2 Questions: Sleeping & Vitamins

All children are different. My son is 2 now but for the past year he has slept about 9 hours a night with a 2-3 hour nap. I do have friends who children sleep longer at night but then take a shorter nap. I would say if your daughter doesn't appear tired and is not irritable from lack of sleep, she is fine.

My son took a liquid vitamin from a dropper until he was about 18 months old and had all of his teeth. I then began giving him a gummy vitamin.

My kids have always slept from 8 p.m. to 10 a.m. and took a 2 1/2 hour nap, sometimes 2 naps at that age. My daughter was anemic at that age though and that my have had something to do with the extra sleep. Most likely my boys were anemic too and just never diagnosed. It does run in the family. I would not worry about it if she is not tired. If she starts getting cranky I would encourage a extra nap.

Most kids do not require vitamins. They may not eat regular meals since kids tend to go on food spurts and only eat one type of food for several days and then switch to something else for a few days, but they usually get what they need in the long run. I would not worry about vitamins right now. You should be taking her again for an 18 month check-up soon. Make a list of things you want to ask the doctor including these concerns and take it with you on the appointment.

All kids sleep different. Some need less, some need more. If you're concerned about her not getting enough sleep you can cut her nap from 2 hours to an hour and a half or even to an hour. But if she functions well then I wouldn't worry about it.

Vitamins, unless directed by your doctor, aren't given until age 2 and then it's only half until age 4. Vitamins are only a supplement, for a picky child for example. If you do use a vitamin, be sure to get a complete vitamin. Your best bet is to give it to the child after breakfast and before the morning teeth brushing. You'll want to clean the vitamins out of the teeth by brushing.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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Question 1:
Like the rest of us, sleep is a very individual thing.
Kids, like adults, can have different sleep needs. I'd let her behavior be your guide. If she's showing behavior issues that are inappropriate, it may be that she needs to change her sleep habits. Our 2 kids are completely different, and we have to adjust to them accordingly.

Question 2:
It's usually advisable. BUT, you really need to call your pediatrician and ask before you give them anything. Vitamins are usually based upon weight, and just because something's available over the counter doesn't mean it's safe.
Our kids are 2 and 4, and they're both on 1/2 Flintstone vitamin per day per our pediatrician's recommendation. We forgot to ask, as well, at our son's 4 year well-child visit recently. A quick call to the office should get you an answer in a few minutes.

GOOD LUCK!

My daughter sleeps about the same as yours (she is 3 /12). We call her the Energizer Bunny.

Vitamins...some do, some don't. We use Koala Bears vitamins.

Neither of our kids slept 12+ hours at night as toddlers. It would vary from 8-10 hours at night, with a 1 1/2-2 hour nap during the day. If she's active and smart and never seems tired, she's fine. Neither of our took vitamins until they were age 2, and then they only took 1/2 of a vitamin per doc's orders until they were 3.

here is a chart and it says kids can need 2 hours more or less
http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-much-sleep-does-your-chil...
my son was only a few weeks old when the doctor had us start vitamins. You can give her the poly-vi-sol liquid vitamins. As soon as my daughter turned 2 i started her on chewables. She takes koala pals. Very good vitamins. Most toddlers need vitamins i think because they are often picky eaters and dont get enough from their food.

All children are different. My oldest never slept more than 10 hours total in a 24 hour period. IT ALMOST KILLED ME!

vitamins are personal. people feel very differently about them. I have vitamins I would give as early as 6 months of age. I'm a big believer that we can't get all we need without supplementation. Just be choosy about what you give and do your research.

That's a little short on the sleep-- kids under 2 usually sleep about 12 hours a night and 2 hour naps, but there is a range, and I would probably judge based on her behavior and development. However, I do think that it is critical to encourage as much sleep as possible, so make sure you are following very good sleep hygiene. We have blackout curtains on my son's windows to keep it as dark as possible in the summer.

As for the vitamins, everyone has his or her own opinion on that, so I'd call your doctor. As a public health professional, I would strongly encourage you to at least supplement with vitamin D, especially if she is not outside a good bit (at least an hour) *without sunscreen* on every day (ie especially in winter). If she eats a varied diet, she's probably ok other than that. But call your doc-- they don't mind those kinds of questions at all.