Empathic Sleep Teaching - View topic - Two year old trying to drop her only nap! HELP!! - Infant sleep services for tired parents - Free Message Board Hosting by FreePowerBoards.com

Well, from what you are describing, it all sounds really similar to what I just went through, however, my son is 3.5 years old ... and as the nap got harder to achieve, I finally realized that perhaps he just doesn't need it ... of course, the earlier bedtime was a must & he seemed to fall asleep almost immediately without a fuss ..... so that it is the silver lining, but trying to adjust to no-napping is tough ... on everyone involved.

Jade does seem a bit young, but then again, these little ones are all SO different. Sam went through a phase where it seemed like he was trying to drop his nap (I think it was last summer)/ At the time he was not napping, he would poop during that rest time & yell for me to get him changed, however, once I changed him, he would not want to return to his room to continue the nap - somedays, he would not fight me, but would still not sleep. It's frustrating, because you can't force them to sleep ...but I knew he still needed the sleep ....so I just kept consistent in my offerings of the nap/rest time .... I always had 1 hr as my mark ... and if he wasn't asleep by 230pm, I would get him up ...because if he fell asleep past that time, it would really mess up his bedtime & he'd end up overtired from a too late bedtime, early wake up, etc, etc.....

However, if Jade is crying or yelling for you .... it makes it even tougher, as it sounds like she isn't content in being alone in her room. Maybe some music would help her to "relax" with a book or puzzle ... ?? Something to make her "want" to hang out in her bed ... speaking of bed ... is Jade in a bed or still her crib?? I know my neighbor's son was resisting naps around the same time they moved him from crib to bed ... he was about 2 yrs old ... he spent so much of his nap time attempting the great escape from the crib, but once he was in a bed, he resumed napping ..... Considering Jade's age .... and depending on her quality of sleep overnight, I would still offer the nap .... or "rest time", but maybe rather than 1hr being your limit, maybe try 30 minutes .....

Another thought ... If Jade is waking up fairly early in the mornings, I would aim for the earliest possible bedtime ... maybe 630pm is still a bit too late on those no-nap days. For instance...Sam wakes at 630-645am & he is in bed at 615pm these days without napping .... he is usually asleep before 7pm .... so he gets about 12 hrs of sleep/day & he will be 4 in May. So, maybe, just maybe Jade is too geared up to sleep for that afternoon nap, she is already in an OT state?? I remember when Sam would skip a nap last year, he would HAVE to get to bed at 530pm in order to catch up on missed sleep .....

I would try a few different things, but I cannot stress the benefits of a super early bedtime, it could really help Jade catch up on some missed sleep due to skipped naps ... and perhaps that is all she needs to get back into her napping ritual ... the ole sleep begets sleep ....
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Kris