Support for "Dropping that last nap"

[Mom to M&M]

So is Kaleb napping today since he asked? DD fell asleep here at about 1:45/1:50. Tried to wake her at 3 but she kept dozing for like 10 extra minutes. Still will try bedtime between 8:15/8:30 and see how it goes.

[debo620]

wow Stacy, it must be those molars...Noah is not napping..

I'm not sure the less then 6hrs A time is going to work...
had Noah down at 12:50 after a few books...but he has been whining and fighting napping....its 1:20 now and I've already been in there twice from him crying and throwing his lovies over etc.

we did have some errands to run etc this morning but he also had swimming and I think enough physical activity...?

I sort of think he'll fight the nap past the point he would have normally taken it and end up short napping, grumpy etc...

[debo620]

ok, so he was asleep at 1:40pm----he won't have much time to nap now....what should it be 1hr or 1hr15?

bed earlish  maybe 7:40 so he is asleep by 8:15 or so...

[Mom to M&M]

I'd wake him by 2:45 at the latest and then try bedtime at 8 if it were me.

[rinajack]

Yesterday Zara only napped an hour since we got woken by our barking dogs when a friend pulled into our driveway.  Woke at 2:55.

Finally fell asleep at about 8:45 last night, and woke for the day at 6:45.

Off on holidays this morning....

"See" you all soon, and good nap/night vibes coming your way!

[PeepersMom]

I just spent an hour with PJ trying to get him to nap today .... he is sick, he was quiet for almost that whole time, only messing around a little bit here and there but he just flat out refused to drop off just to spite me I a sure. I make it WAY to obvious that it is irritating me. I am so bad at that!

I put him down and told him that I would be back in another hour, which I really can't do b/c I know he'll have to pee, but I really really want to.  So, I can't go do anything this afternoon in the car b/c he'll just fall asleep which would be worse.  Any nap in the late afternoon will mess up night and at this point  can't mess with night. He needs a good night.

So lets see, that is 1 missed nap last week and 1 this week with a 2 2+ hour naps, 2 > 1hour naps and the rest about 1h15 min.  I just don't know what to do.  He was never really predictable, but this is just really wacky. 

I don't know what to think and what really has me irritated is that the next 6 weeks we have some really messed up schedules with visitors and us going out of town twice.  It really is hard, this all happens at just the wrong time, huh? 

Meg

[Mom to M&M]

I completely agree with Stacy - if you let it irritate you or drive you nuts you'll only upset you and him more. If he naps, great. If not, early bedtime. If you have to go somewhere in the car or stroller late afternoon do you best to keep him awake (music, special snacks, etc) but if he dozes keep it under 20 minutes.

Stacy - I hope Kaleb feels better soon. Rina, have a GREAT trip!

[PeepersMom]

You guys have it right on, I know you do.  I know you are right - I have to start looking at it almost the same way as I did when he first transitioned to 1 nap. if it was only 45 min then early bedtime.

In the end he got a decent 'rest' in the hour I was with him. He wasn't spazing and then the following 45 min in the crib after was a circus, but I got a little quiet time. 

Thanks for the advice to keep my chin up.  It is so odd to me that I am such a 'go with the flow' type person in every other aspect of my personality and with PJ except his sleep.  I still haven't gotten a grip and he is 2.5!  And in reality an ok sleeper for a toddler.  Have to keep the big picture in mind and not get muddled in the minutia.

[aidenmc]

You're right Meg about keeping the big picture in mind but I completely understand where you are coming from. I have been completely obsessed about sleep off and on for the last 32 months! It is always worse when they aren't sleeping well or predictably.
Reading through everyone's posts from the last couple of days shows just how crazy this sleep business can make us.


Aiden had sort of a good night last night (by our recent standards at least). This was his first night where he really protested DH putting him to bed. He cried quite a bit wanting me. It was really hard not to go to him. And then he tried all the tricks to get DH in (needs his blanket fixed, a cracker, too hot, etc.). DH waited him out and he was asleep by about 8. I think he may have been slightly overtired and that he would prefer a 7:30 bedtime but I really don't want to slip back to super early bedtime and wake times. Nonetheless he was up at 2ish then at 5:30 this morning. DH went in at 5:30 and he seemed to quiet down but was calling again at 5:50 so we got him up. Anyway, after our nights of 5-10 wake-ups this was an improvement. We took him back to the doctor tomorrow. No ear infection just pink eye and asthma from his rotten cold.

Stacy - I find it amazing that your lo will go for 12.5 hours. How nice! DS got less sleep than his 7.5 year old brother last night. I agree with your basic rules about naps and sleep. If Aiden naps it is never past 3pm and 1.5 hrs at most. I couldn't do a 12 hr bedtime on no nap days though because he is such an early waker.

Anyway, I am curious to see how things go tonight after the little protest last night.

[PeepersMom]

Becky just reminded me...

Stacy, I have limits as well.... I think they work really well and have given that advice a lot to my real life friends and it seems to help your kid and you mentally.  However, when PJ has NO nap he can only make it about 11 hours before he is out cold.  So tonight I will have him asleep by about  630pm.  He doesn't usually wake up before 630 in the morning so that will be a good time for him.  I guess I just have to set new limits since the rules have just changed on me.  These sleep and wake times are moving targets.

and becky, you are right, these posts here really make you feel not so alone with the crazies.

[PeepersMom]

Ok, today is obviously going to be another big lesson for us.  He fell asleep at 630 on the nose last night.  It is now 7:50 am and he is still asleep. I even went in his room because he yelled out about 30 min ago and he was snoring when I opened the door. (it must have been a dream)

I guess my goal here isn't to adjust to him not napping anymore.... my goal is to get him to continue nap, really, and deal better with the days when it just doesn't happen. 

So to try to get a nap out of him today I guess I will have to try very late in the day - like 2 pm or so and then just let him sleep 45 min if he even sleeps that long.  I really would rather have him nap.

So we'll see what happens today.  If no nap again, I guess I will see have to decide if keeping him up later tonight or waking him up earlier tomorrow is the answer.

any thoughts on this?  What do you all do with these long nights/late mornings?  it sounds so weird to complain about him sleeping till 8 (or later)   Maybe that will be one of my new limits.  Wake by 8 am to preserve the nap.

Meg

[Mom to M&M]

I'm sort of like Stacy - I don't wake DD in the morning unless we have to go somewhere. So for now that's rare but she does start camp this summer and preschool (2-3 morning a week) in the fall so I may have to wake her then but we'll see. In the meantime I let her sleep as late as she can/wants (save for Mondays when we have Gymboree class so she needs to be up by and if that means no nap or a tiny catnap that's fine for a day or two and then she seems to need a nap again...

As for today, DD woke at about 7:40 (after falling asleep around 8:40 last night - LOVE that Calms Forte) and will probably put her in her crib at about 1...

Stacy - how is Kaleb feeling?

[PeepersMom]

ok I get that about mornings... but you do wake at nap if it will effect bedtime?

[Mom to M&M]

I do wake from nap. I cut DD at 1.5 hours most unless sick. Most days it' 1.25 hours. If she falls asleep too late it's less.

[PeepersMom]

Thanks Karen.  I doubt it will be an issue as PJ prefers long nights and short naps as a rule, however in the past 2 months he started shortening nights and adding a touch to his nap.  But for months before that his naps were 45-60 min with a rare 1.5 hour nap.  My guess is if he does nap today it will be short.

we shall see!

we are off to the playground and I hope to use up some energy from that 13.5 hour night!

Meg