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View Full Version : 20 month old wont nap! help!



mumx3
03-03-2010, 04:48 PM
Hi there,

One of my 20 mo 's is struggling to nap in the afternoon. And I need that hour and a half free of little ones to clear up from the morning and get ready for the afterschoolies.

We have a busy morning, followed by lunch at 12, and into cots by 12.30 to 12.45pm. Then they sleep until 2.30 when I wake the up for the school run.

He seems to take for ever to drop off to sleep ...sometimes chatting away to himself until 2pm and then falling asleep only for me to wake him up again at 2.30pm and he is miserable.

He sleeps well at night, 7.30 pm to 6.30/7am

If he misses the nap completely he is horrendous by 5pm.

Help! What can I do to make things better for both of us.

AliceK
03-03-2010, 05:42 PM
Hi
I'm not sure what you can do tbh. I know my own DD refused to nap during the day by that age although for a while she would nap every other day but that soon stopped. Maybe he will sleep in the buggy on the school run? My DD aged 28mths does this sometimes. My mindee aged 21mths tells me she doesn't want her nap but she still falls asleep within minutes for 2 hrs. In all honesty I think if he's not co-operating there's not a lot you can do. He will get used to it and won't be so grumpy in the afternoons after a while.
xxxxxx

~Chelle~
03-03-2010, 05:46 PM
I am going to post a reply but I am not sure if you are going to like it!

Firstly I would also speak to his mum and dad and see what they do at home at the weekends. Ask them if he naps ok when he is at home and what time he has his naps.

To be honest I think that you are trying to put the child down for sleep when they are not tired and do not want to sleep. You cannot make him have a nap if he is not tired, just because it fits in with you tidying up! It is also a little bit unfair to leave him in the cot for over an hour singing to himself and wearing himself out for him to finally fall asleep and then waking him up after just half an hours sleep, I am not surprised that he is a bit grumpy.

I look after three little ones and they very rarely sleep at the same time, they have a nap when they are tired.

Sorry to sound harsh because I dont mean to come across that way but in this job there is very rarely 5 minutes to be able to quickly tidy away, I think that and hour and half is excessive, does it really take that long to tidy away and prepare for after schoolies???

Sorry to sound harsh but please re-read your post and then you can read how it comes across. x

Playmate
03-03-2010, 05:48 PM
We have 2 of that age who don't sleep, however I do insist on a quiet time ie. books and possibly TV for little while. :D

jumpinjen
03-03-2010, 05:48 PM
My little ones are younger than twenty months, and over the last couple of months they have both extended their bedtimes in the afternoon naturally to about half past one, I don't have school runs in the afternoon so they can suit themsleves with sleep times, but maybe he just simply isn't tired then and putting him in bed is working against it..... try letting him stay up until he is tired and he may then sleep earlier and get longer, e.g put him down at 1.30 instead? Or would he sleep on the school run and stay asleep in the pushcahir when you got home if he stayed up until then??

I know how you feel about needing the time to tidy up but unfortunately if he isn't tired then, there isn't much you can do!!!!

Hugs, Jenni:)

loocyloo
03-03-2010, 05:53 PM
if he is safe in the cot, and not screaming or upset, then i would leave him to his own devices!

i have a LO who finds it very hard to go to sleep in the cot, too much room to move around in !:LOL i put her in the pushchair in the garden, strapped in and wrapped up snuggly, and she goes to sleep almost at once!

our routine is that after lunch, we have a story and then either time for a sleep, or quiet play for the older ones, (usually 2 1/2 onwards) often they lie on the sofa listening to a story tape (and often doze off) whilst i prep tea etc.

Mouse
03-03-2010, 06:02 PM
Unfortunately in this job you can't make the children sleep so you get 1.5hrs to tidy up. Blimey, I'm lucky if I get 10 minutes to have a quick tidy round & get the next activities ready!

After lunch all my mindees have 'quiet time'. They have their own blanket, snuggle down with a teddy or a book, or the babies go in the cots. I leave them for 30mins & if they're not asleep, they can get up & play. I find that's plenty of time for them to fall asleep if they're going to, or a long enough rest if they're not going to.

My own children had just a bout dropped their daytime nap before they were 2, but would have a long afternoon sleep every couple of weeks to catch up.

With your mindee I would put him down for a sleep, but not leave him for an hour. If he sleeps, great. If not, get him up again to play.

francinejayne
03-03-2010, 06:18 PM
My Lo is 21 months, and over the last month his afternoon sleep has moved from 1pm to 2pm. I have tried to put him down at 1 so that it coincides with school runs, but he just isn't ready until 2, at which time he falls fast asleep and sleeps for 2 hours! I'm lucky tho cos my partner works from home, so I leave DS in his cot while I do the school pick up!

upadaisy
03-03-2010, 06:20 PM
hi
if he does not go down in cot try putting him up on sofa with a nice warm blanket and let him watch tv..... i bet he falls asleep after 15/20 min thats what my son does......

jelly15
03-03-2010, 06:21 PM
Some days the 3 Los I have all sleep at the same time, some days only the youngest one wants a nap. I do insist on quite time so those who do nap get peace to nod off. If after 20 mins I can see that they are not going to go off I take them back into the play room so thet don't disturb those sleeping. My kitchen always strarts the day clean and tidy but some days it becomes a bit of a mess until all mindees have gone and then it gets sorted.

