Comments on: No More Naptime? What to do When Your Toddler Won’t Nap Anymore http://babyshrink.com/2009/12/no-more-naptime-what-to-do-when-your-toddler-wont-nap-anymore.html Child and parent development by licensed psychologist, Dr. Heather. Thu, 10 May 2012 19:00:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Doreen http://babyshrink.com/2009/12/no-more-naptime-what-to-do-when-your-toddler-wont-nap-anymore.html/comment-page-1#comment-4492 Doreen Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:01:30 +0000 http://babyshrink.com/?p=781#comment-4492 Dr. Heather I need some advice. I have 4 kids, my third child will be 3 soon and refuses to take naps. I would be ok with this but by early afternoon she is out of control. Constantly getting into trouble, talking back, you name it she does it. Since she's in a toddler bed she will not stay in her bed even for quiet time, she destroys her room (taking clothes out of drawers, toys all over, bed a mess). She'll leave her rooom and make a mess in any other room. No sooner is she punished over one incident I turn my back and she's into something else. Any advice? I know this is from being overtired since the few times she naps on her own she is as pleasant as can be. Dr. Heather I need some advice. I have 4 kids, my third child will be 3 soon and refuses to take naps. I would be ok with this but by early afternoon she is out of control. Constantly getting into trouble, talking back, you name it she does it. Since she’s in a toddler bed she will not stay in her bed even for quiet time, she destroys her room (taking clothes out of drawers, toys all over, bed a mess). She’ll leave her rooom and make a mess in any other room. No sooner is she punished over one incident I turn my back and she’s into something else. Any advice? I know this is from being overtired since the few times she naps on her own she is as pleasant as can be.

]]> By: Dr. Heather http://babyshrink.com/2009/12/no-more-naptime-what-to-do-when-your-toddler-wont-nap-anymore.html/comment-page-1#comment-4464 Dr. Heather Sun, 23 Oct 2011 23:04:07 +0000 http://babyshrink.com/?p=781#comment-4464 Rachel, what you describe sounds downright abusive. I wouldn't recommend anyone send their child to a school that used such tactics. Glad she is out of there! Rachel, what you describe sounds downright abusive. I wouldn’t recommend anyone send their child to a school that used such tactics. Glad she is out of there!

]]> By: Rachel http://babyshrink.com/2009/12/no-more-naptime-what-to-do-when-your-toddler-wont-nap-anymore.html/comment-page-1#comment-4462 Rachel Sun, 23 Oct 2011 22:39:42 +0000 http://babyshrink.com/?p=781#comment-4462 I love what you have to say here about naps. When my daughter was 4 she stopped napping and the teachers at her preschool were furious. They expressed their concerns to me, but I told them not to worry about it and just let her play while the other kids slept. Well, they didn't listen to me and eventually pinned my daughter down trying to force her to relax. She kicked a teacher in the face and subsequently got expelled. I spoke to another mom who had a similar experience at the school, except that they locked her son in the bathroom to get him to sleep! I don't know if this happened with my daughter because she has a speech delay and can't tell me everything that went on. I love what you have to say here about naps. When my daughter was 4 she stopped napping and the teachers at her preschool were furious. They expressed their concerns to me, but I told them not to worry about it and just let her play while the other kids slept. Well, they didn’t listen to me and eventually pinned my daughter down trying to force her to relax. She kicked a teacher in the face and subsequently got expelled. I spoke to another mom who had a similar experience at the school, except that they locked her son in the bathroom to get him to sleep! I don’t know if this happened with my daughter because she has a speech delay and can’t tell me everything that went on.

]]> By: Lisa http://babyshrink.com/2009/12/no-more-naptime-what-to-do-when-your-toddler-wont-nap-anymore.html/comment-page-1#comment-4373 Lisa Thu, 07 Jul 2011 04:32:16 +0000 http://babyshrink.com/?p=781#comment-4373 Great advice! Any advice for twins? My twin toddlers just turned 2 last month. They use to have the perfect routine for 1 nap from 1-3pm then in bed at 8/9pm and would sleep until 8 the next morning. But now all of a sudden they won't nap during the day and often fall asleep at 5/6pm at the dinner table, I don't know what to do with them! I can't let them sleep without having dinner, and if I let them have a 1-2 hour nap that late they have been staying up until 11pm!! No matter what time they go to bed they are up before 8:00 but I don't like them staying up until 11pm - then I'm exhausted and don't get any housework done! The other problem is we have 3 toddlers (2yr twins & 3.5 yr old) that insist on sleeping in the same room (he wanted to move his bed into the twins room), and it's really just one of the twins that gets out of his toddler bed to go bug his brothers who are trying to sleep. He usually ends up in the remaining crib out of our frustration and cries for a few minutes then falls asleep. I want them to go to be happy and positive and this is not working out right now, I try my best to remain calm and collected like recommended, but they can sense how upset I am inside. I want to get back to 6 months ago with the easy bedtimes when we put them in their crib with bottle of milk (i know it's bad!) and they just pass out happy and content. Great advice! Any advice for twins? My twin toddlers just turned 2 last month. They use to have the perfect routine for 1 nap from 1-3pm then in bed at 8/9pm and would sleep until 8 the next morning. But now all of a sudden they won’t nap during the day and often fall asleep at 5/6pm at the dinner table, I don’t know what to do with them! I can’t let them sleep without having dinner, and if I let them have a 1-2 hour nap that late they have been staying up until 11pm!! No matter what time they go to bed they are up before 8:00 but I don’t like them staying up until 11pm – then I’m exhausted and don’t get any housework done! The other problem is we have 3 toddlers (2yr twins & 3.5 yr old) that insist on sleeping in the same room (he wanted to move his bed into the twins room), and it’s really just one of the twins that gets out of his toddler bed to go bug his brothers who are trying to sleep. He usually ends up in the remaining crib out of our frustration and cries for a few minutes then falls asleep. I want them to go to be happy and positive and this is not working out right now, I try my best to remain calm and collected like recommended, but they can sense how upset I am inside. I want to get back to 6 months ago with the easy bedtimes when we put them in their crib with bottle of milk (i know it’s bad!) and they just pass out happy and content.

