# 17 month old sleeping too much?



## leewd (Aug 14, 2005)

This may seem like an odd question, but could my 17-month old be sleeping too much?

For the last several months, I've bragged time and again about how wonderfully my toddler sleeps. She's down around 7pm each evening and she sleeps through until we wake her for school (around 7am) or until she wakes on her own which ranges anywhere from 8am to 10am. I noticed that some days she slept A LOT, but I just kept thinking "oh, she's just growing" or "oh, she must have had a hard day at school yesterday."

Over the last 2-3 days, I've actually starting counting wake vs. sleep hours, and she sleeps anywhere from 14.5-16 hours a day. Usually 12 at night and 3 during the day. I looked at the sleep chart in a book I have and it shows 13.5 hours per day for an 18-month old (of course that's an average and individual children will vary). So, she gets 1.5 hours (or more) more sleep than "average"?!?!? That seems excessive to me.

Of course, she is beautiful and healthy and actve. She is not lethargic in the least. She doesn't eat enough and I have noticed that her sleeping gets in the way of me offering her food as often as I'd like, but like I said, she is healthy! (BTW, no, we are no longer nursing.)

Just wondering if my baby Cori is an odd-ball.

Thanks for any comments you may have.
--LEE


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## pookel (May 6, 2006)

I'm pretty sure there's a wide variation from "average" for toddlers. My 23mo slept for less than 7 hours last night. No, I'm not exaggerating. He probably took a long nap to make up for it (grandparents had him today), but it's totally typical for him to get less than 11 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. He's always been like this. I'd say your daughter is fine, just enjoy it!


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## leewd (Aug 14, 2005)

Thanks for the quick reply, Pookel!

Don't we mothers just obsess over every little detail? My husband seems so happy not even realizing that the children need to eat or drink or have diaper changes/potty breaks . . .

Does anyone else have a "long-sleeper"?

--LEE


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## mommy2abigail (Aug 20, 2005)

Oh if I could only be worried about dd sleeping too MUCH!!!







: Nah, I think she's probably fine. Especially if she's playing and eating (not much btw, toddlers are pretty finicky little people!) and seems healthy, I wouldn't worry...Well, if MY child started sleeping that well, I would worry, but that's another thing!


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

My DD has always been a big sleeper-- at 2 1/2, she still sleeps about 15 hours a day. I figure I'll count my blessings, right?


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## cherubess (Oct 14, 2004)

I know someone whose 19m old DS sleeps from 9pm to 9am during the night AND takes two naps for 2 hours each during the day.

ETA: He is healthy happy and growing absolutely normally that I can see.


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## Kate Carmichael (Mar 14, 2006)

My DS slept that much at age 2. He will still take a 3-hour nap on the weekends, and he's 6.5 now. I was in for harsh reality when my daughter wasn't the same -- she has only ever taken a 1.5 hour nap, and I thought she wasn't getting enough sleep until I surveyed my friends and found out that's more than average, and 3-4 hours (as my son would do) is unheard of.


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## mothragirl (Sep 10, 2005)

averages wouldn't exist if there wasn't someone one each side of it, YK?


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## GooeyRN (Apr 24, 2006)

I wish I had your problem. DD sleeps 8 hours during the night, with several wakings during that time. She takes one nap that lasts 0.5-1hr long every day. Thats it. 9 hours sleep TOTAL or less for a 24 hour period. She is also happy and healthy, and does not eat well at all.


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## Mia Sara (Dec 19, 2006)

My boy sleeps alot too. He is 15 mos old now. He will go to bed 7:30-7:45pm and wake up between 7:30-8:30. Then he takes a power nap in the afternoon sometimes for 3+ hours!! He is healthy and very happy and good natured and I think alot of that has to do with the fact that he is well rested.

My daughter on the other hand...at that age she would go to bed around 9pm wake up at 5:30-6:00am and she stopped napping all together around 18 mos which was not cool for any of us. Man that was hard.

Count your blessings mama!!!


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## Mama Poot (Jun 12, 2006)

19mo Paddy sleeps about 11 hours at night and takes a 2-2.5 hour nap every day. He is EXTREMELY active when he is awake and very healthy. He's much like his Mama who loves to sleep. He's even been "playing possum" with me in the morning when I go to get him dressed. He'll giggle and throw himself down and pretend to sleep, sometimes even fuss when I pick him up, like "Noo Mama I don't wanna get up yet!"


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## sbgrace (Sep 22, 2004)

At that age one of my boys was probably averaging 15 hours. I am sure of it. He would nap 2.5 to 3 hours and then a full night's sleep.

And then at 2.5 wham....he stopped napping! He sleeps about 12 hours now.

I think every child varies and no worries! When you worry is when a child is tired even while awake (I've got one of those too....)


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## leewd (Aug 14, 2005)

Thanks for all the replies!

I do feel better about her long-sleeping now. She is VERY active when she is up, so it makes sense that a lot of sleep is good for her.

Thanks again!
--LEE


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## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

My dd slept about 16 hours at that age.


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## sleet76 (Jun 2, 2004)

My son is a big sleeper. Now at 23 months, he sleeps 12-13 hrs at night and about 3 hrs during an afternoon nap. So, he's off the charts at about 15-16 hours per 24. He is 100% active when he's awake, and never still for a second. I think he just needs that much sleep. And I have to admit, he wears me down when he's awake, so I love it that he sleeps so much--I can be more fresh for him when he's up.


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## lyttlewon (Mar 7, 2006)

My DD sleeps a lot and I sleep a lot to. DD's favorite game is lets pretend we are sleeping. It used to really worry me, I would find her toys sleeping on books with slices of cheese over them like blankets, but as she has gotten older she sleeps less. She still takes a 2 hour nap every day and sleeps from 9pm-6:30am every night.

My mom said when I was young if I didn't get enough sleep it would make me physically ill. I am still that way. If I don't sleep enough I can't think, I get sick to my stomach and my body aches.


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