There are simply no exact and universal recommendations on how much a child needs to sleep at a given age. At the same time, many pediatricians insist that preschoolers need a day's rest, and how long it will last depends on a number of reasons.
Does the child need a strict regime?
It is known that newborns sleep a lot, but their daily routine is quite chaotic - they are able to stay awake at night and sleep peacefully at the doctor's appointment. However, over time, they gradually begin to form a daily regimen, and the total duration of daily sleep decreases. By the age of two, many children have already formed both a character and an attitude towards sleep, that is, parents can already draw a conclusion about how well and quickly their baby fits. If adult family members are trying to follow the daily routine, for example, seating the baby at the table at a certain time, and the boundaries of sleep for him by this period have already been fully developed. Many children of this age sleep 10-12 hours a night, and one to three hours during the day. As a rule, babies sleep the same amount of time during the day - if they are awakened early in the morning, they can catch up during the daytime.
According to many modern mothers, by the age of two, children should already be laid down for only one day's sleep, accordingly building the order of feeding and walking, as well as entertainment. So you can not only simplify your life in order to be able to have at least some free time, but also help the baby - a child who is accustomed to falling asleep at the same time goes to sleep much more calmly. Children, who can go to bed depending on the mood of adults and the events of the past day, often fall asleep for a long time and without much desire. Helps the child fall asleep and a kind of ritual - for example, an evening bath and reading or watching a favorite book. For some, the signal for sleep is the drawn curtains and the switched on night light, followed by a quiet mother's tale. Thus, the child is pre-tuned to sleep, and adult family members can easily put him to bed on time.
What determines the duration of sleep in two-year-old children
The duration of sleep is a purely individual factor; no certified and highly qualified specialist will be able to determine its exact required amount. However, a mother who knows her child, showing attention and observation, can easily determine when the baby should go to bed, as well as how much he can spend in bed. If you have to get up early, it makes sense to shift the child's day regimen a little in advance. To do this, you can take a longer walk during the day or not lay him down for a quiet hour, but the beginning of the night's sleep should be earlier - then the awakening the next day will not be accompanied by whims and crying.
A variety of reasons can affect the length and quality of sleep in 2-year-olds. For example, after a day spent at the dacha playing with peers, a toddler who usually sleeps 9-10 hours can sleep much more. Sleep patterns can change after the stressful experience. As psychologists testify, these are not always negative events: the stormy celebrated two-year anniversary with the arrival of distant relatives and a huge bunch of gifts can in some way also have a stressful effect on the developing psyche of a child. Therefore, the baby will not fall asleep as easily as usual, and the next morning, he may need additional time to recover from yesterday's holiday.
The duration of sleep in children (and not only two-year-olds) varies depending on their state of health. However, there are no clear rules or recommendations here either - even at a sufficiently high temperature, some babies look sleepy all the time and try to fall asleep as soon as possible, but their other peers categorically refuse to go to bed at standard time, being capricious and demanding care and affection from their parents.
