13 month old Nap Problems....HELP Please!

[4newmommy]

Hello:

My DD is 13 months old and has never been a great napper. Her best nap has always been the am nap until recently. I believe she is trying to go from 2 to 1. A good am nap was 1.5 hrs and then in the afternoon we've been lucky for the past 4-5 months to get 30-40 minutes. We  made the mistake of using her bottle and a rocker to help relax her enough to lye her down and the go to sleep. This was her wind down time as well. She has recently been weened from the bottle to a sippy cup and we tried to drop the whole rocking prop but she would just scream so we are now back to rocking but now with the sippy cup because we just want her to nap and if she gets too worked up she refuses. She is a very touchy/spirited baby and so we've always had trouble trying to figure out a good method to help her wind down. Music and books just seem to stimulate her.

Over the past couple of weeks, she has completely refused to take the 2nd nap by either screaming bloody murder or just playing so after 30 minutes we end up just getting her and putting her to bed early. Now, she has begun to scream when we put her down for her am nap and at bedtime (bedtime is better then nap time though). As soon as I lay her in her bed, she stands up and starts to scream. Going back in to try to calm her just seems to make things worse. Also, because she is tired by 10-1030 and only is sleeping 30min -1hr it makes for a really long A time in the afternoon. If she wont take a nap, I at least try to get her to "rest" in the afternoon. Ive even tried for several days to keep her up for longer in the am but then she naps even worse because shes OT.

Sorry this is so long. I just don't know what to do. Please HELP

Here is what her schedule looks like:

7-7:30-Wakes up (Usually plays in her bed 30 min-1hr before wanting up)
8-8:30: Breakfast with some milk
10-10:15: Yogurt
10:15-10:30: Nap (30 min-1 hr)
11-11:30-Wake Up
12-1: Lunch
3:30-4: Try for nap but usually unsuccessful
4:30 Give Up
5:15-5:30: (If no afternoon nap) Dinner then bath
6:15-6:45 bed

Does this look horrible?

[4newmommy]

Any Suggestions??? PLEASE

[lullaboo]

Hi! 
We've just recently been through very similar sounding and it's HARD!  DS is 15 months and also started refusing am nap which was usu longest, or refusing pm nap so making it HOURS til bed time.  I can't say I'm an expert but one thing I've learnt is how early you can actually put them to bed if that happens - we still often do 5:30 bed (as in - in bed asleep by 5:30, so dinner 4:30 followed by bath then bed) and on accasion i've even done earlier, just to try and prevent OT, and it does seem to help.

Could it be worth trying for 2nd nap a bit earlier, if you see a hint of tired cue?  Even now we have some days when DS just can't keep his eyes open for the normal A time adn throws in a much shorter A time - if we see the cues in time he often then sleeps very well/long (also 1.5h max!) but if we miss it we pay!

I've just got helpful advice in another thread (sorry don't know how to do links - its 'Nap refusal, EW and NW @15months', on this board) to shorten 1st nap to 20 mins in order to fit in 2nd nap during the 2-1 transition so you alternate 1 and 2 nap days - it sounds right for us but not sure if it would contribute to OT for your LO at this stage so hesitant to say.  your routine looks similar to what we've had including the ridiculously long A time if pm nap refused! except on the good days we had 2nd nap a bit closer to 1st, so shorter 2nd A time.

As for the crying when you put her down - from my own experience with my DS it sounds like it could be OT from the lost sleep the past few days/weeks, he starts crying and resisting naps when he's actually OT (except for very rare UT!) but some more experienced mums might think differently...

Have you read the help threads on 2-1 nap transition?

sorry if not much help but just wanted to say I know the feeling!

[lullaboo]

just another thought - what sometimes helped us is a 'pre-wind down' wind down - like doing something really calm for the 20 mins or so before expected yawn moment/tired window.  e.g. walking (carrying, hopefully she weighs less than my DS!) around the garden or house, sometimes I talked on the phone while carrying him for a few mins and that got him right into 'the zone'!

[babyboy26]

I am NOT an expert, as we are currently experiencing some nap issues, but I agree w/ pp...seems like too long of an A between am and pm nap when the am nap is that short.  I would try shortening that A time for a few days and see what happens.  Sounds like your lo is OT in the afternoon, and if not taking a pm nap, definitely OT by bedtime. 

When I made the switch from 2-1, I gradually shortened the am nap, which made A time before the pm nap shorter and shorter.  My lo also liked the am nap early, on less A time than the average lo. 

Hope this helps!
Kara