# How long does your two-year-old nap?



## captain optimism (Jan 2, 2003)

My son has done very well for the last 6-9 months on one long nap of 2-3 hours. He gets up very early in the morning. Lately he has been getting up VERY early in the morning---like 5AM. We are cosleeping. He does not allow me to continue sleeping, but demands that I join him in playing in the living room. This is very bad. I am very tired.

Are we having him nap too long? Too short? I would love to get a sense of when other two year olds wake up in the morning, and how long they nap. Also, if you know of any childcare expert type person you respect, like Elizabeth Pantley or whomever, who has an opinion on how long two year olds should nap.

Thanks!


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## cmb123 (Dec 30, 2004)

All three of my kids had different nap habits. It may depend on the kid, and what works with him. I've never been one to listen to what "experts" say about how long a kid should sleep (even ones I like).
My oldest has ALWAYS been a 5am riser (now she's almost 9, and she stilll gets up that early). I always made it a point that will NOT get up to play at that hour. I had quiet toys in the room (books, a felt board, stuffed animals etc...) and she could play on the bed, or go and play in her room ( that never did happen) but I was NOT getting up until X:00. It's just not an option (I also kept some easy snacks in the room for the AM if she was hungry).
I never wanted to "punish" her for being an early riser, but I also wanted her to learn to respect others sleep, including mine.
Back to the nap aspect. Because of her early rising, she always needed a nap, and actually would still take one if she wasn't in 3rd grade! No amount of changing nap lenght or bedtimes has ever made a difference in her early waking...when I hear other mom's talk about having to "wake their kids up for school" in the morning, I just want to scream!!!







:


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## sun-shine01 (Aug 9, 2002)

My 2 yo also naps for 2-3 hours a day but we all go to bed late - 11:00 p.m. and so she does sleep late. her nap time is around 1:00 p.m.

Hope you can get some anwers here to help you.


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## Tine (Jan 12, 2005)

My almost-2-year-old usually wakes up around 6:30 AM, goes down for a nap around noon or 1:00 and sleeps 2-3 hours, and goes to bed around 8:00.


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## Daffodil (Aug 30, 2003)

My 2 yo used to nap for a couple of hours, but for the last couple of months her naps have mostly been one hour or less. I think she just doesn't need as much sleep as she used to. Most days she gets up about 6 - 6:30 and goes to sleep for the night around 8:30 - 9:00. On days when she hardly naps at all - like if she just sleeps in the car for 20 minutes - she's likely to fall asleep earlier than usual. Sometimes we have the same kind of awkward situation as when she was transitioning from two naps to one - she'll have no significant nap all day, then get sleepy around 5 or 6 PM.


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

My girls have stopped napping at about a year of age.
They get up between 7-9 and go to bed between 8-10. dd#2 somtimes will fall asleep out in the living room if she really tired at about 6-7.

My family is just not a nappy family. My baby is 4 1/2 months old and only takes one good nap a day. She takes a couple of 10-15 minutes nap during the day and them her 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon.


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## marieangela (Apr 15, 2003)

My 2 yo tends to take three hour naps. He goes to bed late (10pm or so) and wakes up around 6am. Even when he happens to take a shorter nap, he still only sleep for 8 or 9 hours max during the night. And if he does end up going to bed early he gets up even earlier. Anything before 5:30 and I'm just not functional in the morning. When he does get up too early, I take him downstairs so he doesn't wake up dh, give him a pre-breakfast snack and attempt to lay down and relax while he plays (doesn't work too well though).


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## angel04345 (Apr 20, 2004)

My daughter naps from about 2pm until about four thirty. Most of the time when she wakes she acts terriable! She just cries and cries and cries! I try not to wake her like that will help! Maye she shouldn't take a nap?! She gets up around 6am now. I think it is because of the sun coming up earlier! I can't wait for the clocks to be set back!


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## famousmockngbrd (Feb 7, 2003)

DS is 2.5 and he usually gets up around 7:30 - 8:30 AM. He goes down for a nap around 1:30 or 2, sleeps for 1.5 -2 hours, though sometimes longer, and then he's usually in bed around 9:00. It's actually a pretty nice routine and he's been in it for quite a while. I'm sure it will change soon.


