Help - Think we have hit 1-0 hard!

[Eva's Mummy]

Sitting between the 2 doors dd1 & dd2 just now. Her room is pitch black at bt I think having a light on would make her think she doesn't need to sleep.  Might work at nap time though to try to get her to take quiet time. 

I'll be back with an update soon, it seems to be going well tonight ( well apart from the ot baby). But Eva is doing well 

[Haribo2012]

We've recently had to have hallway light on so there is light in the room and it was previously black. I've just had BT from hell so hope yours is going good!?x

[Eva's Mummy]

Mine was great. I started telling her this afternoon what was going to happen. So stories, cuddles then into bed. I told her I would set my alarm for 5 mins and for those 5 mins I would stay with her and rub her back and when the alarm goes off it was time for mummy to leave and she was to go to sleep.

So we did this and I said goodnight, she asked me to stay and I told her I was going to check on Ella but I would come back I to check on her. She said ok but come back mummy.

So that's what I did, I came back in a few mins and said I was in to check on her. Then I said I had to go and switch a light off but I would come back in to check on her again, so she said ok and I never heard a peep from her since.

I think she needed to know I would come back like I said, instead of just telling her I was going and that was that. I was so happy.

[Haribo2012]

 
Fantastic I love a good update, well done you and hope she sleeps well...sounds like you did a great job x

[Eva's Mummy]

Thanks honey let's just hope it works again tomorrow night. Don't think it will work for naps though.  Why was your bt so bad

[Haribo2012]

I've kind of given up on the naps now and just go for a walk.
My DS has a cold and having a clingy phase plus the great OT I think so he's finding bit hard to settle....lots of sitting in the doorway last night  x

[michaeljacknnugg]

Hi Gail, I wonder if you need to abandon the nap in her bedroom? My Spirited one totally refused to nap from 2-2.5 (totally dropped by 2.5) but would fall asleep on the sofa with cuddles and a DVD on. Not ideal I know, but it was the only way to get him to stop!

So we would have lunch, stick a DVD on, get a cup of tea and just cuddle. Actually we still do on a lot of Saturdays after a busy week and a morning at swimming. If he slept, all good, if not he had at least had a rest.

[Eva's Mummy]

I think you might be right as trying to get her to nap is getting quite stressful for me and her. The only issue is if she lies on the sofa and DD2 is awake she just wants her to lie back with her or if I am playing with DD2 she gets up as she wants to play with her. If DD2 was sleeping it might be easier.

I'm still so chuffed about last night I was dreading it. I had been reading through all the other posts (seems to be a lot of 2.5 year old BT antics) and I don't know who it was that suggested saying to LO they were away to do something then go back and keep doing it till they were asleep but i'm stunned it worked.

I have her home on Friday so we will try a sofa nap then. Maybe I will just forget about a certain time and just do it after I put DD2 down for her nap and hope they both have a decent sleep.

[michaeljacknnugg]

Yes, that might work!

[Haribo2012]

Definately not worth the stress, We often have a cuddle and tv programme and like MJ&N says at least its a rest if not a sleep.

We have started to forget about the time more and just go with the flow, certainly helps if you have another LO. x

[Eva's Mummy]

Seems like she is sleeping well on the sofa at the CM's today so hopefully a good night for her. Sorry you had a tough night Zoe. SO any idea how long it takes from the beginning of nap dropping until it all settles down and they can handle no naps full time?

Also please tell me once the nap is dropped that is most of the sleeping issue over, I'm hoping that by the time DD2 get to 2.5 DD1 will just be a wee kiss and tuck in bed and that's it 

[michaeljacknnugg]

Yeah, it's a lot easier once the nap is fully gone. It took about 6 months for us, but then DS was a lot younger (and we were in the throes of PT, moving to BBB also).

[Eva's Mummy]

We just started PT's at the end of Dec but she seems to be there. Oh I hope it not 6 months, I might have a breakdown before then 

[jessmum46]

Gail just a thought of something that worked for us when we had a lot of nap refusals.  I stopped telling J it was nap time and just said we were going for quiet time in her room.  I made her a special bag of quiet toys (and really bigged it up lol!) and let her have those to play with on her bed.  She was very excited about them and it kind of took away the pressure to nap.  I dimmed the lights/drew curtains but not really dark and said I would be back when quiet time was finished.  Gave her 45 mins to begin with (had to pop in once or twice until she got used to it) and worked up to an hour or more.  Sometimes I found she did fall asleep if she needed it, but if not at least both of us had a break

[Eva's Mummy]

Thanks Katherine, So what would you class as quiet toys?