do we need a later bedtime?

[sunwise]

Hi all - looking for some advice from other toddler parents! My 17-month-old has been going to bed at 7pm for a long time. However, for awhile now we are having trouble actually getting him to *sleep* then. My husband stays with him until he falls asleep, and that often doesn't happen until 8pm. Many times he is up and wanting to play. He is rarely unhappy, just not ready to sleep. (On occasion though, he will fall asleep at 7, although when he does we usually have an early nightwaking about an hour later.) I have resisted moving the bedtime because I figure that he would still take the same amount of time to go to sleep! But I'm not really sure.

DS goes to daycare during the day and takes one nap, usually about 90 minutes to 2 hours. (He has never really been a long napper.) He seems pretty happy during the day - no signs of being over-tired or anything.

Have any of you run into a similar situation? Do you think that moving the bedtime would make any difference?

[Verloren]

We have moved DS's bedtime back several times as he's gotten older. It's worth a try. If it doesn't work just go back to the original bedtime.

[newmamalizzy]

What kind of routine do you have at night?  Is it possible that he's just started needing more/a different kind of wind-down time at night?  BTW, does he do the asleep at 7/wake-up an hour later thing on days he doesn't nap well?  My 22 month old does that when she's overtired. 

[sunwise]

Well, I would definitely say we don't have a great bedtime routine - we have so little time (usually just about 2 hours) after we get home from work, that there isn't time for much of a routine currently. I do wonder if that contributes to the difficulties falling asleep. I was thinking about making a change when we switch to daylight savings time in a month. I might move the bedtime later by one hour, which would give us more time in the evening to set a routine (and still have quality time to spend together as a family as well).

I haven't ever paid attention to whether naps correlate to early nighttime wake-ups. I should check since we get a sheet from the daycare every day telling us how long he napped.

[faithrainbow]

I think a wind-down routine could be really helpful for him, to cue his body that it's time to get ready for sleep.  That could be part of your 'quality time' together and not have to feel like it's detracting from your time with him; in fact it can be really bonding.