Spirited toddlers and sleep

[scucci1979]

Alyssa is a textbook/spirited little girl. She has become more spirited when it comes to nap time and bt lately. She will fight both, when I know she is indeed tired. She is on the higher end of A times and now that she is interacting with her sister more, she has become more spirited towards sleep.
Naps vary from 1hr and 20mins to 2hrs. I always wake at the two hour mark.

Here is a typical day:
wake 6:30/7am
nap 12pm/12:25-2/2:20pm
bed 7:40/8pm

This week she has been fighting her nap time and bt. Normally she will direct me upstairs and lead me to her room for nap/bt. Now she will arch her way out of my arms and run out of her room, looking for her sister. It is like a game for her.

Any ideas/tips on how to do a wd for a spirited toddler? I don't know how long her wd should be. Normally, we have her bottle and sing a song.

[*Jo*]

Hey Sabs,

when Caleb did this we made a book part of the wind down, in his room where there were no distractions, it was quieter and he could focus on the story, then it was a quick song in the bed, kiss and leave.

Im wondering if her nap is too late though? Caleb was always at the higher end and hes been on a 1pm nap for about 8 months now and he wakes at 6.30/7am perhaps try bringing her nap back down again and see if that makes a difference?

[scucci1979]

I can try that for bt, but what about nap time? It seems she fights me on this too. I have a feeling she is just too OS come bt and nap time b/c she instigates her sister to play. She starts all the games!! 

[ZacsMumme]

I agree Hun, Z has been on 1 nap since 11.5 months and has high A times and LSN but needs a shorter first A or sleeps less for his nap. I wonder if she needs her nap closer to 11.45ish? Do you think her resistance is OS or OT behavior?

How long has she been having her nap at this time?

[koe2moe]

Sabs, i would say an early nap!  The increase of activities tires her more tha before.  It can be just another leap or after a leap. 

[scucci1979]

I can try moving her nap up a little and see if that makes a difference. I do know that if we are at the park in the morning, she will go down easy for her nap, but what do we do when winter comes. 
today she woke up at 6:40am and was asleep at 12pm for her nap. She was resisting a little so I just put her in her crib and walked away. She settled herself and slept for 2hours( i had to wake her).

I will try a shorter first A tomorrow morning.

[ZacsMumme]

Good luck

[scucci1979]

I don't know if it was b/c we had outdoor A time or b/c she is may be teething, but she went down pretty easy for her nap today!

[ZacsMumme]

Great one

[koe2moe]

I think physical acitivities get them nicely tired whereas visual and audio stimuli get them hyper especially when she is tired.  I found out when sometimes when DS cant settle to sleep it is because he is already OT and OS andn very hard to wind down until the next window.  I used to think it was UT, but of course, once we think we have got it, he develops a bit more and can handle more stimuli and A time, and then we are back to sq one:

[ZacsMumme]

I think physical acitivities get them nicely tired

Agree, esp for spirited kids. Being outdoors shatters Zac, wares him out nice and proper with all that fresh air and grass to run around in. Toys hypes him up and irritates making it hard to tell when he is actually tired too sometimes and TV just adds nothing really (Though has its place now I must admit after being a TV hater ) 

[scucci1979]

What do I do when the snow comes? Looks like I will be taking the girls to the mall to run around.

We are teething molars here. I can see one of them really swollen and she has been feverish all day yesterday.

[scucci1979]

did again for nap time today. She had an 11.5hr night and I had to wake her at 7am this morning. Come noon, we went upstairs, read a quick book and she again wiggled her way out of my lap and ran outside the door. I then, closed the door shut and sang to her standing up. I put her in the crib and she said bye to me and chatted for 10mins. UT??

[koe2moe]

calm down LOL...  she had a better night, she isnt hyper and she isnt OT!!  10mins chatter is GREAT!  that means she knows how to just get herself nicely to sleep!  Is it possible that you let them chase a ball inside or pretend to go throw rubbish as fast as possible???  I think being indoors, it traps all the sounds and that is hard to wind down from. 

[scucci1979]

I can try that as soon as the snow comes. I am really dreading winter. 

Let you ladies know how the next few days go.