Toddler having a hard time falling asleep

superjew

Mon, Dec 26 2011, 11:33 am

My ds just turned 2 ka'h and he hasn't napped for a while and I sorta gave up on it. He's in playgroup and they say he naps some days, others not. Guess it depends on a few things. Anyway,for the weekends I just gave up trying since he'd throw tantrums, cry & screech in the crib etc. I figured he outgrew it. I had a hard time with the transition but accepted it. Anyway, point is that a few weeks ago on a lazy Sunday, my dh & I were watching tv and ds was playing nicely with his toys. I'd check on him occasionally, then I realized he was really quiet so I checked and he was fast asleep! I guess he was tired and I found it adorable that he just konked out on this own. He never did that before in his life! He always had to be put to sleep on a schedule. The following week, dh & I on shabbos afternoon read books in bed and shortly after my ds climbed into bed and fell asleep a few minutes later. I was thrilled, I figured this was his new thing and from then on we made family nap time. It worked! I noticed the last few times he has a really hard time relaxing. He twists and turns. Then as soon as he seems to have gotten comfortable he starts hitting me, I tell him to stop, he turns over and tries to calm down,then again, he starts banging his feet against the bed. I ignore it and he kinda goes in and out of calm periods. It worries me and kinda creeps me out. Its very sudden. He seems to be about to fall asleep and he jumps up, starts singing and dancing, then plops down on the bed trying to find a comfortable spot. This goes on between 10-30 minutes depends on his tired level I guess.
We never force him to go to bed, we always lie down, he plays and comes into my bed whenever he feels ready. So I always feel like it isn't that he isnt tired and I'm not sure what would cause it.
Has this ever happened to you or any of your children?
Is it normal? A sign of something maybe? Just curious and a bit worried.

Thanks

superjew

Mon, Dec 26 2011, 12:51 pm

Thanks for your response.

They sleep in carriages at playgroup, she told me some days he goes in talks for a bit and falls asleep, others he doesnt want to get in the carriage and they don't bother with it too long.
Some days if we're going out he falls asleep in the car seat without a problem. I'm not sure about the sensory thing, but it can be. Every time he hits me and acts aggressive during nap time I give him his blanket and rub it on his cheeks, he calms down. Sometimes I find him doing it to himself when he tries to calm down.
If its neurological, wouldn't there be other issues besides just falling asleep for his nap?
Bedtime is a breeze, though I dont watch him fall asleep, its fairly quiet in there and he seems calm.

5*Mom

Mon, Dec 26 2011, 12:59 pm

superjew wrote:

Every time he hits me and acts aggressive during nap time I give him his blanket and rub it on his cheeks, he calms down. Sometimes I find him doing it to himself when he tries to calm down.
This is great. You are teaching and he is learning self-regulation skills.

If its neurological, wouldn't there be other issues besides just falling asleep for his nap?
Probably.

Bedtime is a breeze, though I dont watch him fall asleep, its fairly quiet in there and he seems calm.

From the above info it doesn't sound like anything more than a child transitioning out of his nap. Transitions are a kind of twilight zone. I think when you rest all together he's reading the cues that it's nap time, is used to napping so he tries to do so but his body can't always fall asleep in the middle of the day like it used to. If there is really nothing else worrisome other than this, then I wouldn't worry.