2 1/2 Yr Old Daughter Sleeping a Lot

My kids both did that at some point. As long as she is eating well and has no illness symptoms, I wouldn't worry about it. If you can't, then take her to the doc.

I would probably check with your doctor. It sounds possible that she might be anemic. We were surprised to find out our son was a little anemic when he recently had some bloodwork done for other reasons. If she'll eat them, some Flintstones w/iron chewable vitamins can help. I was told iron defeciencies in kids are not uncommon as a lot of kids' diets don't include iron rich foods like spinach. Also, it's best to take iron with something that has citric acid, like orange juice, as the citric acid helps the body better absorb the iron. Iron deficiency can cause lethargy, although I know you said you don't notice it when she's awake. Just a thought, but I would at least talk to your pediatrician about it.

I agree with Holly. Take her to the dr. That is not normal for this age group.

Could be a growth spurt, my son went through the same thing at about 3 and 3 months, slept till after 8:30 am and still took his 2-3 hour nap. He also ate a lot more than usual on some days but not others. About a month later, I noticed his pants were suddenly too short and his longer shorts were no longer below his knees. When was the last time you measured her height?
If you're truly worried though call the nurses at your doctor's office, they're likely to help you make the call on whether or not she should be seen in the office.

L.,

If it's not normal and you are worried it certainly won't hurt to have her checked, but...

Have you tried letting her sleep until she woke on her own? Maybe she just needs to recharge her batteries to full. I used to do that, and so did my girls. Granted, it didn't start at such an early age...but occassionally we just need to sleep until we're not tired.

T.

Hi L.,
Actually, getting anywhere from 12 to 14 hours per day of sleep is EXACTLY what is expected from a 2 or 3 year old.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-much-sleep-does-your-chil...

http://www.slumbersounds.com/baby-sleep-patterns-info.htm

My son is turning 2 1/2 next week and usually sleeps 11 hours per night plus a 3-hour nap in the afternoon.

Yes, it can never hurt to go to the doctor and ask questions, especially if this is highly unusual for your child and is a sudden departure from her norm. If she's had some other sudden behavioral changes, such as decrease in appetite, decrease in energy, i.e. remaining lethargic, during her awake times, etc. then something might be going on...

Good luck,
D.

My almost 2 yr old son is doing the same thing right now. If fact, last night he went to bed at 7pm and didn't wake up till 9:30. He'll still take a 3 hour nap later. He sleeps ALOT! For him it has to do with growth spurts and the weather change. I've talked to his dr. about it and he wasn't concerned. Hope this helps!

When my daughter hits growth spurts and she hit a lot at the age of 2, she would sleep alot and eat us out of house and pantry. I agree with the other ladies. Call the Dr/Nurse and see what they say. My Dr/Nurse won't make the decision to take my kids in, but they can give us some good advise over the phone. Mommy's instinct(sp?) is NEVER wrong. If you think she needs to go in, take her. Good Luck.

L.,

My 3 year old sleeps at least 12 hours at night and takes a 2-3 hour nap everyday. Maybe she is just growing. I would just let her sleep. I NEVER wake my kids up!!!! They are sleeping for a reason and that is their bodies way of growing and staying well. Best of luck.

I have a 2 1/2 year-old as well; plus a 15 month-old. You didn't really say what time you put her to bed. Our schedule is she goes to bed around 8pm and during the work week I wake her up at 6:30am. On the weekends I let her sleep in and it varies; however, she usually wakes up on her own by 7am. Plus she takes about a 2 hour nap or so. Now if she has had a super busy day with a lot of activity she will go to bed around 7:30pm and sleep straight through until 7am. However, she is my early riser. My 15 month-old goes to bed at 6:45pm and will sleep until 8-8:30am if I let her on the weekends! I don't know what your little girls habits were before this. She just might need more sleep. I wouldn't worry about it unless you really see some things that concern you. Hopefully, this helps. Good luck!!

She may just be tired from growing. My 3 year old eats more and sleeps more and than seems to grow out of his pants. :-) Also we have allergies and anytime there is a weather change we just want to sleep the hours away. It does seem to be a little bit more sleep than your average 2 year old, but not by much. I would watch it for a few days and if you are still concerned, call her pedi to see if they have any advise for you. How late is too late? Most kids are best when they get to sleep until their bodies tell them to get up. Me too! Congrats on your upcoming baby!

If it's not normal for her I think I would take her to the Dr. Believe me I am not the type that runs to the Dr for every little thing nor am I trying to scare you. There are so many illnesses that make little ones tired, maybe some bloodwork is in order? My BIL had the Swine Flu a couple of weeks ago (he is 13) and that's how it started for him. My MIL said the first thing she noticed was he was very tired and sleeping alot. She took him to the Dr and he tested positive for H1N1 before the fever and other symptoms started. Not that it is your case, I definitely hope not. When it comes to our babies it's better to be safe than sorry not only for them but for your piece of mind as well.

I would call my doctor before taking her in. If the nurse/doctor thinks she needs a check-up, he or she will tell you. Does she stay up late at night? Not sleep deeply during the night?

My daughter at that age used to spend restless nights and then need to sleep half the morning.

But, no reason to speculate. I'd call my doctor.