I was just wondering how much other 16 month olds out there are sleeping. On a normal day for us my son sleeps 12 hours at night and then 4 to 5 hours during the day. He still is taking 2 to 2 1/2 hour naps both in the morning and afternoon. He is small for his size and the doctor said the next time we go in if he hasn't grown much we'll have to check his thyroid. I'm wondering if sleeping excessively could also be indicative of a thyroid problem? Has anyone had experience with thyroid problems in children? Is it something they just grow out of eventually?
Just looking over some of my old posts and wanted to tell everyone that responded, thank you! You all eased my concerns so very much at the time I posted this, and I appreciate it. Of course shortly after this post my son started sleeping less. Shouldn't have opened my big mouth, I missed those long naps once they were gone! Now he's 3, and naps are a thing of the past...sigh. : ) He's still on the small side but a little higher up on the charts. My husband and I are both on the smaller side, so my doctor pointed out that genetically speaking we are probably going to just have smaller kids. We have another baby now and he is a little bigger than our first but not by much! Thanks again for all the input!
That sounds like a lot of sleep to me. Get the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" which has lots of great information in it.
It is a lifesaver.
My son is now 22 months old and he slept 10-12 hours per night and slept about 5 hours per day until he was around 20 months old. His doctor said this was perfectly fine and he would grow out of it when his body is ready to. And unfortunatelly he did and I really miss those 2 naps : ). He still sleeps about 10 hours at night and a 2 to 3 hour nap during the day. He is not under weight though and I don't know anything about thyroids, but I would say hes fine on the sleep part. But you and your doctor know whats best for your son, so consult your doctor if your worried, if nothing else to at least put your mind at ease.
Hi J.~
My son will be 16 months old in a couple of weeks... he gets about 10 hours of sleep per night, plus a 2 hour(give or take 30 minutes) nap during the day. Once in a while we'll get him to sleep 12 hours through the night, but not very often. Honestly, I'd be happy if he got more sleep! He is also extremely underweight... just weighed in at 21 pounds (and very tall) at his 15-month appointment.
I can't offer much advice on the thyroid issue, but I can tell you that it does cause people to feel extremely run down. I do not think it is something you grow out of. I used to have a thyroid problem, but was treated by a kinesiologist who "healed" me by giving me all natural supplements.
All kids are different. If you feel, as the mother, that there is a problem, start with a phone call to the nurse line. If you feel like you need to bring him in, then do it. You know your child the best. Trust your gut.
my 15 month old sleeps at least 12 hours a night and takes 2 naps during the day that are anywhere from 1-2&1/2 hours each. Sorry I can't help with the thyroid issue, but it really is normal for a child his age to sleep that much.
Hey J.. I also have a 16 month old. She goes to bed around 8:00-8:30 and is usually up anywhere from 6:30-8:00. She takes atleast an AM nap at around 10:00ish and sleeps about an hour and sometimes up to 2 hours. She does sometimes take an afternoon nap at about 3:00 and will sleep until around 4:00. It really depends on how much activity she has gotten that day though.
Last time she was to the doc she was above 50% on both height and weight.
It is my understanding that if his thyriod is overactive he would be very active and skinny and may also have a "bug-eye" appearance. If underactive he may be chubby and tired a lot. IDK. Good luck!
Every child is different - of course. According to the book "Baby 411" (an excellent resource for the first year), children of this age average around 14-15 hours of sleep per day, 11-12 at night and the rest during one nap. My son slept 12 hours at night and usually a 2 hour nap in the afternoon at 16 months. Good luck.
I don't think you have anything to worry about! I looked at a chart from our ECFE baby class from the pediatrics association about how much sleep babies & kids should be getting- I believe it said about 14- 16 for this age. My daughter is also 16 months old & she sleeps 12 hours at night. And then 2 hours about at nap time. You could also do a search online & I'm sure you could find the recommended amount of hours & see for yourself. But I think this is very normal.
My oldest son was a big sleeper.. he had a growth hormone deficiancy..We took him to an endocronologist.. and they monitored his growth. He is now 21 and about 5ft 4in. but he is awesome.. and very healthy!
hope this helps your concern
my son is almost 18mo and he still is on that sleeping program. I thought the same thing but his doc said that it's normal at this age, and that they will sleep more if they are having a growth spurt. I hope this makes you feel a little better.
Sleeping is a good thing, but I understand your concern. My daughter was always tiny and slept well. She was diagnosed with Celiac at age 6. This diagnosis explained alot of the other things we saw with her as she was growing. She did not have text book symptoms of this disease so the doctors never thought of testing her for it until I pushed it. Now, she is growing like a weed, has a ton of energy. Don't rule out food issues. Going gluten free is not that difficult. If you continue to be concerned, go with your gut and keep pushing. Good Luck!
My son is very small for his age and they checked him for a lot of different things including thyroid (and all they found was that his iron levels were low). But he is also a very good sleeper (I used to worry about it but now I just feel blessed that he sleeps so well!). He sleeps about 12 hours a night and then takes 2 naps between 1.5-2.5 hours at almost 14 months old. I don't think that it is bad that your doctor checks for different problems but you may just have a small son who likes to sleep!
I don't know if it means it's ok, but my twin boys also slept that much. They outgrew it at 19 months. All the sudden they just wouldn't go down for their morning nap. My boys are also small, but they only weighed 2 pounds when they were born. I know this doesn't help you much, but just lets you know someone elses child slept that much!
Good luck!
J.,
I am not sure about the thyroid problem, but my (almost) 16 month old sleeps about 12 hours at night (on a good night) and at most 2 hours during the day. I think he is at the low end for his sleep requirements for his age.
It sounds like your little guy is sleeping a lot, but that might not be a bad thing. I'd follow up with your Doctor before your next appointment if it concerns you.
J.
I have 4 children. All but one of them are GREAT sleepers and nappers!! They would sleep just as much as your son does. If I remember correctly it was right around the 16 month mark that they would kind of "wean" themselves off of that morning nap and just take one long (3 hour) nap right after lunch (we eat lunch around 11:00). Since my last baby was born (7 mos ago) I have been diagnosed with postpartum thyroiditis. I was hyperthyroid for a little while, and now am hypothyroid. Before they put me on the synthetic thyroid hormone I was very tired all the time, I didn't have an appetite, I was depressed and didn't want to do anything. There are a number of websites out there if you google hypothyroid to find information. I guess what I am trying to say is, I would think you would see more differences in your son other than sleeping so much. ALSO, try not to worry about it or think about it to much. This is a very treatable problem to have! If the doctors were to worried they would have tested him right away! Good luck, I'll be thinking of you! Let us know how things turn out!!
