How do I wear out my 2 1/2 yo?

[T'smom]

HELP! It's 10:30 and my 2 year old is still wide awake after being in bed for 2 hours!!!! He does this a LOT. He doesn't take naps (and if he does happen to fall asleep in the car for even 20 minutes, he'll be up until at least midnight) I woke him up at 8 this morning, he had gymnastics in the am, but it was very cold and rainy so we were inside the rest of the day. The only time we can get him to fall asleep before 10 is when we've been very, very active all day long. Like, walking 2-3 miles, playing at the park, going to gymnastics, kicking a ball outside with dad- all in the same day. I can't keep up that level of activity every day!!!! We're in a very small apartment because we recently moved and hadn't sold our house...

Any advice? Is this only going to get worse as he gets older?

Thanks.

[kalanamak]

Swimming pool.

[T'smom]

We actually go swimming once, sometimes twice a week. But the pool is about 25 min. away and he usually falls asleep on the drive home which defeats the purpose of wearing him out. (that's not the only reason we go though- it gets us out of the house, its fun, etc.) I'll set up a little pool at home for him during the summer but we live in MI, today it was 48 degrees, so that won't be a reliable daily option for awhile!

[Mergath]

I would take a look at his diet. If he's getting a lot of sugar, even natural sugars, or caffeine, that can impact his sleep patterns. Also, with my dd, when she didn't want to nap during a period of time, we just made sure to stick to the same schedule like clockwork. She lays down for at least half an hour at naptime, tired or not.

 

You might want to talk to a doctor about this. At this age, they should be getting at least eleven hours of sleep in a twenty-four hour period, and if he's not getting that much, it can cause some health problems. They might want to check different things and make sure everything is running okay.

 

And some kids just don't need as much sleep, no matter how much you try to wear them out. ;)

[Dandelion]

And some kids just don't need as much sleep, no matter how much you try to wear them out. ;)

 

This was true for DS at that age.

 

With DD (just turned 2), I've noticed that when she doesn't get her nap during the day, she becomes so wound up that it's hard for her to get to sleep at night. So getting that 2 hours of sleep during the day actually makes it easier for her to get to sleep at bedtime too.

 

So...I guess it could be anything (not much help - sorry!)... :001_rolleyes:

[Wheres Toto]

I wish I had a solution. Neither of my younger kids are sleepers. Neither naps (and never really did) and neither sleeps more than 9-10 hours at night (bed at 10, up by 7 is typical for dd). We've checked with our pediatrician and basically were told we just happen to have kids on the low end of average. They are both very active and the idea of them laying down quietly for more than 5 minutes during the day is laughable.

 

They do sleep slightly better if they are outside a lot during the day (we are also in a small space), which of course only works if the weather cooperates.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Some kids rev up if they are overstimulated. That's how it was with my dd - if we did too much then she'd never settle down (and then when she finally did, she'd have night terrors).

[fairfarmhand]

I do know someone who bought a mini trampoline for this purpose. She had the kid jump on it while he watched TV.

[Pamela H in Texas]

You are putting your son to bed too late.

If you put him to bed at 7 or so (maybe 7:30), he'll go to sleep more easily.

But he got his second wind.

No one believes me but give it a week (SuperNanny style) and you'll probably become believer #4, 232 :)

 

Yes, keep him active throughout the day.

And CHALLENGE him: climbing fences, learning to read, a tiny two wheel bike with the training wheels progressively raised,

thinking based discipline, etc will help more than straight exercise (though that is needed also!).

 

Additionally, sensory play (sand, playdough, painting on paper that is on the underside of the table, crab walking, cross pattern games, sit-n-spin, swinging, etc) will be a big help.

 

It IS true that some kids just aren't sleepers. But they can be taught to "go to bed" and not be disruptive. I honestly believe my daughter gained a lot of creativity lying in bed for nap times (she stopped naps at just several weeks old!) and such. You should have heard her. And she did "schoolwork" on her own for part of the time also. We had a list of appropriate options for her.

 

BUT most kids would sleep if they were getting what they needed. So you want to make sure you're going the right direction.

