My daughter is just 26 months and has stop taking her naps during the day. It has been 3 days and I am exausted! I never knew it would be so draining keeping up with her activities…I feel sooooo old! :biggrin: She used to have 1.5 hrs nap everyday which gives me an opportunity to turn on the tv, have a cup of tea, relax and put my feet up. Now I am sooo tired and would be in bed by 9.30-10pm or fall asleep on the couch when I should be finishing a movie on dvd!
Any other parent in the same boat? When did your tot stop taking naps?
We are getting to that point as well. My toddler sometimes falls asleep while watching his fav TV show, that I tape or a fav DVD. Here lately we exercise before nap time, that gets all if his wiggles out. The more we stimulate him the more he naps. We have also tried a fav blanket, or toy to fall off to sleep. Now my other son, I have to sometimes just hold him still, if he gets still then he falls asleep. Also, I have noticed that if his bedroom is too warm he has a hard time falling asleep. Also what about his bed area, does it have bright colors near it? there are colors that stimulate the brain so therefore the child stays awake. Another thought is having dreams. Sometimes my child gets extra hungry when he has a growing spurt he doesn’t nap well until he eats more, that isn’t often but it has happened. Just a thought. My toddler is 20 months.
Mine is 28 months old… naps are a struggle… i kinda call the shots though… I let him know that he can stay up if he is awake and happy… if ot h needs to take a nap… he understands this and is pretty good… whether he naps or not hes down usually at the same time every night… I find the less I make big deal about sleep the better sleep he gets.
Her bedroom has only the alphabet borders around and everything is white…oh and her wardrobe is red…thats the only bright colour. lol We have a shelf with all her wooden toys and her books. This I find doesnt help with her sleep as she always wants to read more and more.
Most morning she has activities to attend, either montessori session or kindy gym or library story telling/craft. I take her to the park. I try to do everythign to tire her out when I get her home for her afternoon nap. Although I really think she might not need naps anymore. She is definitely not whinney, clingy or overtired in anyway. Maybe she will take naps every 4 -5days…I dont know…it’s been the first for me…just been so draining. One thing thats fantastic is she now sleeps all night through…approx 12 hours.
hi, my son is almost 12 months, so far we are still following our routines. i think having a routine is good since the child get used to his schedules as we mother have so many things in our hands.
have you tried the johnson’s baby wash bedtime, it really works magic, try it your tod so that she can calm down a while and be able to get nap. it works with my son!
Our son stopped napping in the afternoons from 3 years old. But from about 2 and a half I was starting to struggle to put him to sleep and after a while I alternated, 1 day nap, 1 day not etc. He did need the rest as he got really grouchy. I found the same as you mother of faith, that he often had growth spurts and needed more food. I still have it now at bed time “mom, I’m hungry”. It also helped to make the room dark, however as soon as he was asleep, I’d open the curtains so as not to confuss the day time for night. Another reason why he wouldn’t sleep was that he needed the toilet and was just holding it in. So after half and hour to an hour of trying to get him to nap he’d declare he needed the toilet! In the end my husband suggested that it just seemed to stress everyone and that we end the afternoon nap… I had thought that this would mean he’d be exhausted at the end of the day, but it’s been a struggle to get him in bed at seven thirty, which is bed time. The lavender idea is one I have used in the past and am happy to be reminded of it again! Will try the Lavender fabric softener on the sheets and will put a lavender sachet under his pillow. One thing though that I am grateful for is that he is not an early riser. So if the house is quiet he sleeps till 8am. However, if he gets woken up before 7am his is grouchy for most of the morning… sigh…
My son will be 3 next week. During the week he goes to bed around 8:30pm and gets up around 7am. He goes to daycare Mon-Thur and is pretty active until 11:30. They eat lunch and then at 12 they lay down for a nap. I think the fact that he was busy and just ate he sleeps well. The lights are low and lullaby music is played on a low volume. Plus, all his friends are asleep beside him.
On the weekends however (Fri-Sun) he usually doesn’t go to bed until 9-9:30pm and sleeps til around 7:30-8am. Since he sleeps in a little more and is not always as active as at school, he doesn’t always take a nap for me. He has to have been VERY active and out and about to take a nap and by then it is around 2-3pm. And I never let him sleep past 4:30 or 5 or he will not want to go to bed until midnight!
Unlike your daughter, if he is very active in the day and has no nap he will be short fused and ill. He will be fussing if he doesn’t get his way. So maybe she is ready to stop the naps. Sometimes on the weekend even though I know he will not nap, I will turn off his light and tell him to get in bed and turn on a movie. I close the blinds, cover him up and give him his night time teddy. I know he is not napping, but he is resting and relaxing and this helps his attitude the rest of the day and gives me a couple hours to get stuff done.
Today has been the fourth day without an afternoon nap. I can see she is tired, rubbing her eyes periodically. She somehow overcomes this tiredness real quick and is ok in a few seconds. Her temperment seems to be quite good for a child who doesnt nap…seems to be holding on quite well! :wub: But I know she is tired. Maybe I might try putting in bed anyway but not expect her to sleep but just rest. I still feel she is too young to stop her naps…
One of my friends had the same problem when her child stopped having an afternoon sleep. So my friend could have a break she made her little girl hav afternoon quiet time and she was sent to her room to play quietly but she didn’t have to sleep.
This made my friend happy because she got a break and her child was not so grouchy from being active all day.
She is definitely not whinney, clingy or overtired in anyway. Maybe she will take naps every 4 -5days…I dont know…it’s been the first for me…just been so draining. One thing thats fantastic is she now sleeps all night through…approx 12 hours.