18 month sleep regression- DESPERATE for HELP!

[kwiener]

I am desperate for help!  I have tried it all- believe me.  My 18 month old refuses to nap.  The only way I can get her to nap is if I let her scream and cry in her crib for 10-15 mins and I always said I'd never do that.  After she does fall asleep, she only sleeps for 45 mins and then is screaming again for me.  When I pick her up out of her crib, she falls right back to sleep on my shoulder and will continue to sleep on me for 1-2 additional hours.  I am not quite sure how to change all this.  She is GREAT about going to bed at night but during the day out-rightly refuses naps.  I say the word "nap" and she runs hiding from me and starts crying.  I have tried pushing her nap up 1/2 hour, then an hour... then pushing it back a 1/2 hour, then to an hour.   NOTHING changes- she will ALWAYS scream and scream.  I tried the method of standing by her crib but not picking her up until she falls asleep- she ended up puked from getting so worked up, but I changed her clothes and sheets while she stayed in the crib, never picking her up.  After 2 hours of screaming while I was by her crib, she FINALLY fell asleep STANDING UP with her head resting on the bar of the crib.  She is STUBBORN!  I have no clue how to get her back to her normal napping of going down very easily and sleeping 2-3 hours!  I'm pregnant, VERY terrible morning sickness and exhausted from my little toddler running the show.  PLEASE, I am DESPERATE for help or advice.  Thanks!

[Tweakster]

Hi there, wow you need some (((hugs)))  That sounds really hard.

Could you show us what her routine is like?  There is a really ugly sleep regression at 18 mths which usually relates to teething and/or development.  Any chance she's teething?  When did she start refusing her nap?  It's also prime time for SA.

[jul28baby]

After she cries for 10-15 min then sleeps for 45 min, have you tried letting her cry for another 10-15 min before going in there?  Some kids just need to let off steam before they drop off.  My LO is very much like this and always has been.  It is not uncommon for them to go through phases where they protest naps (mine does it all the time).  I'm wondering if by you going in right away after the initial 45 min WU she has decided to protest going back to sleep without you.  Just a thought. 

[kwiener]

Yes I have tried letting her cry again for 10-15 mins after the WU but she doesn't go back down.  I think the problem is this- she was still taking a sippy cup of milk b/4 nap which made her fall asleep.  I used to just lay her in her crib asleep and she'd be fine.  Now, when she falls asleep in my arms, she is so mad when I put her in her crib.  She'd sleep 3 hours in my arms if I had the patience to let her.  But I'm not going to allow that- I need my rest too!  So I think I'm going to start a very strict routine with her before naps. 

11:45-12:20 = lunch
12:20-12:35 = read books
12:35-12:45 = sing songs in rocking chair
12:45 lay her in her crib AWAKE and pray she goes to sleep

If she cries, I think I will give her about 10 mins, go in there, reassure her that I'm just outside the door and leave again.  I will continue this until I get her napping well again! 

Otherwise, does anyone else have advice one what I should do?  She isn't teething- she has all her teeth except one and it doesn't show signs of coming in yet.  She's also very active during the day so she is exhausted when I put her down she just doesn't want to go in her crib, she wants ME to hold her.  It's crazy - at bedtime she goes to bed AWAKE and falls asleep on her own with no help from me or my DH so I don't get why nap time is so hard for her to go to bed awake?  Confuses me!  I'm beyond frustrated and exhausted and I've been crying all morning b/c I just want my sweet, napping toddler back:( UGHHHHHHH

[<Catherine>]

Hi

What time does she wake in the morning and what time is bedtime?

she has all her teeth except one and it doesn't show signs of coming in yet.

Does she have her 2 yr molars? These can cause havoc long before they even start to show.

I would like to mention that BW does not agree with leaving a baby to cry. This breaks the trust between the child and the parent. There is more info here http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=222275.msg2386429#msg2386429 , http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=63839.0