16 month old having problems napping

[royael]

My 16 month old daughter is having (and always had) problem falling asleep for her 2 naps during the day. She used to be sort of ok with it (we have put her into the sleeping mood on our arms and then she would continue on her own in bed) until a month long illness came our way. Since then (it was 2 months ago) she is really being difficult not going to sleep on her own. She wants to be put to sleep on the arms and even then it sometimes cam take 45 min before she would actually fall asleep). Her naps are short – 45min-1h and she wakes up very tired. During the nights she sleeps only 10 hours and recently started waking up during the night looking for mummy. She is also very attached to me whenever she is home – looking for me and calling my name. Putting her to sleep at night is usually ok – we keep the routine of food, bath, quiet music and most of the times it goes smoothly. When we put her to bed for her naps she cries a bit and then goes on playing in her bed for 15 min or so – talking to herself etc and when she is tired of that she starts crying again. If we pick her up she does not want to sleep again and it takes a lot of time to get her into the sleeping mood again when she finally falls. How do I teach her to sleep on her own at this age? How do I stop the night wakes which I think has to do with abandonment anxiety?
HELP Please!!!   

[Harrisonsmummy]

Hi can you post daily routine? Sounds like she may be overtired - that generally causes the night wakings, and is probably a by product of too little daytime sleep.

let us see and then I am sure you will get some good advice.

Justine

[royael]

she wakes up 06:00am, drinks a bottle of milk and starts palying. she seldom goes back to sleep after waking up at 6 but she is often tired when she wakes up. she goes to sleep again at 09:00 am for about 30 min - that is the first traggle of the day - she is very tired and asks to go to sleep but cannot do it herself. if I put her in bed she will play and then start calling my name (or the nanny name). she plays outside until 13:00 goes back home, eats lunch and will go to sleep again anywhere between 13:30 and 15:00 depending on the day. she sometime needs to empty herself before going to sleep. this nap lasts for 60min to a amximum of 90min when she sometimes waked up in the middle of it and asks for help to go back to sleep. she plays again until 18:30 - 19:00 when she eats supper, has bath and then goes to sleep by herself with no problems at around 19:45-20:00. she is very tired when we put her in bed in the evening. she is a very happy girl and very excited of everything. she speaks a lot of words and walks and sometimes it does seem like she cannot get enough of the world. thanks for your help.