Kid refusing to nap

[hokiegirl82]

What do you do when your kid all of a sudden goes from napping twice a day to refusing to nap at all? DS is 15 months and in the past couple of weeks screams and screams whenever I put him down for nap, even if I wait several hours more than his usual nap time and he's showing signs of being really tired. I know he's exhausted because he will fall asleep in the car immediately but will NOT nap at home no matter what. I'm really not ready to lose those precious 45 minutes of nap time when I have some time to regather my thoughts!

I thought he would nap at least once a day until he was about 2. DH thinks maybe he doesn't want to nap because he is so stimulated by everything right now - I swear the kid doesn't stop moving from the minute he wakes up until he goes to bed. I don't mind the energetic toddler, but I miss his naps. Help??

[dcn]

It is likely a phase. I would drive him around for a nap, if he will sleep there. Keep trying and eventually he will nap again.

Also my Ds dropped to one nap at that age, and nap was early at first, like.....10:30 or 11 am. Have you tried putting him down earlier rather than a couple hours late? A late nap for my Ds just results in overtired crankiness and he rarely sleeps :/

[MadamePresident]

I have been having trouble getting chase to nap at night. He just doesn't want to stop playing in order to go. Last Night I took him for a walk in the Ergo, we were about 4 houses down the street when he fell asleep. I used to do that with Nods when she was the same age.

[auntie]

If DS napped for 5 seconds in the car, it was the nap for the day.

When DS went to one nap, it moved to after lunch, closer to 2pm.

[lauren170]

Aug 30, 2015 14:00:45 GMT -5 auntie said:

If DS napped for 5 seconds in the car, it was the nap for the day.

When DS went to one nap, it moved to after lunch, closer to 2pm.

Yes, 5 second nap in the car or stroller means we're done for the day, but we get a really cranky kid who stumbles around like a drunk. Rough weekend over here. She fell asleep in her stroller at 9:30am this morning.

[sent]

We had this happen last Sunday. I've been trying to move her to 1 nap and on Tuesday she was dying without the early nap so she took 2, and by Sunday she refused to take either nap. We had to put her in the car and drive around and got about 1 hour out of it. I think teeth are part of it too. She knows she has to nap but for the last 3 days had screamed and cried when I put her in the crib for that single afternoon nap. She eventually does fall asleep. I hope it gets better for you.

[dulcemariamar]

Have you tried letting her to CIO in the crib? Every so often ww had to do that to get the naps back on track.

[hokiegirl82]

Aug 30, 2015 14:08:19 GMT -5 dulcemariamar said:

Have you tried letting her to CIO in the crib? Every so often ww had to do that to get the naps back on track.

Oh yes, every single nap I've put him down for lately has been about 45 minutes of him crying and screaming, that's about as long as I can take the screaming. So pretty much CIO is it but he never actually naps.

[VillainV]

C has been doing this too, ALL WEEKEND. He absolutely will not nap in his crib, or anywhere else in the house. He's napped a grand total of about 30 minutes in the car, and another 15-20 minutes in the stroller all weekend. Attempts to let him CIO in the crib result in 45 minutes of him screaming and getting more and more worked up. Sometimes he'll lay down for about 1.5 seconds, then he's right back up again. He's exhausted.

[dulcemariamar]

Aug 30, 2015 14:15:38 GMT -5 hokiegirl82 said:

Aug 30, 2015 14:08:19 GMT -5 dulcemariamar said:

Have you tried letting her to CIO in the crib? Every so often ww had to do that to get the naps back on track.

Oh yes, every single nap I've put him down for lately has been about 45 minutes of him crying and screaming, that's about as long as I can take the screaming. So pretty much CIO is it but he never actually naps.

Oh, no!! That sucks. Have you tried making a more elaborate nap routine to wind him down? Black out curtains?

[formerlyllizzyb]

When DS dropped to one nap it happened early...11ish. We just did an early bedtime to compensate.

[chickadee77]

L did this a bit when she dropped to one nap. Daycare can get her to stay awake until 1, and she'll sleep for an hour, tops. At home, if I put her down around 11, I can get anywhere from 1-3 hours.

So, I second trying to put him down earlier rather than later. Also, not sure what your nap routine is, but L also goes down for naps much more easily if we drink milk, read books, then go to nap. She needs to unwind, even for just a nap.