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## cyncyn (Nov 19, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Tine*
My almost-2-year-old usually wakes up around 6:30 AM, goes down for a nap around noon or 1:00 and sleeps 2-3 hours, and goes to bed around 8:00.


This is our routine also.


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## ctdoula (Dec 26, 2002)

My dd doesn't nap at all, and hasn't in at least 6 months. I think you have to look at the total number of sleep hours in 24. Even from reading the responses, it looks to me like the average 2yr old is getting around 12hrs of sleep in 24hrs. Some all at night (like my dd, who goes to bed between 7:30-8:30 & gets up around 8-9) and others more broken w/a nap.

I'm a not an early person (and neither is my dd or my dh thank goodness), so if I had a 5am riser, I think I'd do what cmb123 suggested, provide toys/snack for them to play, but set limits as to when i'm getting out of bed. I think a 2yr old can understand the concept, and although they may not like it at first, he should be able to entertain himself until a more reasonable hour.


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## Carsonsmama (May 17, 2004)

My son is now almost 2.5 years old naps about two hours.....never any longer then that thought because he he seems to wake up miserable if we let him.

I am too starting to find that he is getting up earlier and earlier and am thinking it is time to cut those naps back even further.

I know I have read before that a child over 24 months shouldn't be sleeping for three hours in the afternoon unless you know they are in a growth spurt or sick.....
I do however think sleep is different for everychild.Try different things. I would start by cutting back the nap though.


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## Artisan (Aug 24, 2002)

My DS gets up around 7:00, goes to bed around 7:30, and naps for 1.5 - 2 hours in the afternoon. It should be noted, though, that it takes a while for him to fallo asleep while playing with toys or r eading books in his bed.


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## kaydee (Aug 13, 2004)

My ds (almost 2) sometimes naps for 2 hours, sometimes naps not at all. His bedtime and wakeup time are very regular, though (his choice). He goes down at 7 PM and usually falls asleep within 1/2 hour or less, and typically wakes up around 6 or 7 AM.


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## hipumpkins (Jul 25, 2003)

DD, 28 mos dosn't nap anymore. Not even if we are in the car so I know she really doesn't need one. She does go to bed around 7-7:30 and sleps for 11 or 12 hours...once in a while 13. Pretty much through the night.


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## Ivarson (Aug 28, 2002)

I have found that if I let my three year old nap more than 90 minutes he's not as tired at bedtime...so he's in bed by 8, sometimes 7:45pm, up around 6 or so (sometimes earlier) than down for a nap by 12:45 and up at 2:15 or 2:30 (sometimes he doesn't fall asleep right away).


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## Harper (Jul 10, 2003)

My dd sleeps for 1.5 to 2 hours from about 12:45 until about 3 ish. She goes to sleep between 9 and 9:30 and gets up anywhere between 6:30 and 7:30. (Recently she has been sleeping from 9 until 5 or 6 straight through!!!!!!







) I found that if she sleeps past 3:00 in the afternoon, she is not ready to sleep until 10 and that is really just too late for me! I like to be able to read for at least 30 minutes before I have to go to sleep!


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## mom2alicia (Nov 30, 2004)

mine goes to bed around 7 and on a good day wakes for the day at around six. sometimes awakens earlier though. she went through a stage where she woke at 4:30 like clockwork for weeks. she takes a two hour nap.this morning she woke at 5:30 for the day. if she is up, i'm up. i think she is too young to play unsupervised. my dd is only 22 months. also, i have learned to go to bed early! it was hard at first, but now i'm asleep by 9:00.


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

DD gave up naps starting right after she turned one (I gave the good fight, though, lol).

DS right before he turned two.

You can always cut back and see what happens


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## seren (Jul 11, 2003)

Ds is 23 months. He goes to bed at 8:30 and sleeps until 7-8 am. If the alarm doesn't wake him up at 7, he wakes himself at 8. Then in the afternoon he takes a 3 hour nap. It's nice because dd will sleep half that (she's 3.5) and so I get a bit of a nap, too.


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## bobica (May 31, 2004)

dd wakes up around 7 & takes one 1 hour nap around 1:00. It used to be longer & I miss those naps!!! I'm hoping maybe as we get outside more, she'll take a little longer nap


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