We recently moved our 20 month old daughter to a toddler bed. She has had no problems going to sleep at night. We put her down and she goes to sleep, sometimes she will get out to get a book and then crawl back into bed. However, naptime is a different story. I put her down and she will just get out and play or read books. Sometimes I will lay down next to the bed and "make" her fall asleep but I don't think that is a long term solution. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks to everyone for all of the advice and support. We have adopted the quiet time idea and so that is working and I have moved up her bedtime on the days she doesn't nap. If we have been out and about in the morning sometimes she falls asleep in the car on the way home so on those days she naps. I think the consensus that she is not tired is correct. Thanks again!
Yes! My daughter did the same thing! I won the battle by making nap time QUIET time. She was allowed to listen to music, stories on tape etc. NO TOYS! and the only rule was she had to sing or talk quietly and she could not get off the bed.
Usually, she was asleep in minutes and she felt grown up instead of napping like a baby! Worked in about a week.
With my girls (25 month old twins), we do not call it "nap time" but "quiet time" in preparation of the day they refuse to go to sleep. I give them a couple of books or a very quiet toy and put them down every day at the same time. As long as they stay on their bed, they can choose to nap or read or talk to themselves. Most days they still fall asleep, but once in a while they stay awake all afternoon. Good luck.
I don't think you can really "force" her to sleep. As has been said, there are three things you can't make your child do: eat, sleep and poop. But you can make sure that she has "quiet time" every day. Even if she doesn't sleep, she has to stay in her room and be quiet during nap time. She can read or play quietly with a small toy on her bed, but she must stay in there and she must be on her bed and she must be quiet. This way, even if she doesn't sleep, she does have some "down time."
A group of friends and I were just discussing this. It may very well be that she is ready to drop the nap...crazy I know, but each child is individual. The moms who have gone through this transition, have instituted a "quiet time" where the child stays in their room, but can do quiet time activities, such as reading etc... Also, they have tended to put their kids to bed earlier to make up for the needed sleep. Good Luck!
Well... since she seem to like to read set a regular schedule and let her take some books to bed. She may not want to take a nap or may not feel like she really needs it. HOwever, she may need some quiet time. So tell her that she has to spend at least one hour in bed with books or just resting. Sometimes they'll fall asleep out of boredom!
A couple suggestions: maybe she's outgrown her nap, and even if she has, you can still give her a quiet time during the time she would normally take a nap. My nephews did this, and it was a nice wind-down quiet time for everyone involved (like an hour or so). Maybe she can have books, or quiet toys, or whatever, but she stays in her room or on her bed.
Hope that helps!!
A.
My 2 year old has the opposite problem. He'll sleep in his "big-boy bed" for naps, but not through the night. I'm curious to see if you get any advise I can try. Good Luck!
K.,
When my twins, now 9 were about that age, they stopped all together taking naps. They were late sleepers, like 9:30 or so in the morning, so by 12:oopm they weren't ready for a nap. It did take them a few days to adjust not taking a nap, but I had to much to do to lay around until they both fell asleep. Plus this is such a bad habit to start. I started it and it was soo hard to break. I did not do this with our second child.
I used this to my advantage because they were in bed usually asleep by 7:30pm-7:45pm. This was great because my husband and I could have quiet time(romance before 10pm when were both exhausted), watch a movie, or read a book, or just do a load of laundry and not have it pulled off the couch after I just folded it. Or just do nothing at all and get an extra hour or two of sleep.
Good luck, Trish
Maybe the child does not need to nap. Our bodies tell us when we are tired. I think we tend to over do the nap thing with our children. If the child is tired, the child will nap. If the child is not tired, she won't. It is that simple - don't force it, it will only lead to sleep problems. You can offer her the chance to nap, the quiet setting, stories before nap and if she still does not want to sleep, she may not need to.
I think every child who makes the move discovers the freedom of getting out of bed on their own! Be thankful she doesn't do it at night...my boys did! Here's what I did...I would sit outside their bedroom door and each time they got out I would sternly tell them that it's naptime/quiettime/bedtime and that they needed to stay in bed. Let her take some books to bed, but tell her she has to stay in bed (you can give her a timer or whatever method you want letting her know when she can get up. I've heard of some people getting those timers on a lamp and when the light goes on they can get up) It took about a week or two, but they will finally get it that they need to rest and stay in bed! And just so you know every so often they will test you! Good Luck!
Hi K.,
Maybe your daughter simply isn't tired enough to take a nap. Sounds like she stays quiet and entertains herself so she probably gets nice rest anyway.
Enjoy your sweet little one and remember she's smart enough to sleep when she needs it.
Take care, S.
I had one that wouldn't go to sleep unless I sat and watched her. I just didn't have time for that since I had others I had to tend to and home school. So I observed her behavior when she didn't nap and she was actually fine in the evening. She wasn't melting down or throwing fits. She was ready to be done with the nap. Watch your daughter and see. Maybe it can be queit time with books on her bed. Tell her she doesn't have to nap, but she has to stay in the bed with books for this time. Good luck.
Stac
