Toddler won't nap until 4pm

[disguisedasabeggarwoman]

I think 22-month-old DD is heading towards dropping her nap and I'm not sure how to handle the transition. Over the past couple of weeks, she won't sleep when put down in her cot at 1pm, 2pm or even 3, despite looking tired and having previously slept for 1-2 hrs early afternoon. This mainly happens at nursery as she's there 4 days a week. Today she had 40 mins from 4pm, but then had to be woken to go home. She's strung out and crazy from pickup to bedtime, which I've brought forward to 6-6.30ish. Is there anything I can do to encourage her to nap earlier or is there some other way of handling the late afternoon horribles?

[SweetsForMySweet]

What's her daily routine like? Be careful pushing her bedtime back too far, clocks are going back in about a months time. Our lo kicked up a fuss a couple of days at nap time so I gave a 2 minutes 'playtime' with a specific toy and settled fine once I allowed some 'playtime' first. I think they still need a nap at that age, there's a lot of developmental growth so I would stick with it even though it's not easy. Could there be too many distractions for her in creche to prevent her napping?

[disguisedasabeggarwoman]

She's up at 7, lunch at 12, tea at 5.30. It's true that she has been napping better at home than nursery but not sure what I can do about distractions at nursery - she has to share a room with other children. Thanks for the reply, we'll see what today brings..

[mewkins]

Do they ever take any of them out in a buggy to sleep? Even if she gets 20mins earlier in the day it may help see her through to an early bedtime.

[Goldrill]

Mine's the same age and is dropping her naps on weekends now, as the world is clearly too exciting. At nursery she still asks to go for a sleep, but at the weekend nothing I can do will get her to nod off. A long walk in the buggy with the hood up used to be the answer but she can now wait out half an hour of that without nodding off. Which has brought me to the conclusion it's probably ok...

I also asked nursery not to let her go to sleep after 2pm, because if she does that she won't sleep at night till who-knows when. And I make sure she's up for her bath at 6:30 prompt, so asleep by 7:30.

It does sound like you're getting to the point where it might be more about managing the grottiness near bedtime. I hope she's not as shouty as mine!!