stay in their room for 2 hours at least, but they often don't nap the whole time. Today I don't think they napped more than 30 minutes and spent most of the time singing, laughing, etc. They usually get around 12-13 hours of sleep in a day.

 

Thank you so much ladies! Im just so tired and exhausted about the whole sleeping thing. I work from home. But my job is so busy. I always work like 50hrs/week. So u can tell how crazy i would get with my schedule.

Another problem we have right now is also sleeping habit. I used to be so proud of my kids sleeping habit. But not anymore. Since we changed to toddler beds, sleeping is such a mess. They wont fall asleep if im not in the room. And if they wake up and dont see me, we will come out and find me. So basically i sleep in their room at night. What should i do to break this baddddd habit? Im so angry about it. Should i try CIO again? I let them cry once and my son puked. So i didnt try again. They get smarter now. They do try to puke so id come. I have no idea how to get back to our normal sleeping habit. Please help!!!!!

 

Do you have bedrails on the beds? So far my boys haven't figured out that they can climb out over the rails (but then again, they never actually climbed out of their cribs, which surprised me because they climb everything else!).

We haven't had to do it yet, but I always hear the best thing to do is close their door or put up a gate so they can't get out, or each time they come out, don't say anything and just walk them back to their room and put them back in bed. Your kids are pretty young, though, so I don't know if they would catch onto that quickly or not.

 

I think the supernanny approach would help. Instead of laying in there and going to sleep, either sit on the floor or take a chair in there. Put them to bed as you normally do, turn out the light, and then sit down in your spot. Don't look at them. Look straight down in front of you. When they get out of bed, calmly pick them up, put them back into bed, then sit back down. Completely emotion-less. It's not going to be easy, but if you are persistent eventually they'll figure out that you aren't going to respond to them, and they'll fall asleep. My suggestion, make sure they are good and tired but not overtired for you.

The next night, it shouldn't take quite so long for them to settle down. Eventually you won't even have to stay in there, you can move your chair to the door, and then to the hallway or somewhere outside their room. It's a gradual process, not an overnight change.

I personally do CIO and see no harm in it, but I'm not as strict as some CIO parents. I do go back in to check on my kids, usually ever 5 mins or so, then extend the time to 10 mins, 15 mins...etc. Unless their crying turns into gagging or screaming like they are scared, then I'll go back in sooner to calm them down. I don't pick them up, just hug them, kiss them, whisper or sing a little to them, then put them back to bed.

Now, as for overnight, again I wouldn't sleep in there anymore. You can do the whole putting them back to bed thing, or, as a compromise, if they wake in the night, you can have pallets made up in your room, on the floor, that they are welcome to sleep in. Some people have great success with this. I personally wouldn't do it because I'm sure in my small room I'd end up stepping on a little person when I got up to pee at night! :lol: But if you decide to do this, make the beds up while the kids are awake so they can see what you are doing, explain what they are for...etc. Then if they get up during the night, lead them to their bed in your room. You'll have to be persistent again, don't let them into bed with you, but keep taking them to their own pallet. Eventually they'll be able to go to them themselves and you may wake up one morning with them sleeping in your room and you didn't even hear them come in!

You have some options, but whatever you decide, you have to feel comfortable with, and you have to stick with it and be firm, but patient. You want to teach them how to go to sleep on their own. It's not something that's instinctual, their instinct is to be with mommy, so it's a learned habit you have to instill in them. As they get older they will start to play you, they get to be sneaky little things, so it's probably best to get them taught now before they turn into devious little monsters!

 

I agree - mine went from nearly 14 hours of sleep a day to 12.5 in the weeks after their second birthday.

We also stay in their room in the dark with no interaction when they go to bed. When we first moved to toddler beds we had to stay until they fell asleep, and then little by little week by week we cut the time we stay down, now we usually stay for just 5-10 minutes unless one of them is really wound up and disturbing their twin. When we leave we shut the gate but leave the door slightly open so they have a little light from the hall and soft sounds from downstairs. If they cry later we go up, cuddle them, put them back to bed and go back downstairs without staying there again.
We have the rule that they stay in their room until we go to sleep. Then we open their gate and they are free to join us in our bedroom. Our bedroom is tiny, so they come into our bed (one of them every night, one of them only when sick or around 6 am) but I would prefer a mattress on the floor beside our bed if I had the choice and the space (the solution danibell also mentioned). The only time I sleep in their room is if they are really sick.
We always talk about this procedure right before the bedtime routine, so they know what to expect.

GL, sleeping issues take such a toll on everyone.

 

Thank you ladies! I will have the talk with them and try the new sleeping train this weekend.

Usually if i lay down in their room with them, turn off the light, they will fall asleep in less than 15 mins. So i always do that. But they expect i stay in until morning ahhhh. It seems like since i started working from home, they became so attached to me. I cant even close the door when i go bathroom.

We had so much good time in second yr until the toddler beds moved in. It just turned into hell and i feel loke i am goin through the hardest time right now.