no nap troubles

[deenz]

I know there have been other posts about this, so sorry for the double up!  My dd often does not have her nap, even though she is really tired.  She is in a single bed (has been for a couple of weeks for naps, and maybe a month for night sleeping), so obviously can get in and out of bed as she pleases.  The door is shut though, so she has to stay in her room.  Each time this has happened, I've put her nap time a bit later, and that works for a short time, but then no longer.  Now I feel like I can't put it any later, as it will interfere with her bedtime.  She has the same routine she's had for ages (we both lie down together and I read her a story, then leave the room).  Then she often gets up and starts playing (reading, playing with her drawers etc).  Occasionally she gets back in bed after a while and goes to sleep.  Occasionally she stays in bed and goes to sleep quickly.

Her routine goes something like this:
7am wake and breakfast
10am snack
12 noon lunch
1pm - 3pm nap time
snack
6pm dinner, bath
7pm in bed.

Sometimes she gets grouchy about being in her room, but usually she'll just play until I go and get her two hours later.  She doesn't have too much in her room to play with - just soft toys, books and her drawer set.

Any ideas?

[Nikki~Nathan&Danielle]

In my experience, it's a phase!  But, it was never the same again...

So, he used to go to bed and right to sleep fine, then the no nap thing started.  Nathan always plays now before he nods off to sleep - so what I do is put him in his room earlier than what I would expect him to sleep because he always has a play first (and is really happy to play around in there).  I will go in maybe every 15mins (or if he calls out to me) and pop him back in bed without making a big deal of it.  Perhaps once or twice a week he'll have a completely no nap day (and on those days I just open the door and don't even mention to him he didn't nap and just carry on with our day), but I don't worry about it now and I know the next day he'll generally go down for his nap without playing first.  He occasionally changes what his entertainment is though: reading books, pulling his alphabet cards off the wall which are only velcroed on, opening up all the tabs on his disposable nappies, playing with his soft toys.  I think once she gets it of her system it will improve - or you'll just find a new routine that works.  I also leave Nathan in his room for the entire two hours on the days he doesn't nap - he just keeps on playing surprisingly.  BTW, our schedule is the same as yours and I'll put him into bed sometimes at 12.15-12.30pm to have some play time first - other days he won't fall asleep until close to 2pm and I just let him sleep but will wake by 3.45pm or if I want to go out I will wake him at 3pm.

I just see it as more me time the longer he mucks around in there. :wink:

[deenz]

Thanks Nikki.  I've been wondering about putting her in bed a bit earlier again, to give her some play time, as you say.  However I've also been enjoying the slightly later nap time in terms of being out, and not having to rush back!  Yesterday I pushed her, as we were at a birthday party, and only got in the car at 1.20pm for 10min journey home.  Well, there was no way I could keep her awake, so she fell asleep, I tried to transfer her to bed without any fuss, but once I left the room she got up and played....  so 5 min sleep for that day.  Today no sleep again, and a horrible afternoon as a result.

Anyway - I've realised that a lot of the time she doesn't sleep, she's actually pooped... If she's left with poo in her nappy for the entire nap time she tends to get a very sore bottom.  Is there any way of reprogramming poo time??!!

I have also tried going in there and laying her back down, but that just seems to annoy her...

[Nikki~Nathan&Danielle]

LOL, funny you mention the poo issue!  Often when I go and put Nathan back into bed once he's been in there playing for a while he's done one too, so I change him and pop him back in bed.  It's like he likes the relaxation of playing by himself to do it! LOL

I think once she gets her new found freedom out of her system it will settle down again.

[deenz]

Well, I'm hoping that will happen.  Today looked like it was heading to be Day 3 with no nap, but after 1.75hrs playing she fell asleep (on the floor :lol: )... by which time it was 2.30pm!  So I let her sleep til she'd slept for 1hr.  She went down much better tonight too (at 7pm) - last night was rather difficult as she was sooo overtired.