XP: How long does your LO take to fall asleep at night?

AimeeL85

I posted this on 12-24 but my DS is just about to turn 2 so I was hoping to get some insight here as well...

 

We start our bedtime routine at 7:15 or 7:30 and DS is in bed every night right around 8pm.  He used to fall asleep quickly, but lately he's been taking close to an hour.

He talks and sings to himself and is generally content until he falls asleep, but I'm wondering if it means he's not tired yet and I should change something, like making naptime earlier.  I really think 8pm is plenty late enough for a bedtime and would rather not push that any later, but I feel bad if I'm putting him to bed when he's truly not tired yet.

He naps at 1:30 and will sleep until anywhere between 3pm and 4pm.

Would you adjust his nap or just leave things alone since he's content until he falls asleep?

weberm05

I think I would just leave it alone...Mine usually naps around 2-3 for a couple hours.  She goes to bed between 9-9:30pm each night....some nights I'll here her singing and playing in her crib...other nights I don't.

 If it works...I'd leave it alone for now....he must be content!

mel72

Anywhere from 10 minutes until 2, yes two hours!  Naps, forget it on most days.  They go, go and go.  If he is content then I would leave things alone. 

chocolatechippy

DD usually takes between 15 minutes to 1 hour to go to sleep at night.  

tabaskoa

I would try moving his nap earlier a little. Maybe try a little earlier every day until you hit the sweet spot? If he's waking up at 4pm, that's kinda close to bedtime.

acaudill75

I watched DD1 last night take TWO HOURS to fall asleep. She took every book off her shelf, brought them into bed with her. Then she moved her chair around. Then she took the doggy that is a noise machine and brought that into the bed. I would see her sit on the edge of her bed, consider her next move, get out of bed, go out of frame, and then run back into bed and hide under the covers with some toy or something. She never once called for me, or cried or anything. Totally happy. As long as he isn't complaining, leave him alone. If there was something wrong, he would let you know. BTW, congrats on him still taking a nap. My kid won't. I wouldn't tempt fate by messing with his nap.

blondie42107

Ds1 gets up around 7am, naps for 2 hrs around 1pm and is in bed around 730pm, 8pm is usually the latest.

alohachrissy2

It takes my just turned 2 yr old about 5 min to fall asleep, with no crying or playing. I lay him down at 7:00 and he sleeps until 7:00 and naptime is at 12:30 to 2:30 (I have to wake him up) since we have to pick his older brother up from pre-K.

Grk_Natasha

DS's schedule is almost identical to yours. But when he naps late (close to 4pm) we let him stay up a little bit later, 8:15 or 8:30. For him I feel like it really depends on how much physical activity he's had. If he's worn out, then he falls asleep right away. Otherwise, sometimes he take an hour, but he's still laying down quietly not talking or playing with his stuffed animals. 

emibat85

As long as your LO is content for the hour awake I think it's fine. I like allowing DD to have alone time in her room. I think she enjoys it also.

TriciaandSean

Takes less then 5 minutes to fall asleep.  He goes to sleep around 7:30-8 and is up around 7:30-8.  Nap is 1-3:00-3:30 on school days and 12:00/1:00-4:00/5:00.  His nap wake up time has no effect on his bed time.  He's been known to sleep until 5:30 on days he either takes an extra long nap or goes to bed a little later and is still content going to sleep at 7:30-8.  We never push bedtime pass 8.

Lisadi

 I would hope that it's just a phase. My DS is now 26 months, and doesn't take as long to fall asleep. But, for a few months there, he took quite awhile to fall asleep. It seemed consistent with the charts in the Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child book (falling asleep later around 2 years).