18 month old has dropped all naps and won't do quiet time

[hmk1221]

Help!  DD has recently stopped napping and when we put her in her crib she just screams to get out.  I have tried putting her in there with toys, books, etc. as well as putting her down on a little mattress on the floor in her room with toys and books, but she just starts crying and comes to the door.

Is there an effective way to get her to do some kind of quiet time without involving the TV?  She stays at home with DH and DS (3, non-napper), and could use the down time from noise, activity, etc, and DH is pulling his hair out from not having a break.

[ZacsMumme]

Hat was her EASY before the no napping? I suspect you may have hit the 18 mth sleep regression

[hmk1221]

She would usually be up around 6:00 a.m. and would go down for a nap around 1:00/1:30, after lunch.  Then she would go down for the night at 7:30.

She really seems to need the nap, as she is a basket case by bedtime.  She has been sleeping throught the night, however, which started around the same time she dropped the nap.  And now she wakes up at 5:45 exactly, every day.

[ZacsMumme]

It looks like she has got quite OT how long was she napping for before this started?
Usually if LOs start to refuse their nap if things are going smoothly before then more A time or nap capping is needed. However, because your LO is likely OT from those days without napping I would try to get her to nap around 12 and see how she goes.

When you say she refuses to nap, is this only at the 1pm time? Did OU try other times. What is she doing when you try to PD for nap?

Most LOs if ready to drop the nap will pull 12-13 hr nights consistently. even then you can get into OT land

[hmk1221]

Before this started, she was napping for about 2 hours.  My husband and I have been trying various times, but nothing seems to work- she just starts crying till we come and get her.  Last night she even fought bedtime!
I'm hoping this is just a phase, but in the meantime we need to get her to do some sort of quiet time, but I'm at a loss because she doesn't want to be left a lone for too long, and not at all if she's left in her room...

[hmk1221]

I should add that she will fall asleep in the car within 5 minutes in the afternoon, which makes me think she's just fighting her sleep at home.  She also starts falling alseep while I nurse her before bedtime, which never used to happen.  Maybe an earlier bedtime is in order...

[ZacsMumme]

What are you doing at the nap refusals? At this age, if she is an independent sleeper usually I would suggest WI/WO. I really think she still needs that nap if she was doing 2 hrs before this bump.
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=80750.0
While you get no nap I would try super early BT.

[hmk122179]

We just get her out of her crib before she gets too hysterical and then she carries on with her day.  I will try walk in walk out and let you know how it goes!  Thanks!

[ZacsMumme]

HUGS - It is hard when they meltdown. I do think though, based on your posts, her age and routine before this drama that she has just hit a regression or needs a routine tweak and has got OT. She also may now know that in order to not have to nap she just screams...at this age they dont manipulate you intentionally, but toddlers do start to know what they do and dont want, and start to understand tht if they do x then y happens IYKWIM.

I would definitely give it a solid week of trying to PD for a nap after x A time (maybe try back at 1pm again or even earlier if you know you will get a fight as she will be OT by now) I would try WI/WO - only go in if she is crying for you, if she is groaning or moaning or chatting then leave her to try to settle. I would try for an hour and see if you can get that nap. Then let her sleep up to 2 hrs.

If you get the nap, and get it late you may need a slightly later BT, but you may not as she is OT. You will hopefully see a bit less resistance and a pattern emerge. Hopefully your WU for the day may get a touch later and then once she is napping again you can work out the ideal A time before and after the nap and ideal nap length. She likely needs 1.5hrs or so if 2 was a bit too much before.

HUGS - toddlers are tough when fighting sleep