Napping

[Triniity]

Does anyone have tips on how to get your child to nap? DD does not nap anymore - but she needs it sooo badly. She gets really difficult in the afternoon, hyperactive and aggressive, and it´s not really fun to do anything with her.

Today, we did not get outside that quickly - due to an overtired mom - and she fell asleep on the couch while I was bf her brother. - so much to "I am not tired" - she actually spent 45 min in her bed listening to audiobooks (the same she listens to in the evening to go to sleep)

Maybe I am just putting her to bed to early... (at around 1 p.m.)

Any tips?

Thank you!

[octobermom]

We did quiet times when DD began dropping naps. Here it meant laying down on our bed no getting up we would do a mini nigh time rountinue with books and singing then she got to watch cartoons for an hour. sometimes she fell asleep sometimes shes didn't but shes at least rested and it made a big diffrence. How was she after listing to audiobooks for the 45?

Deanna

[Norasmomma]

I have opted for daily car rides at 12:30, I know it is extreme, but being pg and having an older toddler who is rather demanding and super confrontational when tired I have no other options. I live in the country and can take a 10-20 minute car ride and take her in the house and she will sleep for 1-2 hours. Which she needs terribly.

My DD has not really napped since about 20 months, she just stopped and it became such a battle that it wasn't worth it. All the "tricks" in the world didn't work. Car rides do, so I'm sticking with it.

She turns super heinous without her nap, 5 pm rolls around and it's nothing but drama for 2 hours until bedtime. Dh comes home and she just has constant meltdowns, he can tell if she's napped or not because she acts so radically different.

She also gets an herbal calming tincture for children at nap time and before bed. It helps her relax.

[newbymom05]

I do quiet time with my almost-4 yr old. He doesn't have to sleep, but he does have to be in his room, quietly playing. For us, it's all about consistency. I have to keep it at the same time, same routine or he'll fight me for days on it.

[crl]

Motion helped my ds fall asleep so I spent a lot of time pushing him in the stroller. And when he started dropping his nap it was really inconsistent from day-to-day whether or not he'd sleep. So I instituted "quiet time" and expected him to stay in his room playing somewhat quietly for 45 minutes every day. Some days he'd sleep and some days he didn't. On the days he didn't sleep he went to bed really early (like right after I fed him dinner so around 6:30pm).

Catherine

[LRMamaS]

I'm right there with you Triniity.  We'd been pushing our son around in a stroller to get him to nap for a long time (he used to have to be worn when he was a newborn and until I was pregnant with our daughter), but seeing as how he's two it seemed like it was time to transition to napping start to finish in the bed.  We're going on two weeks of daily struggles.  I've tried what seems like everything.  Soft music, a dark room, cuddles, reading stories, a pre-nap bath, a full belly, lots of active play beforehand, etc.  I finally settled on 45 minutes of quiet time, where he needs to be in the bedroom with no books or toys, in the hopes that he'll get bored and fall asleep.  He doesn't.  Nothing works.  He's clearly exhausted, putting his head down, yawning, becoming less active, and he gets impossible if he doesn't nap, so it's obvious he needs it.  I need help!  I'm anxious to hear what others have to say on the subject.  As a point of interest, bedtime does not involve any of these issues...

[mommy212]

LO seems to be slowly dropping his naps, and it has been a rough transition phase (still is). If we are home all day (ie no driving or stroller walks) he will usually not take a nap, but if I think he needs one we go lay on the bed and read a chapter book, and usually he will fall asleep. Most of the time I have to 'insist' he comes with me- picking him up and bringing into the room. I read in a calm voice while he usually cries and rolls around, but within couple minutes he quiets down and listens, and falls asleep in 10-15 minutes.

[TiredX2]

Is this your 5 year old?  My kids did not nap that late, but my sister's did and they did nap much later than that even though they are early risers.  You might try a quiet time closer to 2 or 3 and see how that goes.  How much is she sleeping at night? 

[LRMamaS]

So guess what?  My mom suggested I break out the playpen for my nap-striker since we don't have a full size crib and he sleeps in a bed at night.  Well, he was curious about it, said, "Liam lay down.  Tired."  Then he decided he hated it, but after about 30 minutes of fighting it, the bedroom got quiet.  HE'S ASLEEP!!!!!  Omg, I never thought I'd see the day.  "Quiet" time has been very loud for the last week.  Now we're having nap time, and it's so much better.  This little dude inherited my and my husband's stubborn streaks x's 10.  That's a whole lot of stubborn.  He was so exhausted.  Now I hope he'll be well rested and ready for the second half of the day!  Also hoping it takes less time for him to settle tomorrow, but this is progress to celebrate!  I'm going to try Calms Forte too.  Just thought I'd share something that worked over here.