My 22m old finally learned how to climb out of his crib (as if he was a professional gymnast). We are going to transition him into a toddler/twin bed this week. But now naps are quite the issue. Before the climbing: bottle and a sweet dreams was all he needed (the bottle for nap time is not the issue we are discussing at the moment). Now he takes 45mins to calm down and fall asleep. He climbs out at least 3x, and there is a lot of crying until he finally falls asleep (or more likely passes out).
Any suggestions? 22m is not a point where neither he nor I are ready to give up his naps. Side note: when he does nap it is for 2-3hrs.
So for 2 days he climbed out of his crib pretty consistently. But then just stopped. He stayed in his crib for about another month, without and problems/crib tent. Evetually he got tired of that again so we decided to set up his toddler bed. Once he saw that he wanted to lay down in it, but not sleep in it. So for a couple more days it was back and forth (which made bed time SUPER FUN). After a couple of days it was just time to have him in the toddler bed for nights, but he still slept in the crib for naps. After a couple of days in the crib he has moved totally into his big boy bed and we are moving the crib out of his room as soon as my husband gets around to taking it down and putting back up in the next room for our baby girl. I like that it was a gradual transition, it made for much fewer fights i feel and down he still takes a nap, just in his toddler bed. Thanks for all the suggestions!
You might want to just sit quietly nearby reading a book or something until he settles down and is almost asleep. We always had to do this with my older one once he was in a bed.
Have you tried duct tape?
I do think he's too young for no naps! I have no suggestions. I've always rocked my kids to sleep...probably until they are too old, so I don't really have any experience! :-) Good luck.
I definitely agree with the possibility of him needing some sort of a change regarding his naps. Not necessarily the TIME (as close to an even split of the day as possible is probably best), but maybe the amount of activity in the morning. If you can do it, maybe make the mornings more active. I've had some issues with my daughter and her nap, and the more activity she has in the morning, the more likely she is to actually go ahead and settle in for her nap. Just an idea! Hope it helps!
If you don't want to move him out to a bed yet you could get a tent that covers his crib so he can't get out.
I had to sit with all my kids, and my daycare kids at that age. It's the new adventure of being able to get free of the crib, and the fact that they now understand that stuff goes on while they sleep and they would much rather play. Good luck.
You could also go super nanny on him, and just keep putting him back to bed without a word until he gets the hint, some say it works, but it never did for me.
Maybe he just needs an adjustment on when nap time is, like maybe he has more energy to burn now, so you should let him play a little longer. My son is only 8 months, but his naps have already changed. He is more energetic in the mornings now, so his naps have shifted a bit later. Try keeping him awake a little longer and see if it works. If he isn't ready, he isn't ready =)
