Obviously a 2 yo needs a nap still - for both her sake and my sake.
Prior to easter this was not an issue. We had lunch at 11:45/12:00 - after lunch it was nap time. She went in her crib - never made a sound, laid down and slept 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
The week following easter she had a meltdown when I put her in her bed and that has continued ever day since. I've resorted to putting her in the car and going for a ride to put her to sleep. However she's also an extreamly light sleeper so the chances of moving her are very slim.
She needs her sleep obvioulsy - she's clumbsy and whiney during the day. She's extreamly clingy and needy. Been to the dr - she checks out fine, no 2 year molars coming in. I also am getting no break from her which is making me a mess.
She's fighting bed time too even though we are following the same routine we've had forever - bath, pj's, snack, brush teeth, book, bedtime. Last night was an hour and a half of putting her back in her bed.
Any suggestions would be very appreciated - the entire house is starting to suffer. Please let me know if you child went through anything like this or how you got them back on track. Help, please!
Hi S.,
I'm wondering if this could be food related. You said prior to Easter it was ok and then after... Has she had a lot of Easter candy? Sometimes kids have quite a reaction to that sugar!(or the artificial ingredients in the candy) - and it can last a while too.
L. L
http://www.goodhealtheveryday.com
My 2.5 year old went through the same thing with naps. One day I made a big deal about taking a nap. I told her when she wakes up-- she'll have a surprise. That day she had a beautiful wrapped present from the nap fairy. That was about 2 weeks ago and we've only had 2 days where she hasn't taken a nap. Now I am using cheap stuff, dollar store, happy meal toys, etc. and she loves a visit from the nap fairy. Good luck-- I know how frustrating it is!
L.
There is a great book by Richard Ferber called "Solve Your Child's Sleep problems" - available at most libraries. We've experienced LOTS of sleep issues with our 3 boys, including with our oldest who is normally a GREAT sleeper. I've looked at lots of books about sleep issues and talked with our pediatrician - they all come back to Ferber. He gives various scenarios - you'll likely find something similar to what you're experiencing, and then explains how to fix it. His book says that if followed, sleep issues will almost always disappear within 3 weeks if not before - in our experience, it's usually been only a few days to a week when we're back to "normal" after following the advice given as "prescribed."
Hmmm...I reponded to this yesterday and don't know what happened to it!
Anyway, no, you can't force her to sleep but you CAN enforce quiet time. Make her lay on her bed and read books for a half hour or however long you decide and if you are lucky she will fall asleep during that time! All 3 of mine stopped taking naps around 2. They just weren't that tired anymore.
We use the book Good Night Sleep Tight by Kim West. It is really good. Our daughter went through a smaller version of it and then it just passed. But I kept referring to the book. It goes all the way up to 5 yrs. old. As they grow they will have different sleep issues. So it is good to have a reference. We put a gate at her door at nap and bedtime because she has to play in her room for about a half an hour before she decides to go in her bed and sleep. We tried the walking her back to her bed each time she got out but that made it worse. I would get the book and give it a try. I know how much it stinks when they don't nap. Good luck.
