Support for Dropping That Last Nap, Thread #2

[Mom to M&M]

Good luck Rina - keep us posted. What about limiting Zara to just 45 minutes or even 30 minutes and trying that for 1-2 weeks first?

Meg - these kiddos are crazy I tell you. But it's definitely partially teeth here - top right and bottom left molars through and bottom right cutting now. Thank goodness for Motrin on a day like today... Try to just enjoy your guests and go with the flow. So if you put him in his crib and he doesn't nap will he at least stay in there a while? Same at night? If so, then try that!

Cath - will he take a nap any earlier than 1:30? Like 1 even? Maybe try limiting to 45 minutes and see if you can get bedtime better before cutting it out totally?

DD napped today at 12:45. Tried to wake her at 2:15 but it took till almost 2:30. Will get her in bed by 8:15 tonight.

[marensmama]

I guess the fact that I've been consistently whining on the toddler sleep board for the last month makes me eligible to join in on the support thread?

DD1 will be 3 in July.  She's always been a fab sleeper but a bit of an early riser.  She has for the last month been dropping her nap for several days in a row and then goes back to napping for several days...  I think she does need the sleep, but for whatever reason, she's decided she doesn't.  After three days of no-nap, we're both pretty worn out.  She is hysterically happy one minute and tantrum-ing the next.

She sleeps 10.5-11 hours at night and 2 hours for nap.  I've tried playing with nap times, offering my bed for naps, offering quiet time instead (but then she yells out after 10 minutes that she's done with quiet time and ends up waking her sister), earlier bed time (but she just lays awake talking until the usual 7:30 bedtime)... Nothing works to get her to nap or to make up for that lost sleep.  It's like she will either nap or not nap, regardless of the circumstances.  I'm sad to see it go, but I don't know if there is anything else I can do to encourage her to sleep.  If she does nap, she has no trouble falling asleep at 7:30, even if she's napped until 4:30, and that's why I'm convinced she needs it.

Because I'm worn out and used to having 'me' time (doing chores and surfing BW ) I've been offering her books and her Franklin DVDs to watch.  I feel a little guilty for this, since I could probably find some more toddler-friendly activities, but TBH I really don't have the energy.  How does everyone else quietly entertain their toddler during nap time so as not to wake their younger children?

Thanks in advance!

[rinajack]

Karen, she has had many days of naps that were shorter than 1 hr, (ie 45 etc) and STILL won't go to sleep til late.  The other problem is, she won't nap either, unless I lay with her, we were really pushing for the nap by me doing that....and since I can't do that til Hughs nap time, which is 1:302ish, she is simply waking too late.


9:30 is the earliest sleep time we have had in weeks, many have been more like 10:30pm, which is totally not suitable in our family, that is a late night even for me!

Quiet time here is done together, my DD does not play well independantly, and I have absolutely no me time in my entire day, so sorry I can't help more on that.

[PeepersMom]

Well, we had a long sleep day.  Slept 11 hours last ngiht and 1.5 for nap.  And fell asleep quickly for nap today.  I happened to have given him tylenol at 830 this morning.... but nap was at 1245.... maybe it helped?  I got a glimpse of a bottom molar that I didn't know he was working on.  SO that makes 3 molars at once.  the fourth came in a couple months ago.

Yes PJ will stay happily in his crib awake if I don't rock him.  The only way he will nap at this point (MY FAULT TOTALLY) is through rocking or in the car unless it is very late in the day - like 3 pm  To get a nap at a decent hour and falling asleep for bedtime at a decent time (I am with you Rina!)  I rock him to sleep at 5.5 hours after he wakes for the day.  It really varies as to how quickly he will fall asleep then.  I am really hoping that this will go at least until he's 3. then I am guessing we are going to be done with nap.  We are moving right around the time of his 3rd bday and I know it will just make his sleep wack.

Rina, how was your day?  and what time did she fall asleep?

I don't think that sticking in a dvd for quiet time is all that bad or giving her a stack of books. We don't do a lot of tv/computer so a stack of books would work for us, but honestly, you need to save your sanity.  I would see if she would go for a stack of books and some soft music in her room?

Good luck tonight everyone!

Meg

[aidenmc]

Glad to see the board is on again! It is very late, I am very tired but wanted to post a quick note. We had been having great success with Aiden. He slept through a few nights in a row and he was sleeping until a decent hour in the morning. He was even tolerating normal bedtimes! But he got sick poor fella. Fever early Monday morning, vomiting that afternoon and higher fever (103) and now cold symptoms. Sent him to school Tues and hew as sent home after his nap with fever back. Tried again today (he tends to be better in morning) and he was sent home at 2. Now he is sick and irritable/grumpy. Last night's sleep was not great. DH had to go out so I had to do bedtime. Monday night he fell asleep in my arms on the couch. Last night I tried to do the whole routine as dh does but he screamed blue murder when I left the room. It sounded like he was being eaten alive! So in I went and patted his bum. Took an hour grr!. He was up through the night and early (5:30) in the morning. He barely napped today and fell asleep better for dh but woke at 9:30 pretty unhappy. Think it will be along night. WIll probably have to keep him home tomorrow but I know he will be okay in the morning. I have SO much work to do (am a graduate student with exams and papers due next week). Feel like a bad momma already for sending him today although he was really quite happy and energetic once he finally woke up and got over his grumpies. Wonder if I can get him to watch TV for the entire day  .

