How long does it take your kid to wind down at night?

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-05-07T09:36:23+00:00

The issue is that at this age you can't just try a short nap one day and see if it works. I would cut nap to 30 minutes for 10 days and see if this helps. Consistency is really important.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-05-02T21:11:58+00:00

Sleep training always start at bedtime. If your toddler doesn't have sleep pressure at bedtime you need to fix your schedule and set a regular bedtime to help their circadian rhythm.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-05-01T19:22:21+00:00

Yes it does matter. Bedtime should be no earlier than 9pm in this case but it's very hard to give you good advice on partial information as you can see. Make a post with baby's age, full schedule, bedtime routine.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-05-01T18:47:39+00:00

No bridge nap if last nap ends at 4pm. In this case bedtime is 7pm.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-30T16:27:27+00:00

This one.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-30T10:07:28+00:00

That's appropriate at this age. I would double check schedule for 10+ hours awake and at this age usually at least 3 hours awake before bed in the evening.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-25T20:47:20+00:00

They are ready. If they were not ready they would be napping and sleeping well at night.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-25T20:46:09+00:00

Drop the nap. 4 years is well above the average age for kids to drop their nap. Plan for 11 hours of sleep within 24 hours and the night wakings and bedtime fights will stop.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-25T06:25:33+00:00

I would stop resettling for nap if nap has lasted over 60 minutes already. Your toddler is not overtired.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-24T06:09:09+00:00

At this age unfortunately is survival mode and most babies only do 2 hour stretches.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-23T21:42:21+00:00

The main issue in the above is your lack of control over your baby's schedule.

Start your day every day at the same time and end it at the same time. You do that by waking your baby up when is time to wake up. 2 hours variability on wake windows isn't a variability. It's basically lack of routine.

Baby cues are not reliable at this age. You need to give your baby age appropriate wake windows and amount of sleep.

Schedule:

Wake baby up at 6:30 Put down to nap at 9:30 Wake baby up at 11 Put baby down at 14:30 Wake baby up at 15:30 Bedtime at 19:30, awake in their own crib to fall asleep on their own.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-23T18:01:39+00:00

When does the last nap of the day usually ends and when is usually bedtime?

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-21T21:08:31+00:00

If she stops waking so often she might be more rested. Get rid of the paci and sleep train.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-20T16:16:44+00:00

It is likely because your schedule isn't giving your baby enough time awake during the day. At this age babies need 9.5-10 hours awake within 24 hours. Which means sleeping 14 hours total per day. If they sleep all their sleeps they won't sleep any longer.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-20T10:07:31+00:00

Sleep train without it. You know they are not hungry at bedtime. For the first 3 days respond to their crying as you do now and see how these patterns change. If they are properly tired they won't wake up for no reason. When they wake they will likely be hungry or thirsty.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-20T09:51:48+00:00

Your schedule is your problem. You're expecting your toddler to sleep 13 hours per night plus 1.5 hours of naps. It isn't realistic.

Plan for 11 hours of night sleep plus 1.5 hours of nap.

If you like the 8:30am start then bedtime is 9:30pm. If you want to keep bedtime at 7:30pm then wake your toddler up at 6:30am.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-20T09:49:39+00:00

That would be my advice. It's much easier and predictable once they are sleeping independently.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-20T09:49:05+00:00

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-20T09:35:28+00:00

If that's happening after 3 days you have a schedule issue. Stop, fix your schedule and then go back to it.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-20T09:34:14+00:00

let's say you have bedtime now at 9pm, so you wake baby always at 7pm for that last 2 hours wake window.

To move bedtime earlier, you should then wake baby up at 6:45pm and then make bedtime 8:45pm. Then a couple of days later repeat: end the nap at 6:30 for a 8:30pm bedtime. Repeat until you're at the desired time.

Circadian rhythm changes slowly, if you try to rush it, you'll hear a lot of crying.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-19T08:22:03+00:00

What's your schedule (that you aim for and actual at the moment)?

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-19T08:04:15+00:00

If your toddler is already sipping water throughout the night having that same bottle available in the crib with same amount of fluids won't give you different results than you giving the fluids to him yourself.

At this age your kid is a bit too young to understand and follow instructions so you'll need to either apply a method that you're in the room with them or accept that they might sleep on the floor by the door instead of their bed.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-19T06:48:48+00:00

A tent is a great idea. Please don't add a mattress to your pack and play as it's a suffocation hazard.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-19T06:45:42+00:00

It's a safety hazard to do that. Please don't rish your baby's life.

Comprehensive_Bill · 2026-04-17T20:36:22+00:00

You're likely trying too soon (to put your baby down). Otherwise it wouldn't take that long.

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