Bedtime for a two year old? Post Reply

[bumpontheway]

My 3 year old sleeps 7pm-7.30am and my 10 month old sleeps from 6pm-8am (Which I know is not that common), my eldest used to do but now he is older he wakes slightly earlier.

I used to be a maternity nurse....which helped with the old sleeping routine.

[balhamite]

They get up sometime between 6am and 7am. I find my 3 year old is gradually getting later now he had dropped his lunchtime nap. As I work on some days they have to be up by 7am in order to get them to childcare.

[jo_holgate]

It depends what time you need them to be up in the morning. I'm a teacher and during term time my 2 year old needs to be up by 6:30am, so I like to get her to bed as close to 7pm as possible - although it's frequently much closer to 8pm due to long days at work. However, the side effect of that means she still naps for 1-2 hours after lunch.

At weekends, during holidays and whilst I'm on maternity leave with my 2nd baby, my husband would rather we get a lie-in in the mornings and so her bedtime is closer to 8pm and she often sleeps until 7:30am, whilst still keeping her afternoon nap.

Hope that helps

[lalectrice]

9/9.30 p.m. if there's been a daytime nap (just not tired enough earlier) or 7.30 if no nap. As these posts demonstrate, there are no rights or wrongs! All kids & families are different!

[PipG]

Mine is almost 3 but sleeps 7pm to about 7am. She stopped sleeping in the day at about 2 years 7 months.

[Mellomumma]

I think for me, it is about having a good routine so they know the sleep cues and go to bed without fuss. We used to do a 7pm sleep time but as soon as I moved to 8pm our kids slept through to around 7.30-8am with a 2-2.5 hour sleep in the day for our eldest and 2x 2 hour sleeps for our youngest. We have a household that doesn't have early starts so it suits us. Both our children go down for the night and don't wake unless there is something wrong and that has occurred since they were 8 weeks old. So my advice would be whatever the time, establish a routine that suits you all and stick to it, you will all be happier and better off.

[nanny_kitty]

I agree with Mellomumma, find a routine that works for you and keep it consistent.

I actually think it all depends on whether you need everyone to be up at the crack of dawn, as earlier bedtimes will help with this usually. So less about the age of the child, and more about accommodating the sleep needs of the child with the daily routine of the household. Then everyone's happy

[calgary]

My twins go to bed at 7pm and normally wake at 6am. Like many here they eat at 5pm with play time afterwards. Stories and milk from 6:30-7pm. They also normally have a 1hr nap from 1-2pm but we'll likely drop that in the new year, as it doesn't seem to affect them when we're out and about and they don't get one.

[LMC1]

It's a while ago now for us (girls are 5 and 10) but bedtime has always pretty much been 8pm (later now for older one) because we tend not to get home until then. Provided they get enough sleep (I think 12 hours is the recommendation for a 2 year old from memory) my view is that you should choose a time that suits your family. I hbve a friend whose daughter goes to bed at 7m so does not see her Dad then, buit she is up at 6am so spends time with her Dad then.

[mumoftwoboys]

My nearly 5yr old and 2.5yr old have dinner at 5.30pm, bath at 6.30pm, stories and then lights out at 7.30pm - usually sleeping by 8pm. But they wake up anytime between 6 and 6.30am. Even if they go to bed later they still seem to wake up before 7am!!

[NYE31]

Tea at 5, bath at 6.45, then into PJs & stories until 7.30, then lights out, sleeps until 7.30am. Unless we are on holiday, then a bit later.