Toddler takes 1hr to fall asleep at night—help! (Naps fine, bedtime

mainsklink777

Hey toddler dads…how long does it take for your kiddo to drift off to sleep?

Our 2½‑year‑old settles into nap time in ten minutes or less, yet at bedtime the scene flips entirely; she wanders for about an hour, arranging stuffed animals, chatting, weaving stories, adjusting blankets, and—who knows what else.

Something needs to shift, though I’m not certain which direction. I’m curious about trying a later bedtime or an earlier dinner—usually jst 1 to 1.5 hours after eating we begin the bedtime routine—but I’m unsure how Mom and I will align on that.

What’s it like in your house? Any recommendations?

IronWalShot12

The more they play and engage with you after dinner, the easier it is for them to fall asleep (I've found). They crave more interaction, which is why they want to do 50 different things before bedtime. An easy option for us is a 10‑15‑minute walk before dark.

VelcroViking

My 3‑year‑old stopped taking naps. We put her to bed around nine, and she usually falls asleep in about 15‑20 minutes. She typically wakes up around 7:30‑8:00. The more she plays during the day, the easier bedtime gets.

StellarFlux01

I'm dealing with the same thing with my 1‑yr‑old. She’s supposed to nap in like 15 min, but when bedtime at 7 rolls around she’ll bounce around and play for an hour before finally crashing. Then right before we put her down she’s all tired, whining, rubbing her eyes like “I’m ready,” but then she won’t sleep. She’s also waking up around 5 am and staying up. 😅

Lirixian

I might suggest giving her a longer span between dinner and bedtime, though I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps you could adjust the play time to line up with when you actually want to get her down for the night. We usually do a quick walk around the block, followed by about 30‑45 minutes of good playtime, and then start the bedtime wind‑down with our daughter, while staying open to other possibilities.

Vividixiom

My 2.5‑year‑old is the opposite. He falls asleep easily at night but refuses to nap. He’s always been a good sleeper, yet he struggled when we took his pacifier away around age 2. Eventually we stopped trying to force naps because it turned into a crying and screaming mess. For bedtime we put his tony box in his room and let him pick which character he wants to hear while he drifts off. We tried every stuffed animal we could find, but none comforted him. The music box became his new comfort item. His bedtime starts at about 8 p.m. My wife or I read a few books, then it’s lights out. He chooses his tony box character. We sit together in his rocking chair, listening for a few minutes until he says he’s ready for his crib. Most nights he falls asleep within ten minutes of the music box turning on.

NyxLumin

I had one that closed its eyes right away and would be out quickly. My other one could take up to a couple of hours.

StarlitOdyssey

I notice my kid has been up since about 8 or 9 am. It’s ten till 3 am, and I wonder if she’s probably still up, hyped up and bouncing around.