Support for Dropping That Last Nap, Thread #2

[Katet]

Nicole, 2 things I've found is 1) not offering them every day only on days I really think they are needed & 2) as I have a 4.5yo who occasionaly likes a nap & *I* need the break, they get to watch a DVD while I read a book/computer/do a sudoko... then if one or other falls asleep then it was needed & it sure takes the stress off me too. I then factor more relaxed time (reading stories) & more "organised" activities in the PM so we get less drama.

[marensmama]

Katet, in your experience does the nap then still interfere with night sleep on the occasion your ds does take it?

It's 7am here, and Maren is still asleep, making an almost 12 hr night, so so far so good.  I wonder if that's enough or if I will see an accumulated OTness?  This is all a bit of an experiment still.

[MommaHolmes]

Nicole - FWIW, Ollie gave up the nap before he turned 2. It's actually gone a lot better than I thought but I've been v brave about early bedtimes (earliest 5:30) and he sometimes did 13+ hr nights in the first few weeks. Yes, he can be quite fragile at certain points in the day but overall he's handling it well and though we had a few EW at first this has settled down and we've still not had any serious NW (which was the major symptom of his OT during 2-1 transition). On the occasions when he does fall asleep in the car during the afternoons it takes us an age to get him to sleep at night and those are the days when we usually get an EW and inevitably less sleep overall. Instead of a nap I sit him in front of a DVD (which was The Wizard of Oz every day for about 2 months!!) in a darkened room, as enforcing 'quiet time' was v difficult.

I know it's not the right move for everyone and some people have a real nightmare once the nap has gone but I just thought you might like to know that it can also go well and work out to your advantage (especially when you have two to think about!)

Laura x

[Mom to M&M]

Hey all - TONS of pages to catch up on - will try to read back some. As for us, DD hasn't napped the past three days but prior to that napped most of last week. Go figure. She did, however, sleep from about 8:30pm-8:40am last night with only a very brief waking around 4am when she couldn't find her pillow, so that is good.

[marensmama]

Just when I have her all figured out .....   Miss M decided to nap this afternoon.  We were snuggled up in my bed reading books (I wanted her to sleep so I could ) and the phone rang.  I was chatting away to my friend when I suddenly heard snoring!  I left the room and left her to it, it's been about an hour now, I'm gonna go open the door and hope she hears that Daddy's home.  I can't handle the hibernating bear wake-up we went through the other day!

She and Kaleb can still get married though!    Imagine how cute our grandkids would be?!  (OK, I'm old, but I'm way to young to be thinking like that!!!! 

[Katet]

Nicole, There are too many other issues at play around here that I can't say if the nap does or doesn't change his night sleep. BTW I used to get ds1 to sleep by lying down on the bed with him & reading a book, nearly always worked too.

[debo620]

well I must say, I am still so confused 

here was today
slept 8-7am
nap at 1---woke at 2:20 on his own--so I am thinking 1hr15min nap...thought that was great and in good timing!
bed normal time at 7:50 or so
hes been singing twinkle twinkle little star ever since....
at least he has stayed in his bed but its 8:50 and he is not sleeping yet...

so another short night sleep here...

[Mom to M&M]

As for us, DD fell asleep last night between 8:30-8:40 but woke at 6:50 today for first time in a while so I'm hoping she definitely naps today. Will probably put her in her crib by 12:30 unless she asks/needs sooner and if she naps cut her at 1.5 hours tops.

[marensmama]

Maren was up in her window seat until after 8, woke up at 6, so we'll probably go without nap again today.  She'll nap tomorrow at daycare anyways, and then hopefully on Tuesday on the plane

[debo620]

night was ok short as expected
-asleep finally at about 8:50pm
woke at 4:45 talking for a few minutes???
then slept til 7:20 or so.
trying for normal nap time at 1ish

[Mom to M&M]

OMG - SO tired today! After a 10 hour night, DD napped from 12:40-2:10 (woke on own but I was about to wake her) yesterday. She was asleep for night by about 9 (despite going into her crib just after . Then she proceeded to wake at 11:15, 12:30 and 4:30 and woke for the day at 6:30 - WAY early for her. Haven't braved a check yet but suspecting the last molar (would be her top left one). Will let her nap for 1.5 hours again today and bedtime 8pm and do Tylenol first!

[debo620]

good luck Karen, hope its that last darn molar!

[Peek-a-boo]

Ugh, DS has a cold, so I let him sleep in a bit and now he's not napping.  He's so tired and such a mess.  Sleep, buddy, sleep!

[marensmama]

Ugh, that's rotten Bethany.  It seems they like to refuse sleep when it would do them the most good!  Hope he's feeling better soon.

Maren did not sleep at daycare today (DCP not quite so smug now ) but she had a complete meltdown after dinner (which I handled remarkably well given DH was out and Hayden was waking from her catnap, thanks in part to Stacy and Katet's advice)...  Glad to put her to bed at 6!

[writelydivided]

My almost 23 MO son is in his crib, talking non-stop for almost an hour now (hardly qualifies as nap/quiet time). He did the same for almost two hours yesterday (including about a ten minute session of saying "Up down up down up down" really really fast, and I'm sure jumping up and down holding on to the edge of his crib). 

What do to? Do you intervene and try to tell him it's time for sleep? Or let him go? He just started crying, but yesterday's interventions didn't help at all. I just went in, because the crying sounded desperate, I put my hand on his back and he started giggling. . . We successfully did p/u p/d when he was little, but don't seem to be having the same luck with w/i w/o now (but maybe I'm not applying right).

We're used to 11 to 12 hours of sleep at night from him, plus anywhere from 1 to 2 hour nap (at about 5-6 hours after wake up). Here's the kicker: I have DS #2 on the way in less than 2 weeks (May 12). Please tell me this isn't the end of naps for my almost two year old. . . .

I think he's O/T (much more whining and clinginess than usual), but don't know where to go from here. Any advice appreciated!