Here's the deal, my 17 month old daughter goes to bed fine at bedtime, but naptime is a SERIOUS undertaking. I know she's tired by 12:30 (rubbing eyes, wanting to nurse, talking about sleep, etc.) but after our routine I put her down and she cries for 20 minutes then is wide awake and wants to get up. The last few days she hasn't gone down for her nap until 3:00. I would try putting her down later, but she's so sleepy all afternoon it's hardly worth waiting...She'll fall asleep in the car if I try to go anywhere! I've even tried laying down with her on our bed (we used to do this when she was little and it worked great) and she still fidgets, cries, wants to play, etc. She needs her rest, and I need my Mommy time! Her new baby doll ONLY sleeps in the crib and I"m hoping that will help...Any ideas? Maybe it's just a phase?
Thanks for all your advice, moms! I've made it a point to stick to the routine when it comes to naptime (easier at bedtime, for some reason) of lunch, playtime, books, milk, bed. She also has a new baby doll that goes night-night with her and models for her what to do when it's time! I stand over her crib for a minute or two just singing or humming with my hand on her back. She still cries a bit, but only for a few minutes and she's out like a light. Now, if I could just get her to poop BEFORE her nap... :) Thanks for everything!
My oldest stopped taking naps before his first birthday, but he DID have to have "quiet time." He would cuddle up on the couch or in the recliner and look at a book or play with a toy or watch a video. It recharged his batteries so he wasn't a little grump for the rest of the afternoon and I had time to get a few things done.
I think you may be waiting too long to start the routine before putting her down. If you can anticipate when she's going to be tired, start your routine BEFORE she starts rubbing her eyes, etc. That way, when she does hit the tired point, she's ready to lay down. I had a nurse tell me that if you wait for all the signs, you've already waited too long. Hope this helps...
I am not sure if someone else already suggested this, but I would try starting your naptime routine by 12 at the latest. If she is visibly tired at 12:30, she may be overally tired by the time you lay her down and then she has trouble relaxing to sleep. You could read, nurse or whatever for like 10 minutes at 12, and maybe she will sleep better.
Best wishes!
Try this advice I tried from a book. Put her down for a nap EARLIER. If she is rubbing her eyes at 12:30, put her down at 12:15 the next day. Keep to a routine and keep backing up the time until you can get her down.
I believe the reasoning is that when we all get too tired, our body kicks in with adrenaline to keep us going. You need to put her down BEFORE she acts tired. (I have taken that advice myself at my own bedtime! I get a better night's sleep!)
There are several things you can try and I'm sure you have tried them. My recommendations are making sure the room is dark, I mean really dark. If your are herbal in nature at all I recommend Valerian Root. It is a great sedative, but you cannot overdose even a young baby on the stuff. If the baby is not tired, it doesn't work, but you described a baby who is tired. I have used this on countless occasions on people ages 6 months to my age. Other herbal sedatives are chamomile, hops, lobelia etc. Another thing is that at 17 months, she cries for so long because she knows it works. She must be dissuaded of this notion. When you put her down, she will cry. Wait 5 or 10 minutes, go in pat her and say ni-nite and leave. repeat this at increasing intervals. Be aware that depending on the stubbornness of your kid, this may take several hours or even a few days for the message to sink in. The message is "Mom is in charge".
-S.
I agree - quiet time on the couch worked wonders for us. When our boys went through this, we compromised on "rest time" instead of "nap time." The deal was, they could stay on the couch watching a movie, reading one or two books, or playing with quiet toys. If we didn't have a movie on, a timer was set for 1-2 hours. If they got off the couch before the movie was over or the timer went off, that meant they gave up the option of "rest time" and had to go to bed for a regular nap. After they understood we meant it - they would have to go to bed if they got up, they stayed put, and once we started doing it immediately after lunch, it became routine that they just did on their own. In the beginning, they even usually fell asleep before "rest time" was over!
When my 2 ( 11 1/2 months apart) were little they didn't want to go "down" for a nap either so I would join them. Read a story, some soft dreamy music, and we'd all drift off. I know I at least sure felt better the rest of the day for having had some Zs. I can't imagine dealing with little ones who are sleep-deprived and I'm sleep-deprived... what a nightmare!!
As Donald Duck always said, for ALL situations, "You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar."
PS: Medical science recently "discovered" that people ALL NEED to go vertical and rest/sleep for 1/2 hour at midday. What's wrong with us, running around despite our body pleading for mercy, and allowing our children to do the same?? Heck, the French have always had their duez a quatre (2-4)!! :)
T., I have three young children of my own and naps can get hectic. When my 3 year old announces he's not tired while rubbing his eyes, I tell him he can nap now or in 5 minutes. He always chooses 5 minutes. When his 5 minutes are up I tell him it's nap time and I remind him it was his choice. I don't know if this will work with a 17 month old, but kids are always smarter than we think. My other "trick" I use for naps are "after you wake up then" you can play with your new toy or read another book or have that extra fruit snack. This one isn't my favorite because it's a bribe, but hey no ones perfect:0) Good luck, because Mom needs quiet time too.
Heather
