Bed Times...

First, congratulations. In this day, asleep by 8 is considered very good.
But one of the best things about children is that their behavior is a wonderful guide to individual needs. Yes, it is very possible that she needs more sleep. My daughter had to be bathed, read to, kissed and left to sleep by 7 every night, 7 nights a week. She is now an adult, and still requires a full nights sleep. By meeting her needs, she was a much more pleasant child and is a very successful, well-rested adult.

Hi C.,
I'm a mom of 6, soon to be 7, and I've always put my kids to bed by 7pm, even when they napped in the afternoon. I continued this until they were at least 7, at which point they got to stay up until 7:30. My kids who are 9 and 10 usually go to bed at 8, and my 12 year old stays up until about 9. The best thing I ever did was buy the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child," which takes you step by step through all the different ages and stages of children't sleep needs and almost every sleep issue you can think of. It's different than any other book on the subject, and doesn't always agree with what my common sense would say, but it has never failed me. I do find that the earlier bedtimes help with the morning wake-ups, and make for better sleep for my kids. Good luck.

Hi C., I'm a mom of two boys (age 20 mons and 6 mons). I've found that the askdrsears.com website has a lot of useful information about kids and sleeping. I've even bought his book about kids and sleep. If your daughter is getting about 10 hours of sleep at night that's good - but what I think is missing from the picture is info about naps she takes during the day. Hopefully your daughter can get at least one nap (about an hour) during the day. My son will sleep 12 hours at night (8 pm until 8 am) but still needs at least an hour nap mid-day..... sounds like you're doing good with the bedtime ritual (teeth, potty, washing & stories), I'd just look into her naps as a way to improve her mornings.
All the best to you and your family. :)

My 15 mo goes to bed around 7:00 pm. I keep it flexible but consistent and she seems to follow. Our evening routines are closer to dinner but it seems to work for us. She goes to bed around 7pm and wakes 1 time at night to nurse briefly and then wakes for the day around 6 am and takes one to two naps (depending on if she is at home or at daycare).

If she is needing to get up earlier than 8am then she may need to be in bed asleep by 7pm instead of 8pm. I agree with the other posts to as far as when/how long is her nap? If she doesn't do one anymore than grandually moving her bedtime up will help you with the morning wake up and may help her be more rested and last longer in a positive way during the day. If she takes a nap, as you are moving the bedtime up a half hour then an hour move the nap up as well. At 3 1/2 she won;t take one much longer anyway so it will be an adjustment for everyone for awhile but like anything else will even out in the end. Hope this helps!

Hi! I have a 2 and a half year old and I put him to bed between 6:30 and 6:45. I know it seems really early but since he has gotten into this routine, he is much less grumpy in the morning. Plus, this gives my husband and I a chance to have some quiet time of our own in the evening. :)
Good luck!

I put my 4 year old boy to bed @ 7:30. He wakes up around 6:30ish all ready to go. He also still takes naps (1-2 hours a day). Does your daughter still take naps? Naps really help my youngest son in so many ways.

Hello,
I'd heard that they need about 10-12 hours a night...how many hours do you think she gets? Does she nap still?

Wonderful book I read called Healthy Sleep, Happy Baby by Marc Weissbluth, MD. Best book I ever read. Yes, put your daughter to bed earlier! Which just simply means doing the bed time routine earlier. That way she is in bed and ready to go to sleep at 7:30 not 8:00. Then if that does not work move the bedtime a 1/2 hr earlier than that! Good luck.

FYI my son is 16 months and is in bed ready to go to sleep at 7:pm and wakes around 6:30 or 7:00 am by himself.

My 3 1/2 year old goes to bed between 7 and 7:30. She doesn't take naps anymore.

Its 7pm for my two and four year old toddlers :) They wake up at 6am. The two year old naps from 12:30-2ish...

Hello, I have 5 and 3 year old girls and they both go to bed at 7:00 during the week. My husband and I need our time and they both wake up rested. I start our routine around 6:30........

Hi,

I've got a 4 1/2 year old girl and we learned early on, she needs to be in bed by 7/7:30. We've held her out as late as 8 and 9 on rare occasions. She just needs to go to bed earlier.
Sounds like your little girl might be an early sleeper too. What time does she get up in the morning?

E. P.

My son went to bed at 6:30 at that age...he still would if we could do it!

Hi C. - I'm not sure about 3 year olds, but my 10 year old goes to bed at 8:30... Seems 8 is pretty late for a 3 year old.

My four year old goes to bed at 7:30 and wakes up on her own around 6:45-7:00 am. She doesn't nap at all anymore. Depending on what time you need to get her up, try putting her to bed 10 min earlier every night...until you get to the desired bedtime. I know it's hard because you're at work all day and the evening is time to see her, but being rested will make your morning time with her more enjoyable. I guess it's sort of a trade off. Good luck.

What time are you waking her in the morning? She should have about 12 hours of sleep. Can you put her to bed at 8 and let her sleep in until she wakes herself? ( Do it several times) that way you can see how much sleep her body needs. then, once you know how much sleep she needs, you can adjust the bed/waking time based on your routine/needs. Good luck!