I haven't looked through the new posts but will try to get to them tomorrow to see how you all are doing.

[rinajack]

Today isn't going too well at all.  Zara wanted to watch a movie (spot) while Hugh was napping in the PM.  Here is a photo taken at 3pm.....

Have tried talking to her and she didn't wake, will give her another 5 mins (so about 15 total) and then will try waking her by actually touching her

[PeepersMom]

Oh, Rina!  that is too precious. You need to send that to DH to show him how rough it is to not let her nap. Ack!  what can you do now?  She does look yummy, though, doesn't she?  I want to curl up in front of the tv, too!!

Hope Aiden gets his sleep back.  Right when things were going so well they go and get sick on you.  humpf.

Well, have to admit, I haven't got the slightest idea when PJ fell asleep last night or woke up.  I was guessing he had a 10.5 hour night, but he fell asleep within about 5 min at nap time and at 5.5 hours awake time, so I think my guess was off.  I think I was probably off by about a hour!! He usually only drops off quickly if he gets less than 10h at night.  He slept just over an hour.

Have a good day everyone!

[marensmama]

Cute picture of Zara!  She's beautiful, gotta love a sleepy LO pic.

Maren is at daycare today, so she'll probably nap for sure .  She woke up at 5:35 this am but went back to sleep with some coaxing by DH (I'd been up twice already with Hayden) until Hayden woke her up at 6:45.

[rinajack]

She is gorgeous, yes, so thanks for the compliments.

She ended up having 20 mins, still put up a bit of a fight at bedtime, but was alseep by about 8:30, which is a huge improvememnt - unfortunately, she played and played for an hour to be asleep by that time, and DH had to stay with her because she wouldn't stay in the room (when she is actually tired when we put her to bed, staying in her room is not an issue).

So, had about a 10.5 night last night, longest she has had in AGES, so you would think that no nap today would be easier. BUT we are going out for dinner tonight, so are thinking maybe she SHOULD nap, because it will be a late night.  Then we are going away for a few days, and same story, will be eating out in the evenings, so now we don't really know what to do......

[Mom to M&M]

AWWWW love that picture Rina! Hope today goes well.

Rough day here. DD woke at a little after 7 - probably about 10.5 hour night or just over. Seemed tired for her nap but totally refused it and then had a huge mushy poo (damn molars) and that was it. She was actually hanging in there ok but then was watching Mickey Mouse while I was finishing getting dinner ready and DH was on the phone. She was excited and laughing and fell off the couch and hit her head. Luckily I think she's OK but is a little banged up and was pretty upset so of course that ruined dinner. But we were still able to get her calmly in bed at 7:30. It's a bit before 8 now and a few minutes ago she was still babbling away to teddy (bumped my head, ice, that's ok, Don fixing lights come back later...).

[rinajack]

aww cute that she is processing her day....Zara doesn't do that yet, maybe she wont', she only seems to talk if there is an actual need....

[*Natasha*]

Rina that photo is so precious she is such a cutie. DH's mum has a photo almost identical of DH like that but he actually fell asleep with his sandwich in his mouth.

[Mom to M&M]

Rina - DD doesn't STOP talking LOL!

[aidenmc]

Rina - Zara is such a cutie! Just skimmed through the postings to try to catch up on everybody. Don't you love when they chat away alone about their day? I am relieved to say that Aiden slept over 11 hours straight last night - his best night in ages. Relieved because things were awful there for awhile. I mentioned he got this stomach virus then what seems to be a cold. He has been feeling awful all week. The night before last was a horrible night. He screamed at bedtime and was up all through the night. It is hard because we had been working hard on his independence at night. DH tried to continue that when he woke but it was over 1.5 hrs of him not settling. Eventually I went in and slept with him, patted his bum to settle him. He was complaining of a sore tummy. I would try to leave after he was in a deep sleep (his bed is so small) but he would wake 45 to 60 minutes later and scream for me again. Was up at 5:30 for the day and in a horrible mood. Kept him home from school which was hard because I have so much work right now (I know, so why am I on here?). Anyway, he watched TV much of the day and laid around on the couch. Slept over 2 hrs for his nap (broken as he woke in the car after 30 minutes, then a few more times as he slept on the couch. Anyway, after all that he went to sleep by 7:20 ish without a peep and woke at 6:40 saying hello? at his door. So happy! Back to school for him today.

[marensmama]

UGGGGHHHH.  No nap again today.  Both her cheeks are bright red, she's got purple bags under her eyes, she's being fairly disagreeable (with moments of cuteness interspersed in between), but she is refusing to even entertain the notion of quiet time, let alone nap.  I've had it.  I need a break.