i've dropped my nearly 3yr old's sleep in the day as she was not setteling at night but by about 5pm she is really hard to handle & is asking to go to bed at 6pm, last night i'd had enough and took her to bed at 6pm (normally drag it out to 7pm & she then gets up anytime between 4am & 6pm last night she woke at 2am for juice/milk then slept till 7am !! what am i doing wrong? should i let her sleep in the day again is 6pm to early? i don't' know what to to, any advice?
2006-11-05 18:48:36 · 15 answers · asked by K W 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
she wakes between 4am & 6am but last night i let her go to bed at 6pm & she seemed to sleep better, is this to early ?
2006-11-05 19:02:10 · update #1
should she still need a nap at her age (she will be 3 at the beggining of may)
2006-11-05 19:04:15 · update #2
what is going on will these people,systems routine,tried and tested, for heavens sake what is the hurry to get the children off to bed , or off to nursery, anything but close to you.why cany you enjoy them while you can, all children are different, some need rest more than others , some like company,attention,appreciate them while there young .the only prizes going is not what trained children you have ,but what loving, secure,happy children .which makes a better adult.life is too short ,enjoy
2006-11-09 06:48:48 · answer #1 · answered by peanuts 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Every child is different, some still need a sleep during the day when they are 4, some stop theirs when they are 2. My son is 3.5 and still has a sleep during the day about twice a week. It's very hard to get him to bed if he has had a sleep but he is so miserable and naughty if he hasn't! I don't think 6 is too early if she is not waking up really early in the morning.If you think it is too early, I would put her to bed at 6 for a few weeks then gradually move bedtime to 5 mins later until you get to the time you want her in bed, say 7pm. Your not doing anything wrong, it's just a hard age when they could do with a sleep but then won't go to bed a night because they have had one! I'm sure everyone has gone through the same situation and the solution is different for everyone. But I would try what I have suggested, it should work!
2006-11-05 20:43:19 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she's getting a bit grumpy by tea time then she probably still needs a nap. My 2 yr old went to bed at 6 the other night & woke at 5, she was at her grandad's though.
If you're happy for her to be waking as early as 4 then fair enough but if I had this problem I'd keep my daughter up a little later, maybe 8pm as long as she's had a nap during the day. My 2 yr old was up at half 4 this morning, I was not impressed she usually sleeps til 6. Just experiment with her, obviously she needs a nap otherwise she's going to be getting tired too early & you're going to have this same problem every night with her waking at 2 so give her a nap, leave her up a bit later & hopefully she'll sleep a bit longer for you!
2006-11-05 21:11:06 · answer #3 · answered by C Greene 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All kids are different but most need between 10 and 12 hours sleep to function effectively-right up until they're 8 or 9 in fact, so putting her to bed at 6pm for her to wake at 6am is fine if that suits her body clock. Be aware though that at her age it's unlikely that she will settle into a defined routine re nap requirements immediately so flexibility is key. I don't think you're doing anything wrong it's just that transitional stage between nap needed and not required anymore and as long as you're firm as regards bedtime being bedtime you should be fine-count your lucky stars you're not having the 'I won't go' routine instead!
2006-11-05 19:56:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The routine I used with my 2 year old was:
Up at 7am
Breakfast
Walk to shops and back
12pm Lunch
activity play or playdate
5pm dinner
6pm bath
6:30pm wind down with TV/story and beaker of warm milk
7pm Bed
We did have to use the controlled crying method when she was 18 months as she kept waking up.
It took 3 nights. The first night she cried and I felt like such a bad mother not going into her. She cried until about 1am. I kept an eye on her but did not go to her.
The second night she cried until 10pm and the third night she slept through and has every since.
It's not cruel, it teaches them how to get themselves to sleep without any sleep associations (cuddles, patting etc.).
I recommend Gina Ford's Sleep Book (The complete sleep guide for babies and toddlers).
2006-11-05 19:16:19 · answer #5 · answered by Carrie S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Aye That's a toughy! What I would do is pick up a routine... Like Dinner by 5:30 bath about 6:30 story 7:00 then bed.
Then see what time she wakes up after that and gage her naps off of that. I usually put my girls down between 12-12:30 since they wake up at 6amish. Good Luck
2006-11-05 18:55:09 · answer #6 · answered by Carrie M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most children, in my experience, up to age five need to sleep during the day. It is very difficult when they go out of their sleep cycles. here are some suggestions (please excuse if some are really obvious, but I've been sleep deprived during child rearing, so I know how easy it is to over look things): No caffeine. Plenty of exercise. Don't let her get so tired that she has trouble sleeping! Get outside with her and get her to run around. Try to stay on a schedule that works for both of you and change it a tiny bit at a time.
One of my daughters slept a lot and well. The other didn't.
Good Luck!
2006-11-05 19:02:38 · answer #7 · answered by Susan M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my guess is that she's ready to drop her daytime nap - my son started going without his nap at about the same time, but your daughter just needs time to adapt to the new sleep routine. my son was exactly the same, he didn't really need the nap, but was cranky by about 6pm... personally, i found that it's best if u try to keep your child entertained with a game, or 'booktime' - something quiet, but that will keep them ammused... do that from 6pm til about 6:20pm, then run a bath for them. i find that also helps to settle them. try getting some lavender bubble bath. (i use Imperial Leather's 'relaxing bath moments'. it smells nice, and seems to be gentle on skin). after bathtime, try to keep things as quiet as possibe, let her have a warm drink of milk, and a quick story, then put her to bed by about 7pm. it'll take her a couple of weeks to settle into it fully, but u should notice an improvement if u stick with it. good luck !
2006-11-05 19:23:17 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
my 3yr old goes 2 bed every night between 6-630.he doesnt have a nap either+hasnt done 4 a long time.he gets up every morning between 5-6.i,ve tried putting him 2 bed later but he still wakes early+then hes just grumpy all day.so id rather have him happy +up early.your not doing anything wrong.just find a routine that suits you both+a happy 3yr old is better than a grumpy 1.good luck+ dont worry x
2006-11-05 19:09:59 · answer #9 · answered by Nellynoo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had this exactly with my lil girl,, she is nearly three, she would wake for juice or a video every hour or so in the night,, so i made a sudden change of rules,,,,, one juice to go to bed,, oine video to go to sleep and water and water only and no video if she got up in the night!!! the first night was hell until i told her i was giving her juice cup to the bin man and taking her teddy away if she didnt go to sleep..... the next night she woke up twice and since then she has slept all night every night since.... if she thinks she will get more juice she will get up but if she KNOWS she will only get water she wont bother
2006-11-07 21:45:29 · answer #10 · answered by Angie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