Do you have a bedtime routine? Is there a way that you could do this routine at naptime?
Ugg Not Napping!
My two yr Old DS is refusing naps!!! He really needs one because he is cranky and can barely keep his eyes open. If we are home alone he will not take one!!! It results in him cry hysterically till I cannot stand it any more and give up. We started to take a nap today at 11:30 and have watched an entire movie and he still is awake. He moves around and squeals just to stay awake. I have no idea what to do now. How do you get your toddlers to take a nap?? He eventually falls asleep around 4 or 5 if he does not have one then he wont wake up for 3 or so hours and is hard to get to sleep for bedtime. Btw We go to bed at 9:00-10:00 and wake up 8:00-9:00.
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Ya our bedtime routine is to just go to bed with the lights out. DS sleeps between dh and I. He falls right to sleep and is a very good sleeper.So I figure the reason he is refusing to take a nap is because Dh is not here during the day.
i would skip the movie and duplicate your nighttime routine... my LO sleeps WAY better with the blinds down and the humidifier or loud fan on. at 2, you should be able to explain that daddy is at work, will be back... etc.
good luck!
good luck!
The movie was only a spur of the moment thing. otherwise is chaos. It kept him still for that entire time. he was just being persistant.lol he is asleep now.... ya just wore him completely out untill he is really tired.It's already has been two hours so I will have to wake him up and deal with a cranky kid till bedtime.
![]()
I will try to make the bedroom darker and try the bedtime routine. thanks!
Have you tried lullabies?
That has changed everything for us. DD was a very hard napper, but now she will lay down and sleep when I play the songs.
I also recommend bed time routines. DD's bed time and nap time routines are different, but she's dealing fine with that.
That has changed everything for us. DD was a very hard napper, but now she will lay down and sleep when I play the songs.
I also recommend bed time routines. DD's bed time and nap time routines are different, but she's dealing fine with that.
I think maybe we figured something out. He skipped napped altogether yesterday and fell asleep around 8 pm he woke up happy at 7 am and has done very well all day. Is it bad if he doesnt have a nap even though he seems well rested and happy?
Perhaps he's just dropping his nap altogether.
My DS (who is a few weeks younger than yours) is starting to drop his last remaining nap. I'm soooo not ready for him to do that, because I'm expecting a new baby in 2 weeks, but you can't force a toddler to go to sleep, ya know. We still follow the same routine we've been following for over a year now, and he'll just lie awake in his cot, kicking the sides, talking, playing etc. Sometimes he'll get cranky and want to come out, other times he'll stay in there, awake, for nearly an hour. Bedtime is usually slightly earlier on the days he skips his nap (7pm instead of 8pm).
I'm probably giving the wrong impression with my post, because on the days he skips naps, he's intolerable all afternoon - cranky, irritible, aggressive etc. It really does seem like he still NEEDS a nap, but I haven't figured out yet how to get him to sleep when he doesn't want to.
My DS (who is a few weeks younger than yours) is starting to drop his last remaining nap. I'm soooo not ready for him to do that, because I'm expecting a new baby in 2 weeks, but you can't force a toddler to go to sleep, ya know. We still follow the same routine we've been following for over a year now, and he'll just lie awake in his cot, kicking the sides, talking, playing etc. Sometimes he'll get cranky and want to come out, other times he'll stay in there, awake, for nearly an hour. Bedtime is usually slightly earlier on the days he skips his nap (7pm instead of 8pm).
I'm probably giving the wrong impression with my post, because on the days he skips naps, he's intolerable all afternoon - cranky, irritible, aggressive etc. It really does seem like he still NEEDS a nap, but I haven't figured out yet how to get him to sleep when he doesn't want to.
Hmm sounds like DS! Oh and i am expecting in august so ya Tell me how it goes 
DD (a crappy sleeper since birth) did the same thing right around her 2nd birthday when I was mid-way through PG. I need her to nap. She needs to nap. I stuck with it, and she's still napping at 31 months. Some days she'll refuse and skip it, but most days, I can still get her down for 1-1.5 hours - somedays more like 2+ hours. She's tired, and she needs the rest.
If we get out of the house each day before lunch, she'll usually go down without a huge fight.
Try pushing nap time a little later in the day. For a while there, DD went down at like 3 or 3:30 or even 4 in the afternoon - but at least she was going down for a nap. Once we got back into the routine of napping and not fighting about it, I started pushing naptime back to around 2 p.m.-ish.
Also, she has always needed a dark room and white noise to get to sleep, so maybe try that?
ETA - I also meant to mention that even if DD doesn't nap, I always, every day, give her the OPPORTUNITY to nap. If she's not going to sleep, she needs to have quiet time in her room. She gets to take books or toys in there (no TV or anything like that) but she needs to stay relatively quiet and stay in there for at least 45 minutes. Somedays she plays, but after testing it out a few times (whether I *really* would let her just have quiet time or if I'd crack and fight her into a nap), most days she naps now.
If we get out of the house each day before lunch, she'll usually go down without a huge fight.
Try pushing nap time a little later in the day. For a while there, DD went down at like 3 or 3:30 or even 4 in the afternoon - but at least she was going down for a nap. Once we got back into the routine of napping and not fighting about it, I started pushing naptime back to around 2 p.m.-ish.
Also, she has always needed a dark room and white noise to get to sleep, so maybe try that?
ETA - I also meant to mention that even if DD doesn't nap, I always, every day, give her the OPPORTUNITY to nap. If she's not going to sleep, she needs to have quiet time in her room. She gets to take books or toys in there (no TV or anything like that) but she needs to stay relatively quiet and stay in there for at least 45 minutes. Somedays she plays, but after testing it out a few times (whether I *really* would let her just have quiet time or if I'd crack and fight her into a nap), most days she naps now.
I deal with the same issues of my DD (2 years) trying to skip naps. DD really needs at least 1-1.5 hour(s) of nap time a day or she is crabby and very irritable. I found that getting DD outside for playtime at a park when it is nice out really helps. She usually falls asleep on the way home. On days when we can't go outside due to weather, I really engage her, when she is interested, in following me around and helping me with housework. I'll rearrange her play area or try something that involves her toys, clothes, etc.
Molly
Molly
Your night-time schedule sounds a lot like ours. If your DS isn't getting up until 8-9am then 11:30 is probably too early for a nap. Feed him lunch first and put him down at 1-2pm and then restrict the nap to 1-2 hours.
Also, I have been firm with DD that she needs to stay in bed for "nap time" but do not require her to sleep. I tell her to lay quietly and stay in bed anyways when she says she's not having a nap. Eventually she falls asleep 98% of the time. Especially with a new baby on the way, you are quite probably going to want that quiet time. If he will lay in bed quietly with a book or several books or listening to music or stories then you can at least have your quiet time.
Also, I have been firm with DD that she needs to stay in bed for "nap time" but do not require her to sleep. I tell her to lay quietly and stay in bed anyways when she says she's not having a nap. Eventually she falls asleep 98% of the time. Especially with a new baby on the way, you are quite probably going to want that quiet time. If he will lay in bed quietly with a book or several books or listening to music or stories then you can at least have your quiet time.
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