Bedtime for Toddlers?

I read somewhere that they typically can be awake 4-5 hours at a time at age 2, so if they wake at 2 from a nap, they'll be close to ready to sleep by 7pm.
But my daughter doesnt follow any of these books, she fights sleep to its end.
We only get home at 6 and she has dinner at 6:30, baths at 7:15 and then its story and milk in bed and then lights out. She is usually ready to sleep by 8pm but sometimes can take till 8:30 or later till she's asleep. As I say she is just feisty that way.
She has a day time nap at creche between 11:30 - 1pm and on weekends we struggle to get her to take a nap, and on those days she'll go to bed at 7pm.
She's always been a light minimal sleeper from birth.
She is 2yrs 7months.
Her 5m old sister is in bed by 6:30 for breastfeed and falls asleep by 7pm. But once she's a bit bigger we'll put her down at 7 to be asleep by 7:30.

Thanks so much for all the feedback! Its such a big help

I think a lot depends on the day nap.

Logan generally naps in the middle of the day, from around 11:30, sometimes 12, and usually only 1.5 hours, although I suspect he sleeps a bit less than that at creche.

On days he is with me (Wednesdays and weekends) he usually has that one nap and then will often go to sleep between 7 and 7:30. Very occasionally he will have 2 naps but that is the exception, and when that happens he only falls asleep between 8-8:30.

On days he's at creche a lot depends on whether or not he falls asleep in the car on the way home. If he does, then he usually lands up falling asleep around 8-ish which personally I feel is a bit too late.
On days that he doesn't fall asleep in the car he generally falls asleep around 7-7:30.

A friend of mine's son (about 20 months old now) naps in the morning, I think around 9 or 10 and then won't sleep again for the rest of the day. He's asleep for the night by 5:45 or 6 most nights.

Logan and I normally get home from work and creche at about 5:30, and dh at 6. We then bath him at about 6:30 (I give him supper as soon as we get home), and then he lies on his change mat stroking his fluffy bunny and drinking his bottle while i dress him. Very occasionally I then put him straight into his cot and he goes to sleep. But usually once i've finished dressing him he passes me his bottle and we then go through to the lounge again where we have calming music playing (Lize Beekman Lullabies) and most of the lights are off and he plays quietly and often brings me books to read to him. When I feel he is getting tired then I take him to his cot and give him the rest of his milk. Sometimes we have to walk up and down with him a few times before he'll go to sleep, other times it's just into his cot, milk, asleep.

He usually wakes up around 7-7:15 in the mornings.

Anne Richardson from Babysense recomends a bedtime for toddlers between 18:00 and 19:00, no later than 19:00. This is what we have followed since she was about 18 months up to now (she is almost 4 years). However I think if both parents work full time I can't imagine putting your child to bed at those times. You will never see your child, except weekends.

I think it also depends on the daytime nap. However for toddlers from 1 year onwards they should sleep between 11 and 12 hours at night, as suggested by the "sleepsense" book.

I am really happy putting my little girl to bed at 18:00 because she stopped taking a daynap from 2 years old therefore she is totally wasted by 6! I get to spend most of the time with her during the day so I have a bit of time for myself and husband once she is put to bed.

Is she happy and well rested in the morning? Guess that is what is most important.

Hi Widget

I take Inge (2yrs 3mnths) to bed at 19:30 - we read and pray and then it is lights out. She falls asleep anything from 5min to 1 hour (depending how busy she was during the day). Over weekends I take her to bed when I can see that she is tired but mostly it is no later than 21:00.

Hi Moomies,

I am interested to hear what time your toddlers have their bed time routine and go to bed.

What is a reasonable bed time for a toddler under 2 years of age?