]]> By: Dr. Heather http://babyshrink.com/2009/12/no-more-naptime-what-to-do-when-your-toddler-wont-nap-anymore.html/comment-page-1#comment-4346 Dr. Heather Fri, 27 May 2011 20:10:41 +0000 http://babyshrink.com/?p=781#comment-4346 I know it's hard, but all you can do is try -- when it's reasonable -- to give her the opportunity to get some extra sleep. Plan ahead to allow her to sleep in on weekends, and put her to bed a few minutes earlier each night. Smaller differences in bedtimes will be less likely to be fought by her. Eventually, this will work itself out as she gets used to an earlier bedtime. Hang in there! :) I know it’s hard, but all you can do is try — when it’s reasonable — to give her the opportunity to get some extra sleep. Plan ahead to allow her to sleep in on weekends, and put her to bed a few minutes earlier each night. Smaller differences in bedtimes will be less likely to be fought by her. Eventually, this will work itself out as she gets used to an earlier bedtime. Hang in there! :)

]]> By: MomE http://babyshrink.com/2009/12/no-more-naptime-what-to-do-when-your-toddler-wont-nap-anymore.html/comment-page-1#comment-4344 MomE Fri, 27 May 2011 05:14:44 +0000 http://babyshrink.com/?p=781#comment-4344 So how do you know when to give up even trying for a nap? My daughter is 3 and recently stopped napping some days. We can't adjust her night time sleeping as I'm a single mom working full time, and she only gets about 8-9 hours at night. That just can't be enough! And believe me her behavior sometimes shows it's not! I have to pry her out of sleep at 6am on weekdays. Otherwise she'd sleep until 7.30 or 8. But I HAVE to go to work.... :-( Also, what had been working for me is telling her to lay down and close her eyes or pretend to sleep. I'd do this when she was obviously tired, and I have to do it at night. She's always calling me in saying, "I can't sleep!" So I tell her to close her eyes and pretend. :-D This is losing it's effectiveness though.... So how do you know when to give up even trying for a nap? My daughter is 3 and recently stopped napping some days. We can’t adjust her night time sleeping as I’m a single mom working full time, and she only gets about 8-9 hours at night. That just can’t be enough! And believe me her behavior sometimes shows it’s not! I have to pry her out of sleep at 6am on weekdays. Otherwise she’d sleep until 7.30 or 8. But I HAVE to go to work…. :-(

Also, what had been working for me is telling her to lay down and close her eyes or pretend to sleep. I’d do this when she was obviously tired, and I have to do it at night. She’s always calling me in saying, “I can’t sleep!” So I tell her to close her eyes and pretend. :-D This is losing it’s effectiveness though….

]]> By: MommyNamedApril http://babyshrink.com/2009/12/no-more-naptime-what-to-do-when-your-toddler-wont-nap-anymore.html/comment-page-1#comment-3588 MommyNamedApril Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:48:09 +0000 http://babyshrink.com/?p=781#comment-3588 I find that the 'you don't have to sleep, but you do have to stay in your bed' approach tends to work. Also, I will let him cry in bed sometimes because often it's just a power struggle and they're testing boundaries. I find that the ‘you don’t have to sleep, but you do have to stay in your bed’ approach tends to work. Also, I will let him cry in bed sometimes because often it’s just a power struggle and they’re testing boundaries.

]]> By: Ilima http://babyshrink.com/2009/12/no-more-naptime-what-to-do-when-your-toddler-wont-nap-anymore.html/comment-page-1#comment-3585 Ilima Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:57:28 +0000 http://babyshrink.com/?p=781#comment-3585 Great post. Fantastic advice! Great post. Fantastic advice!

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