Edited May 9, 2010 by 2J5M9K

[Laura Corin]

Do you have an indoor swimming pool near you? I always found that swimming was the one thing that would wear out an energetic child.

 

Laura

[Lolly]

It may just be the way he's wired. Eventually, these get old enough that they stay quietly in their rooms without you. Then, they start roaming the kitchen in the middle of the night for a snack, and you hear them and think the house has been broken into.:glare:

[Caribbean Queen]

If he sleeps from 10:00p.m.-8:00a.m. that is 10 hours. I think that is reasonable. I know parenting magazines say toddlers need tons of sleep, but in my experience, well, mine didn't.

 

To get him to go to bed eariler aake him up earlier, like 7:00a.m. or 6:00a.m.

[lailasmum]

Sounds like my 2 yr old. He was awake 18 hours in one go one day last week. He woke up at 2am and went to sleep at 10pm. Not sure what to do to change it I think that some people just aren't sleepers. I am just thankful though that he is better than my brother who only slept 5 hrs a night, night in night out (he is still a limited sleeper as an adult).

 

My only hope is that he will level out like my dd6. She was a dreadful sleeper up to age 4 when she sorted herself out and now sleeps about 11 hours a night.

 

I think that kids that don't sleep much are just different and no amount of sleep training helps them.

[sarawatsonim]

My dd5 is still like this, she always has been. She has so much energy that it tires me out to watch her. She has never really been a nap kid, but when I enforced one she was harder to get to bed. No matter what I do to wear her out, the result is always the same. When she sleeps though, she sleeps and is completely out cold. I can put her to bed at 7 and she will sleep until 10 the next morning if I let her. So the actual time she goes to bed is not the issue for us. I don't really have any suggestions since I've tried it all to no avail, but as she gets older it is easier to get her to go to bed and stay in bed even if she isn't sleeping. I feel your pain.

[lauracolumbus]

Sounds like my 2 yr old. He was awake 18 hours in one go one day last week. He woke up at 2am and went to sleep at 10pm. Not sure what to do to change it I think that some people just aren't sleepers. I am just thankful though that he is better than my brother who only slept 5 hrs a night, night in night out (he is still a limited sleeper as an adult).

 

My only hope is that he will level out like my dd6. She was a dreadful sleeper up to age 4 when she sorted herself out and now sleeps about 11 hours a night.

 

I think that kids that don't sleep much are just different and no amount of sleep training helps them.

 

 

I agree. Although I know it's not much consolation, I believe some kids just aren't good sleepers. And I think it might in part be hereditary. When ds11 was going through his non-sleep phase (until he was about 4), my mom found letters she wrote to my dad while he was in the Navy about me never sleeping. My next kid was a great sleeper after she turned around 1, and finally my dd6 was not a good sleeper til she was 4. I'm talking up all night w/only napping in the car. I tried everything and read every sleep book out there.

 

Best of luck,

Laura

[T'smom]

Well, I'm glad I'm not alone! Looking at his diet is an interesting thought- he certainly doesn't drink pop every day or anything, but we're also not the healthiest eaters either. There isn't any caffeine to speak of, but I guess I could start tracking his sugar intake and see if that helps.

I will try a slightly earlier bedtime and see if that does catch him before his "2nd wind"- I'll let you know how that goes. I'm willing to give anything a chance!

I wasn't a good sleeper either and I'm still a serious night owl, it doesn't matter what time I get up, I still don't go to bed until late and if it was possible I could sleep until noon! So, it could be genetic and I might just have to deal!

On days that we don't have to be anywhere, he does sleep until 9 or 9:30 but we usually have somewhere to be and I have to wake him up earlier and there isn't a correlation between the time he gets up and what time he goes to bed.

Thanks for the advice and the sympathy!

[Caribbean Queen]

My two year old used to sleep in until 9:00, watch too much TV, and nap. I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't go to bed until midnight.

What could I do? He was just a night owl.:tongue_smilie: It was cute for a while...until it wasn't.

 

If it is okay with your for him to stay up late then that is fine, but if you really want him asleep by 8:00, wake him up at 6:00 every single morning. He will need consistancy to get into a routine.