Staying in the room while lo falls asleep

[jenniewren]

Hi ladies this is my first post on the toddler board as my lo is 1yr old next week!! 

We have followed BW ideas since he was tiny and until just before Christmas I could do his wind down, put him in his cot and he'd go off to sleep for naps no problem. But then the 2-1 transition hit and he started nap refusal, so I started staying in the room to make sure he would go to sleep... Now if I don't stay in his room when I put him down for his nap he stands and starts playing etc. if I leave him he doesn't lie down, but eventually starts fussing & crying. We've more or less got his routine sorted at the moment -

6am wake
9.30-10am sleep
1.30-2.45ish sleep
6.45pm in bed asleep by 7.

He goes to a childminder 2xdays a week, and on those days he has one nap, and goes off on his own straightaway.

today for various reasons he's had one nap & I thought he'd go straight off as he'd been up for 4.5hrs - he was drowsy after wind down. But no, as soon as I left the room he was kneeling up sucking his dummy, then playing with curtains etc... that woke him up and it was another 20 mins before he settled (then he only slept 1hr15).

I would really like to get out of the habit of having to stay in his room and settle him.

Bedtimes are generally ok, striaght to sleep on his own. but if I time things wrong he is quiet for 10 minutes or so then again standing crying. I've tried WI/WO at bedtime on these occasions but he becomes more and more distressed and I end up staying in his room - I've done WI/WO for up to an hour before by which time he was beside himself. ON the times I've just decided to stay in there without leaving he treats it as a game, standing up laughing etc. So I've settled him, left the room & he just gets really upset. Nighttimes are fine as well, I still BF him once & he goes off on his own no problem.

So I'm not sure which approach to take to get him to go to sleep on his own for naps again. I think I was so anxious about him actually getting to sleep I've ended up creating a situation where he won't go off on his own. Yet he used to no problem, and he does at his childminders.

Any suggestions??

Jen x

[anna*]

Personally I would stick with the WIWO. It can take over an hour when you first start it, but once he falls asleep with you out of the room the first time, the following times should come easier.

[*Becky*]

Yes I would also do wiwo. We went through this same situation at the start of 2:1 although ours was mainly due to teething and SA. Once he was over that I did wiwo. It was actually easier than I expected. Good luck x

[jenniewren]

I guess my fear for naptime is what if he just doesn't go to sleep?

I know he can do it because he mostly goes to sleep on his own at bedtime and he often resettles himself in the night if he stirs or shouts out.

[*Becky*]

yes we were the same. DS would go to sleep fine at night and resettle in the night fine but naps were awful. I would think he will go to sleep IF he is tired so getting the A times right is important x

[anna*]

Agree with pp... try for the nap early - and if he doesn't sleep at all, try again in a couple of hours. If he skips two attempts at a nap, then do a SUPER early bedtime, and start afresh tomorrow.