18 month old bedtime and nap drama!

[PontypandyPioneer]

My DS is 18 months and is getting harder and harder to get him to nap. He's never been one for napping even at weeks old and I've always had to take him out in the car or for a walk. Today it took over 1.5 hours of walking to get him to sleep! Not good when I'm 25 weeks pregnant and have sciatica!

For the past week we've also had major bedtime drama. Until last week he went to bed and went to sleep on his own without any bother. Now he screams the second I walk out of the door and will only settle if I'm sitting in the room.

Any ideas? Drop the nap? Some regression or developmental leap? I'm worried he'll be very grumpy in the afternoon if I drop the nap.

Normal routine is:
6.30-7.30am wake up
7.30am milk
8am breakfast
9.30am small snack
Anywhere between 12-2pm nap for around 45 mins - 1 hour (if he naps later I tend to wake him as 2.30 is the latest he can sleep unless I want a wide awake toddler by 7pm)
Snack when he wakes
5.30pm dinner
6.45pm bath
7.15pm milk & bed

He's on the go constantly, will not sit still for more than 10 mins (thank you fireman Sam for those 10 mins hehe!) so you'd think he'd be tired! But no, I think he runs on Duracell batteries.

I need him sleeping again at least at night time before baby arrives so ideally I'd like to nip this behaviour in the bud quickly!

[kennycat]

I love you OP. I have no answers but I want you to know that we are in the exact same situation right now. I wrote almost an identical post the other day but no replies yet. DS is my second and while his big sister didn't do this I don't think, I'm fairly sure this is just a phase. An effing hideous phase but still. Let's hang in there together xx

[Baileysagain]

My DD stopped sleeping during the day at 18 months old. I spoke to the HV about it who said to still put her in her cot at the same time even if she didn't sleep so she could still have a rest. I did that for a few more months until DD started begging to not go in her cot so i made sure she had a rest on the settee instead. She did sleep well at night though. DS stopped having a midday nap around the same age but would fall asleep on the school run instead. They do go through different phases though.

[Salene]

Not sure but in same boat, 18 month old and 22 weeks pregnant with a husband who works offshore for a month at a time and bedtimes are becoming a nightmare

2 hours plus at nights to get him to sleep

God knows how I'm going to deal with bedtimes and a new born on my own

If you find a answer please tell me 🙈

[Annarose2014]

16 months here and we've had to sit in the room at bedtime. He used to drop off immediately but he seems to be less knackered now & it takes 30 mins. I sit there and don't speak or interact and he's calm. He just potters around the cot and eventually drifts off. He'd scream his head off if alone! So It works but it's bloody boring sitting there for half an hour tbh.

[Annarose2014]

We're also struggling with his nap. We find if we don't tire him out by running around outside in the morning then we're in trouble!

[splendide]

:( sorry another person in the same boat - except not pregnant!

Hope someone comes along and sorts us out.

I sit for 30 mins - 1hr in the dark next to the cot until my 17 month old goes to sleep. Goes mental if I leave before he's out.

[Salene]

Annarose id be delighted with 30 minutes

I have to sit there for up to 2 hours, makes me wanna shoot myself 😂

[Annarose2014]

Oh god thats tough! I think if it were two hours I'd put in ear buds and secretly listen to an audio book!

[Salene]

It drives me insane

[PontypandyPioneer]

Well he's refused to nap for the last two days which makes bedtime a bit easier as he's so tired! I still can't leave the room until he's asleep though. He was fine two weeks ago - this had better be one of those phases!!!

[PontypandyPioneer]

Well in case anyone is still reading, thought I'd update!

I changed his routine slightly, and gave him his dinner at 4.30 and a supper (a bit of weetabix) at 6. We've done this for the last 5 days and, fingers crossed, it's all gone back to normal and he's not crying at night when I leave him and he's having a nap in the day again.

So either it's a big coincidence and it was a very short phase or I've been starving the poor boy !

I hope it stays this way....no doubt he'll have something else up his sleeve next week.