Almost 3 year old dropping a nap

[AMJ]

Hello everyone. It's been a while.

DD will be 3 in April and it seems that she is finally dropping her nap. It's been quiet a rollercoaster since December 2014 when I had start cutting her nap. For the past little while she would refuse to nap once a week sometimes twice but only a handful of times she would have a good night as a result of it. When she would nap I would give her 1/1hr15 which would usually give a 10hr night although in the last few weeks it was more like a 9/9.5hrs. She would also have frequent NWUs for potty or water or hug. Those NWUs were usually about 1hr long sometimes  longer.

But now she completely refused to nap for the past 5 days. She cries, screams, says she is not tired but I still trying for a nap in her crib(she doesn't nap anywhere else). She just ends up laying there and talking, calling me, crying etc. I try to keep her day 12hrs long. She used to have a 9pm BT when she napped which would give us a 6:30/7:00am  WU. Since she didn't nap for 5 days in a row her BT was 7:30/8pm. The first night she slept good for 11hrs. Then she probably started to get OT and she had 30m-1hrNWUs. Tonight she was up for 2.5hrs saying she is not tired.

I know she is getting OT and her behaviour is getting worse. Please if you could suggest what I can do to make this easier for her. I am not a fan of EBT because from our experience it only led to shifting her day earlier and earlier that's why I mostly stuck with a set 9pm BT and when she needed an EBT I would give it at 8:30pm the earliest. I knew how to somewhat manage for OT through playing around with her nap but now I have no idea what to do. She goes from UT to OT almost instantly.

Thanks in advance

P.S. In February she started preschool 2 days a week and that was her choice. There've been times that she refused to nap after preschool probably because of OS( she gets easily OS) but now she seem to settle into a routine.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I really think you need to revisit the ebt idea...jumping to no nap cold turkey and trying to keep a 12 hour day would be tough on a lo. Any chance of getting her to do a catnap in the stroller or car?

[AMJ]

Nope she didn't nap in a car or stroller since forever. It's too bright for her cause she is used to sleeping in a dark room plus too many distractions. Gosh I'm so scared of EBT! Would you suggest 11hr days then? But that means she'll need to do a 13hr night. The most she ever did was 11/11.5 and she ususally needs 11hrs of sleep in 24hrs. Then what do you do with a BT if she only sleeps 11hr at night? Then you just end up with an earlier and earlier BT and WU?

[weaver]

My LO2 dropped her nap at 2yo 5m, and she was immediately doing 13hr+ nights.  So much better for her and us! She still regularly does a longer than 12 hr night.

[Jodes112]

Hi AMJ just thought i woud say hi! It has been a while good to see you were getting later wake ups finally!!!!

Its such a shame that she has to change her sleep needs

I remember how difficult it was for you to get a wake up past 5am so i understand your fear

However, the only advice i can give when dropping the nap, is EBT! (Sorry!) i know your little A doesnt sit in the norm with bt and wake ups, and sleep needs. But to start with to combat OT i do think you are going to have to put her to bed earlier. If she is used to 9pm you could try 8pm & see how you go with that, if you dont want to do super early straight off.

Hope you are well

ETA- i just re read that you tried 8pm & she was still so tired. Id say try earlier. And see how you go. 7.30?

[AMJ]

Thanks for the encouragement weaver! This would be dream come true!

Hi Jodes, how are you? Yes it's been a while. I sort of just made my peace with DDs sleep, moved her BT to 9pm and that  gave us a later WU.

I guess I just have to do it and give an EBT! I did 7 today so fingers crossed she has a great night.
Do you suggest setting a set EBT 7:30/8:00 and sticking to it no matter what so the WUs don't get any earlier?

[Lindsay27]

After dropping the nap my DS has still never done more than an 11/11.5hr night...12 or 13hrs, I wish! As an infant and toddler EBTs also never worked for him because he never tacked on, so an earlier bedtime just meant a 5am WU...so I completely get your hesitation as it would seem like our LOs are similar.  That said, we can reasonably do a 8pm BT and get a 7am WU and if absolutely necessary do BT a bit earlier.  He very rarely settles right away though no matter what time BT is and he just plays quietly in his bed for a while.

So I'm with the other ladies in that bedtime should move forward, but you might end up like us where something like 7pm is never going to work...we pretty well stick with 8pm, 7:30 if he is shattered.

[AMJ]

Hi Lindsay. What you are saying sounds like something that might work for us. Our LO do sound similar! I might have to just set an 8pm BT for a week and stick to it so she gets used it being a new BT even if she has an early WU. Then use 7:30 as an EBT when needed. But it's that initial stage that's hard. She is so OT now that getting her to 8 seems impossible.

What did you do when you LO was dropping a nap and was getting OT? I mean the initial few months until he fell into the routine and was able to handle a 13hr day. Did you set the 8pm BT firm and just pushed through it?

P.S. She slept from 7pm to 6:20am. So today she might last till 7pm tonight but it will be hard pushing her to 8pm which may result in OT night. And 7pm BT may result in 6am WU. I really wound like to move it to 7/7:30 WU and 8 BT

[Lindsay27]

I would get her off to bed as early as possible and just anticipate possible early wake ups.  When my DS first dropped the nap I don't think he was making it to 8pm, and he was also a bit older when he dropped it too so I think that makes a difference as well. 

[AMJ]

Ok thanks Lindsay then I'll stick with 7pm BTbfor now