Jelly Baby
03-03-2010, 07:41 PM
My current mindee was like this when she was younger and tbh i gave up trying to put her down..she just wouldn't go and jumped around in the cot..pointless and down she came. She now doesnt sleep as too old but hasnt suffered..unfortunatly some of then do some of them dont! Sorry!

georgie456
03-03-2010, 08:27 PM
It sounds like the way things are at the moment, he is taking ages to drop off and once he is asleep he is being woken up again - no wonder is he getting fed up. He obviously doesn't want to sleep for an hour and a half.

Why can't he help you tidy up - Make it into a game you can do together - my 20mth old DS likes nothing better than helping me do that. Then you could maybe put him down a bit later than the others and he may get a better quality of sleep.

The Juggler
04-03-2010, 09:58 AM
Unfortunately in this job you can't make the children sleep so you get 1.5hrs to tidy up. Blimey, I'm lucky if I get 10 minutes to have a quick tidy round & get the next activities ready!

After lunch all my mindees have 'quiet time'. They have their own blanket, snuggle down with a teddy or a book, or the babies go in the cots. I leave them for 30mins & if they're not asleep, they can get up & play. I find that's plenty of time for them to fall asleep if they're going to, or a long enough rest if they're not going to.

My own children had just a bout dropped their daytime nap before they were 2, but would have a long afternoon sleep every couple of weeks to catch up.

With your mindee I would put him down for a sleep, but not leave him for an hour. If he sleeps, great. If not, get him up again to play.

I would do the same, put him in his cot/bed lights low with a blanket and tell him if he's not sleepy to look at his book but it's quiet time and he needs to lie quietly until you come and get him.

Curly Quavers
04-03-2010, 11:52 AM
Do you do the school run in the car or with buggies on foot.

If it is the buggy I would let the LO stay up and if you notice him getting tired by 2pm put him in the buggy to sleep while you are doing the school run. This way all you need to do is put the other in the buggy (if it's double) and go and he can have a full sleep and not sitting in a cot for over an hour chatting to him self.

Just an idea
x

mumx3
04-03-2010, 01:32 PM
Hi all and thanks for the replies.

You must all think I am mean or something! Anyway..a bit more info.

The little chap in question is actually my own DS. He sleeps really well at night 7.30pm to 6.30/7am and he is a very happy little chap.

I admit the hour and a half break in the afternoon is very helpful....to get over the morning and prepare for the afternoon. But I am not forcing him to go for a nap! :panic:

He seems to be at the point where he still needs a good hour, but wants to take it later about 2pm and of course I have to wake them up for the school run at 2.30pm meaning poor little man has just dropped off and I am having to wake him up.

You will see I asked

"Help! What can I do to make things better for both of us". in my original post...I didnt asked "How can I force this child to sleep! so I can have a break"

I just want to try to find a solutions so as he gets a nap....if he chooses and isnt horribly exhausted the rest of the day...and the following morning. This is what has been happening you see. If he doesnt get a decent sleep in the afternoon he gets incredibly overtired and can't enjoy himself with the others as he is shattered.

Anyhow...today I took the advice of getting him to help tidy up the toys, read a story and sang a few songs, twinkle twinkle, and row row your boat, and put him to bed just now at 1.20pm and he was out like a light. I am going to try and delay his sleep time so as he is really ready for it, have a wind down session and then he might get the sleep he seems to need.

Thanks all!

estrelas
04-03-2010, 01:49 PM
would he not sleep in a buggy so it makes it easier when its school run time?

I've found this hard with one of mine

georgie456
04-03-2010, 02:02 PM
Anyhow...today I took the advice of getting him to help tidy up the toys, read a story and sang a few songs, twinkle twinkle, and row row your boat, and put him to bed just now at 1.20pm and he was out like a light. I am going to try and delay his sleep time so as he is really ready for it, have a wind down session and then he might get the sleep he seems to need.

Thanks all!

Yay! Sounds like a success! :clapping: :clapping:

mumx3
04-03-2010, 08:11 PM
Originally Posted by mumx3

Anyhow...today I took the advice of getting him to help tidy up the toys, read a story and sang a few songs, twinkle twinkle, and row row your boat, and put him to bed just now at 1.20pm and he was out like a light. I am going to try and delay his sleep time so as he is really ready for it, have a wind down session and then he might get the sleep he seems to need.

Thanks all!


Yay! Sounds like a success!

In the end I had to wake him up at 2.50pm and run out the door to get the kids.

He still had his hour and a half, but it was later than usual and I thinkhelping him wind down a bit first helped.

I have to drive for the school run so a buggy would be more trouble, and I dont think I could keep him in it either!

Thanks again all