Is Your 2 Year Old Not Going to Sleep Until 11pm?
If your 2 year old is not going to sleep until 11pm, there could be a few potential reasons. Find out what they are and how to help your child get to bed earlier.
“He’s going to bed too late,” others have observed about your 2 year old’s sleep schedule.
You agree, but putting her to bed any earlier than 11pm has been a struggle. She’s wired the whole evening until late at night. An early bedtime leads to a second wind, and she’s turning the lights back on and getting out of bed.
You’re not sure what to do, especially when she wakes up refreshed and energized, not sleepy or grouchy as you might expect from someone who would need sleep.
Still… 11pm seems like a really late bedtime. You’d like to get those evening hours to relax alone again instead of feeling sleep deprived and exhausted.
Table of Contents
Why your 2 year old is sleeping late
The reasons kids stay up late vary with each family, but below are a few common reasons:
Hectic schedules
Work, long commutes, and extracurricular activities can encroach on early bedtimes. With such little time to get home and tend to daily tasks—much less spend time with kids—parents push bedtime back to accommodate a hectic schedule.
Kids “win” bedtime battles
Parents are too exhausted at the end of the day to enforce bedtime rules. With no energy to argue, they figure sleeping later is fine if it means avoiding giving consequences for bedtime battles. And since most kids would rather stay up with us than turn in for the night, they usually end up sleeping later than earlier.
Kids need a parent to fall asleep
Whether it’s co-sleeping in our bed or needing us to sit by theirs, some kids need a parent to fall asleep. We find ourselves with two choices: We either turn in for the night as early as them, or they stay up later with us. With so many things to do and few of us willing to sleep by 7pm, they end up sleeping later.
Kids are too wired
Evenings might be too stimulating, from television to activities, that the transition to bedtime becomes more difficult. Kids can also be overtired from the lack of sleep during the day that they’re too exhausted to actually fall asleep.
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The downsides of a late bedtime
Most kids’ bedtime should fall between 7 and 8pm. The latest kids age 10 and under should be awake is 8:30pm. Here are a few reasons an early bedtime beats a later one:
Late bedtimes don’t always mean late wake-ups
Rare is the morning when kids will actually sleep in because they’d slept too late the previous night. Sleeping two hours past their bedtime, for instance, doesn’t mean you’re able to enjoy an extra two hours of sleep the next morning. You’re likely getting less sleep with a late bedtime than an earlier one.
Late bedtimes lead to inconsistent sleeping patterns
Kids with a set early bedtime not only clock in more hours, but they also tend to have consistent and predictable sleep. They’re more likely to sleep and wake up at the same times every morning and night.
Having a consistent routine keeps your 2 year old’s bedtime tantrums and fussy behavior at bay. They thrive with consistency and appreciate that they know what to expect and when.
Parents have less energy late at night
A late bedtime can have more to do with us than the kids. The later the day, the less patience and stamina we have to be our best. We all can benefit from the “after bedtime” hours to recharge.
Early bedtimes give you time for yourself, whether to tend to tasks, spend time with your partner, or simply relax uninterrupted. The early bedtime (plus the full night of sleep) gives you back some of the energy lost during the day.
Frequently asked questions
A few cues that she likely needs more sleep are that she falls asleep doing random activities like eating or playing or every time you drive in the car (and not because it’s near nap time). She might be irritable and cranky, rubs her eyes, or needs constant reminders to get going in the morning.
Transition to your desired bedtime and wake-up time 15 minutes at a time over a few days. If she typically sleeps at 11pm, make bedtime 10:45pm for the next few nights. If you need her awake by 7am every morning instead of 8:30am, start by rousing her at 8:15am. Continue this pattern until you reach your desired bedtime and wake-up time.
Hang darkening curtains in her room to keep it dark and block light that might still linger in the early evening. Turn on a white noise machine to muffle sudden sounds that could startle her awake. That way, you don’t feel like you have to tiptoe around the house for fear that opening a cupboard would wake her up. And give her a weighted blanket and a special stuffed animal to keep her company while she falls asleep.
The bottom line
Sleeping too late has become common for many families because of hectic schedules and overtired parents. That’s why I’m a fan of early bedtimes for consistent sleep, more rest for everyone, and a happier mood the next day. In due time, your child can begin to sleep much earlier than 11pm—and give you those few hours alone once again.
Get more tips:
- Help Your Kid Stay in Bed All Night
- Your Child Won’t Nap? Read This.
- 6 Tips on Helping Your Child Sleep in Their Own Bed
- How to Establish a 2 Year Old Bedtime
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