Toddler Refusing to Nap. Ideas?

[Janine]

DD is almost 2 and she has recently all but given up her nap. She usually naps from 1:00-3:00 pm, but out of the last 14 days she has only napped maybe 4 days. She is tired, and she has never resisted her naps before. In fact even now she will lay down easily but about 10 minutes later she is talking, crying, etc. It is so weird since she is obviously tired, and fine with laying down. We've tried laying her down earlier and later. Neither works. I've tried just leaving her in her crib so long as she isn't crying. No luck. She will keep herself awake for an hour if I let her.

It isn't that I particularly mind that she isn't napping, but it makes her so tired that she ends up in bed an hour earlier for bedtime, which in turn usually causes her to wake up in the middle of the night or really early in the morning. And keeping her up until her usual bedtime after a nap-free day makes everyone miserable, especially her. Any ideas?

[Beaker]

bump for ya

[chrfath]

My toddler turned 2 in May. This is about the age that all mine gave up naps. I think keep doing quiet rest time. Let her go to her room but she has to be playing quietly for at least an hour. Bump it up to 2 gradually. She may surprise you somedays and just go to sleep.

My little guy goes to bed at 7 and sleeps until about 4am wanting to nurse then goes back to sleep until anytime after 6am. I really don't know how he can go all day without a nap. Except he is afraid he might miss something. By the end of the day he is wound up and jumping and acting like a crazy man.

I need to start implimenting the afternoon rest time for all of us. I know I will need that in place when our next LO arrives in Feb.

Good luck. I don't know if that was really much help. I can sympathize with what you are dealing with. I think DS took 2 naps this week.

[solnishka7]

i have a 15 month old and a 3 year old and they both def still need to take naps but are so afraid that something will be missed they try and make themselves stay awake. so i just try to wear them out in the morning and if that doesnt work i stick them in the car and take a little ride which always works, although it does hurt w gas being so $$ now but for me id rather spend 5.00 and get them to sleep then listen to them whine for hours...lol

[Jei]

Your DD is learning and knows that playing is more fun than sleeping. You just have to adjust her hours of sleeping at night or it will be hard for you.
Take care and good luck.

[tallanvor]

Only thing that ever really worked for any of my kids was a quiet time. Sometimes they fall asleep and sometimes they don't. On occasion I would put in a movie for them and they would end up falling asleep.

[Janine]

Thanks for the advice ladies! Unfortunately adjusting her nighttime sleep schedule hasn't helped at all. But I like the idea of quiet time and I think that is what we will go with. When she is "playing" in her crib during naptime she does sometimes fall asleep, so I suppose we will keep going with that. Thanks again!