Help - how to re-introduce an afternoon nap?!?

[mumtothree]

Hi there,

I'm really hoping someone can help us out, up until about 6 weeks ago DS (28 months) used to consistently nap for at least an hour every day.  He is at daycare every morning until 12.30 and was mostly in the cot and napping by 1pm.  Then he started napping for only 30 minutes and then he stopped napping altogether and started to just play in his cot, throwing his toys out, stripping the bed and jumping around.  As a result of having no nap he started to have meltdowns from about 4pm onwards and started having to go to bed around 5.30pm.  At first this wasn't a huge problem as he'd have a really early dinner and bath and settle to sleep quite happily and sleep through till 6.30/7am (sometimes even later). 

Now though I think he is suffering from major OT, we get huge tantrums and he's not settling very easily at all at night time and we're having NW's and EW's     The only way I can get him to sleep during the day is to go out in the buggy or for a really long drive but even then he will often only sleep for 30 minutes.  I really think he needs to be sleeping in his cot but I don't even know how to start with getting him back in there (have tried transitioning to the big bed but he is a really sensitive wee boy and I don't think he is ready).  His routine at the moment is roughly this:

wake 6.30-7.30am
"nap" in the cot 1ish through to maybe 2 at the latest - and this is generally just play time.  If he hasn't slept then I will sometimes take him for a walk around 2.30.
bed 5.30 if no nap and asleep by 6 or 6.30/7 if he does nap.

Having said all that we put him down at 5.30 tonight and he went to sleep about 6.15, woke again at 7 and is still crying and unsettled 

I did wonder if he was just outgrowing naps and I think he can happily stay awake till about 3 now before he gets really tired but that seems far too late to be putting him down for a sleep.  The other problem is that when he does nap in the buggy/car/cot because it's such a short nap he wakes up incredibly grumpy which I think means he hasn't slept for as long as he needed. 

Please help, any advice or tips are really welcome and appreciated, I really don't know what to do my lovely wee DS seems to have disappeared and I'm at my wits end   

Bhumi

[becky1969]

We had trouble at almost this exact age -- 27 months in our case --.  We moved the nap later and everythign went better.  It may be that he's not tired enough so plays and then is past sleep window and can't fall asleep. 

I'd try a 1:30 or even 2 pm nap.  If he only sleeps 30 minutes, that's fine! But even 30 minutes might help fight that grumpy afternoon monster, you know? Plus, it will help you get back to a more normal bedtime.

[mumtothree]

Yeah, I was thinking maybe about a later nap time...will try it this afternoon and if he doesn't sleep in his cot I think I'll take him for a walk as a last resort just to avoid the OT later on. 
Thanks