Naptime is killing me.

Mimisinger

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 12:56 pm

Every day it's a fight. Every single day, it takes over an hour to get him to nap. I just started pushing the nap back, but it's still at least an hour fight, and he was cranky to begin with. I'm at my wits end. Please help, I can't deal with this much longer.

ABC

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 2:16 pm

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Last edited by ABC on Sun, Jul 05 2009, 12:27 pm; edited 1 time in total

flowerpower

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 2:18 pm

What time does he wake up and what time do you put him to nap? How old is he exactly?

Mimisinger

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 2:18 pm

he's almost 2 1/2, and when I do finally get him down for a nap he'll sleep for 2 hours. Clearly he needs it, it's just the getting there that's difficult.

BusyBeeMommy

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 2:18 pm

Why do you fight? Just put him in his crib and let him cry it out on his own. Don't walk into his room to try to calm him, he'll do it on his own, eventually. The crying will exhaust him.

flowerpower

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 2:20 pm

I tell dd five minutes in advance that she is going to take a nap. I found that the warning helps her. If he sleeps for two hours then he can still use his nap. Dd is not yet two and she naps like 2 times a week. Perhaps you can do bookreading so he knows it's comming up and it's relaxing or you can let him take something special to his crib?

Mimisinger

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 2:22 pm

BusyBeeMommy wrote:

Why do you fight? Just put him in his crib and let him cry it out on his own. Don't walk into his room to try to calm him, he'll do it on his own, eventually. The crying will exhaust him.

He won't stay in his crib. Either he's destroying his room, or, he leaves the room and wanders around. There's no way to lock him in, and I also don't think it's safe to do that. He'll just bang on the door - he broke the handle like that already.

yo'ma

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 2:26 pm

What do you mean, it's a fight? Can you lay down in the room with him for a few minutes and see if he'll lay down, too?

Mama Bear

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 3:55 pm

honey... shimi did that to me too at age 2. it was clear he had outgrown naptime... I stopped fighting after a while. For a few months I still put him in his crib every day for an hour but after the hour gave up because he just didnt fall asleep. maybe it's time to give up fighting... and send him to preschool...

shoy18

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 7:11 pm

maybe it isnt a matter of pushing it back but pushing it forward, maybe by the time you put him in he is already overtired. I find that when they are overtired they absolutely wont go to sleep.

Mimisinger

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 7:13 pm

Yes, well he used to go to sleep much earlier. Now, he can't due to his IE services, and by 11am either, he's overtired as you're saying, or, he just won't sleep.

It's just hard.

HAPPYMOMMY

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 7:38 pm

Would he nap in a stroller?

Ds used to give me a very hard time with naps so I would put him in the stroller and roll it back and forth while singing softly. It calmed him down and he slept so well. Now he tells me when he wants to sleep or just curls up andd goes to sleep on the recliner or in his bed!

Mimisinger

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 7:42 pm

he used to sleep in a stroller. He doesn't EVER sleep in a stroller anymore, I don't know what happened.

dillie

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 8:17 pm

impossible to change the time of his EI services?
sounds like my ds when he gets overtired. and then the rest of the day is totally down the tubes.

Nicole

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 8:34 pm

Is he in school? Has he had a change of schedule lately?

RachelEve14

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 11:31 pm

Rivka gave up her nap very early (like 18 months). The twins gave up their nap around 2.5. It sounds to me like he's done with the nap. Rivka wasn't ready either, and she was a real pleasure between 3 & 5pm for a while, but she adjusted. You can't make them sleep. If it's a battle, just skip the nap and move up bedtime. Rivka is sleeping by 5:30 pretty much every night. The twins are out by 6:00.

NativeMom

Wed, Nov 12 2008, 11:37 pm

The only time I can get my son (2 yr old) to take naps is when he's up early in the morning, otherwise forget it! he's done! He takes naps at day care but that's only twice a week and he's up early. I tried to get him to lie down for a while but it was a struggle. I basically just stopped trying. Occasionally he'll fall asleep on his own and nap for 45 min but I just stopped trying to get him to lie down and go to sleep. It's hard enough getting him to bed at night!

BusyBeeMommy

Thu, Nov 13 2008, 10:32 am

Sounds tough! All I can do is wish you the best of luck! Oh - I just remembered, if you don't want him climbing out of his crib, they make a mesh crib tent that attaches to the crib. You can see straight inside and it keeps the kid from climbing out.