Refusing nap and bed!

[klo1020]

My daughter is now 20 months old.  We switched from 2 naps to 1 around 18 months.  For about a month, everything was going great!  She was going right down for nap when I put her in her crib, no crying, and took a nice ~1.5 hour nap.  And was going right to bed at night, no crying (which is typical for her) when I put her down around 7:30.  After about a month, things went bad!  Now when I go to put her down for nap, she SCREAMS.  A lot of days now she doesn't nap until 3, after a lot of screaming and a couple tries at naptime.  AND she'll scream when I put her down for bedtime too, which she has not done since we sleep trained around 8 months old!  What is going on?!

Here's our schedule:

She wakes around 7:30 always.
I've been trying for nap at 12:30.
Bedtime at 7:30.

[Truly Blessed]

Hi Hun,

((HUGS)) first of all

This is quite a typical 'regression' age, usually around 18 months, but quite often earlier or later. Can I ask what's going on with her teeth  Molars are often in the mix at this age when things go awol  They start to move in the gum causing discomfort long before there are any signs of them coming through, so it may be worth checking in her mouth to look for any signs. It can help to elevate her head by putting a pillow underneath the mattress, as the gums pulsate when the blood pools around the teething site causing discomfort. It might be worth medicating to rule out pain when she lies down. How is her mood when she's awake, any pulling of the ear etc 

I'm pretty sure we had this kind of trouble at the same age and that DS routine was pretty much the same, I can take a look for that thread and maybe post it for you to see how we handled it.

This is a time when many parents APOP for all their worth (accidental parenting on purpose) Often going with naps in the pushchair or the car to try and ensure routine doesn't go completely awol, is that something you could try in the short term Hun 

Desperate for help! AP'ing nap after months of no problems.

Found the link, same age. I got some good advise, but I had to laugh at the 'smilies' overload from me, and the 'war and peace' posts, poor ladies  Don't feel obliged to read it, just thought there may be some tips in there for you.

x.

[klo1020]

Thank you SO much!  I read the whole thread - sounds exactly like what we're going through!  We actually had lunch a little earlier today, and I was reading it while she eating, and noticing she was getting tired, so I PD for nap at 12:00 instead, and she went right down!  Maybe she's been OT at 12:30 nap time.  But then again, I believe she woke up a little earlier today than usual (I first heard her at 7:15 this morning, so it's possible she was up for a while before then).  Then at 7:25pm tonight, she actually told me that she wanted to go to bed!  And no crying when I put her in.  Although she was up for at least an hour after that....but no crying! 

Her mood has been just fine during the day, but I have noticed her chewing on her finger a lot lately, so it's possible she has molars coming in like you said!  Thanks for pointing that out!!!

Fingers crossed you've helped me solve the problem!  We'll see how tomorrow goes!

[Truly Blessed]

Thank you SO much!  I read the whole thread - sounds exactly like what we're going through!

Wow, well done you, it kind of tailed off before the happy ending though didn't it! That was no doubt the start of a fresh thread

We actually had lunch a little earlier today, and I was reading it while she eating, and noticing she was getting tired, so I PD for nap at 12:00 instead, and she went right down! 

Ah well done Hun, that's what BW is all about Often it's so easy to forget that watching your LO and going with your instincts is at the very core.

Her mood has been just fine during the day, but I have noticed her chewing on her finger a lot lately, so it's possible she has molars coming in like you said! 

It sounds like it could be happening, it is the right age for it, and it will more than likely add to the tiredness but make it harder to sleep, so meds and elevating her head could be a good idea.

Good luck Hun, here for you if you need me and here's a support thread you may also find helpful:

18 month sleep regression support thread-part 3

x.