How can I get my son to start napping again???!!!!!

[Debobu]

Hi

My 33 month old DS dropped his nap about a month ago very abruptly. He had been napping beautifully for 2 hrs or more every day and then he starting refusing and saying he wanted to play. I tried to force the issue but it didn't work.

The problem is that he needs the nap. He only sleeps 10 hours at night-sometimes 11 and he is really tired in the afternoon and wired but refuses to nap.

I have gotten him to nap in the car a couple of times but only for 1/2 hr and he wakes up very upset and tired. The other day I was able to get him to nap in the stroller after an active day but that has only happened once.

I am also EXHAUSTED!!!! I am a SAHM and I am with him all the time-don't really get a brake during the week and it has been really hard. He is very active and does not play much independently so I am "ON" non stop every day for about 13-14 hrs. It doesn't help that most mornings he is up at 5:30 am asking to play.

What can I do to get him to nap again? We both need it!!!!!

Thanks!!!

[Debobu]

Nobody has had any success? :-(

[APToddlerMama]

I have no advice on how to get him to start napping again.  DS stopped that shortly after he turned two.  If I were you though, I would have some sort of "quiet" time in the afternoon for an hour or something where he can look at books or whatever but needs to play quietly solo.  That will at least give you a break. 

[Peony]

I've never been able to get my kids to start napping again once they stop. I'll second the quiet time suggestion. 

[crunchy_mommy]

My DS stopped napping right around 2, he does occasionally fall asleep in the car or something but even that is never more than 20-30mins so... I think once the naps are gone, they're just gone, because 6mos later we are still in the same boat. Very frustrating because it doesn't mean they don't need the nap -- just that they won't take one!!

I second the suggestion of 'quiet time' -- although I'm not having much success with it, the best I can get is 5-10 mins while he cuddles up to me & listens to an audio book. Hopefully your kid will be a little less resistant!!

[lifeguard]

Like pp I don't think there is much chance of restarting a naptime on a regular basis but the quiet time can work. I am finding it takes some effort to make it a habit. I got a couple special toys for ds that are only for quiet time (a car mat & a play farm). I give him the option of playing in his room quietly or the spare room quietly (for some reason he LOVES to play on the bed in there) or to play in my room on the bed beside me. Most days he chooses to play in the bed beside me where I add an extra rule that he cannot play on top of me! Most days he comes in my room (I try to lie down during quiet time 'cause being pregnant I so desperately want naps) several times but we are now fairly comfortably managing an hour of quiet time.

The days he plays in my room I find after 20 minutes or so he will want to cuddle - which is fine as long as he lies still & quiet which means he will likely fall asleep. It's not often, maybe once a week but on those days he has a pretty good nap.

Some people do tv for quiet time but I don't find that works for ds - he just doesn't sit still & watch.

I have also recently discovered that I can put a blanket & pillows down on the ground outside in the shade in the afternoon & he will play fairly quietly beside me for quite some time.

[Debobu]

Thanks you all for the feedback!

I try the quiet time and he will listen to me read a couple of books but then he will get up and want to go play and ask me to play. He used to play by himself more when he was younger??!!! now he demands we play with him and gets upset easily if we are busy and say we can't. But you all gave me good suggestions which I will try. 

Today we went to the beach and he fell asleep in the car for 45 minutes which was great but is was rather late ( 4:30pm or so).

But in general if he falls asleep in will be in the car or stroller for 20 mins or so.

So if he won't nap regularly even though he needs the nap-How can I get him to sleep more at night?

He falls asleep by 7pm now (used to be 8:30 when he napped) but wakes up anywhere from 5 to 6am so gets generally 10-11 hrs of sleep which I believe is not enough for him. I can also tell because the afternoons are really rough......

Thanks again!

[lifeguard]

Honestly that is about the amount my son gets - it's less than most children this age but he's so consistent with it, he's growing well & generally a happy child so I think it is enough.

[Megan73]

My son - exactly three - has gone through periods of refusing to nap at home on weekends then gone back to them. And (annoyingly for us) he has no apparent problem napping five days a week at daycare!
Our rule is he has to be in his room and (relatively) quiet between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. It's up to him if he naps, looks at books or plays with a toy. It's not a perfect solution - and on non-napping days takes some redirection by mom and dad - but it means he does sometimes actually nap which he really, really still needs.