Little girl wont sleep

[BlondeMoment]

I'm out of ideas here!
Have a 20 month old little girl who DESPERATELY needs to nap in thee afternoons but she won't go. She has a massive tantrum and climbs out of the travel cot. There is only so long I can persevere with laying her back down as I have the others to get back to.
I'm not always able to take her out in the buggy but she has fallen asleep in there before so I have been trying to rock her off in the buggy but again, we just have screaming and trying to climb out. Apparently at home she has no problems going down in her own bed. But here, there is a lot going on.

My latest attempt has been to put her in front of the TV in my lounge (away from play area) in the buggy to try and trick her into drifting off. Last week she sat and watched TV for half hour before getting upset. I thought at least that's progress.
This week she's having none of it.
I thought about trying to wheel her around the garden for a bit but it's too close to the playroom and all the chaos going on. It's also currently out of action due to it being landscaped.
Does anyone have any better ideas? She's been getting away with not sleeping but she is always in a complete state by 4pm.

[alex__17]

I've had a couple like this sleep fine at home but hate my cot here as feel like they're missing out on what's happening downstairs.
It may not be possible but I always go out in the morning so planned to stay out a bit longer and we had a picnic lunch out then they fall asleep on way home (and mine all transfer into buggy asleep when we get home), or we get home and have lunch then all go for a walk after lunch, you could go via a park for older ones or take wildlife spotting sheets for them then younger one can go off to sleep in buggy, then I either park it in my hall or garden depending on weather and activities planned for the afternoon.
Now they'll all fall asleep in buggy without me having to walk or rock it or anything

[AliceK]

All mine of that age sleep in a buggy as I can't risk them trying to climb out of a cot. One did have a grobag which stopped her managing to climb until she worked out how to get it undone and off
Sometimes initially once they realise that they might be missing out on something they start to get cross about going for a sleep but they soon realise that come what may they are going to have to have a sleep. I usually put a TV on quietly in the same room as I put the buggy but need to be careful what's on so it's not stimulating them, I usually put a shopping channel on lol, but I do turn the buggy away from the TV. It's a case of getting them into a routine and knowing that a certain time is nap time and doing the same thing every day. I have had a 20mth old who can cope without a sleep and that's fine but most (especially 1 of the 22mths old I have at the moment) really really can't cope without a nap.
Just persevere with a routine for nap that suits you and they will soon get the hang of it.

xx

[moggy]

Will she listen to music or story CD? I have had a couple of 3 year olds who would listen to music or a story on the stereo and dropped of to sleep- it is less stimulating than TV.

[BallyH]

I do more or less what alex_17 said. But make sure you have signed permission for them to sleep in a buggy.

[Maza]

I think you need to decide on one way and stick to it. I know it's easier said than done and it is so tempting to try new things in the hope that something will work but nurseries don't do that, for obvious reasons. I had one who did half a week with me and the other half with nursery. I have to credit the nursery with sorting out his sleep issue - they had a routine and they had to stick to it, whereas like you I had been trying this and that (he came to me for a while before starting nursery).

I was also going to suggest a gro-bag but they usually do work out how to get it off, or just climb out while still wearing it, but it might be worth a try, just until she gets in to a routine at yours. Could you put on a movie or something for your others so that you know they are relatively still (safe) whilst you focus on settling this little one - either putting her back in her travel cot until she knows she must stay there, or rocking her in her pushchair - whatever you decide on.

Alternatively, maybe she doesn't like the rocking or the tv - would she settle better in a dark, still environment?

[BlondeMoment]

She actually fell asleep for half an hour in front of the TV!!!
Yes!!!!
I'll be sure to keep putting her in the lounge for that 'quiet time' every week until she gets used to it. She may not always nap but once she accepts that it's what happens every week she may start to just settle a bit.
Couldn't believe it!

[Maza]

Fantastic news! Do let us know if it works long term (I hope it does!) or if it was a one off. x

[AliceK]

She actually fell asleep for half an hour in front of the TV!!!
Yes!!!!
I'll be sure to keep putting her in the lounge for that 'quiet time' every week until she gets used to it. She may not always nap but once she accepts that it's what happens every week she may start to just settle a bit.
Couldn't believe it!

Brilliant news
Now that you have had some success with that routine I would suggest you keep doing the same thing. Don't try anything else just yet, stick with it and she will get to know what is going to happen.
With my little ones everything has to be the same, lay down in buggy, TV on quietly out of eye shot, a certain teddy given to LO, I blow a kiss and say the same words. It has to be like this everytime, that's what they have got used to since about 10mths old at my house.

xx