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Wont Nap

Hi everyone



I cant remember the last time I went on here but hoping you guys might have some words of wisdom : ) My daughter doesnt sleep through the night and I have tried everything, but I have learnt to kinda accept it, but now she wont nap, it is as if she is being punished. She screams the house down if I put her in her cot through the day but at night she is fine (but I think that is because she is so tired). She needs to nap at least once a day, some days she looks like she is drunk because she is so tired but fights it. She is a very lively toddler and doesnt stop running around and chatting, she sits down for nothing! She will instantly go to sleep in the car or buggy though but not in her cot. Today she is asleep in her cot after letting her cry for 5 mins then going up to her, eventually she agreed to lay down and I rubbed her back to get her to sleep. Does any one else have this problem?



thanks ladies

Replies

  • Hi Labs,



    I always reply to your sleep posts!



    If you remember I also have a non-sleeper. She is much better at night now and normally sleeps through but still needs the boob to go to sleep at bedtime and will not go to sleep in her cot in the day.



    I have to say I am weak and have just got into the habit of taking her out for a walk in the buggy. she takes 10 mins max to drop off then I bring her back and put her in the cot where she sleeps for 1-1.5 hours.



    I am planning to address the getting herself to sleep at night issue soon so I can wean her off the boob and am hoping napping might fall in to place when that is fixed!



    So can't offer you any good advice I'm afraid, just tell you about the bad habits I've adopted for an easy life : )
  • I do have the same problem except she will nap at nursery usually 2 times a day but when she's at home with me she refuses to nap. She stands up in her cot and throws her dummy over the top then cries until she gets it back then immediately throws it away again. If I walk out the room she screams.



    I have had to resort to letting her cry it out at times, other times I have fallen asleep with her on our bed. Unfortunately I have yet to find the magic fix other than perserverance(sp) and consistancy of routine so she knows she's not going to win. I have also found she goes down better if she is in her sleeping bag like at night time. L x x
  • My ds will no longer willingly nap in his bed but will fall asleep easily in the car or pushchair. I give up putting him to bed in the day now I either let him fall asleep in the car then carry him inside when I get home or put something on tv that he likes and get his quilt and cuddle with him on the sofa and hope that he will calm down and fall to sleep which he has been doing a lot lately. x
  • Thanks ladies and hello Peony lovely to hear from you : ) Do you think one day will we post that are LO's are napping, sleeping through the night with no help from us? I have been told it is a sign of intelligence so I am hoping she will be very successful in life and pay for botox for her old mum to undo all those sleepness nights! ha ha ... take care and keep me posted x
  • Ha Ha!



    Well I don't know of any adults who still insist their mum sits by their bed half the night so I guess they will sleep through eventually!!! I'm just hoping its before she leaves home!
  • I think the way your toddler naps is down to how much you persevere with keeping them in their cot. If they are tired they will sleep anywhere but if they know that you are goin to come in to their room and fuss and eventually get them out then they will play up and scream the place down bcos they know eventually they will get their own way, (they are cleverer than you think!). Just try letting them cry it out, checking on them every 10 mins (if it winds them up/stimulates them even more just peep round the door and dont let them see you) be consistent with this approach and you will soon have a toddler that sleeps in their cot/bed for their naps image
  • Tough one. My son (now 21 months) started refusing to go for a nap before Christmas at about 18 months. Before then he was brilliant - would go down in his cot awake and within a few minutes go to sleep but he just suddenly started screaming bloody murder when I said naptime. for a couple months he just napped a couple times a week and I thought he was at the stage of dropping it, but I now find if he has the opportunity, e.g. in the car, pushchair or cuddled up with me on the sofa when I see he's getting tired, he will nap everyday for about 1.5 hours. So that's what we do!



    Thing is it doesn't bother me because he does sleep at night and goes down willingly and without any fuss. If you're having problems at nightime too I can see that it would bother you more.



    I'm not sure how old your daughter is? I have used controlled crying in the past and it was effective but very traumatic for me! If I were you I'd probably concentrate on getting the nightime sleep sorted first and then the napping will either follow naturally or you might find it doesn't matter too much if it has to be the buggy / car.
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