Any chance of getting 24mo to reintroduce a daytime nap? If so, how?

[Murtette]

Until 2 weeks ago, DD (who turned 2 days ago), always napped for 90 mins straight after lunch. As she finished her pudding, she'd say "sleep now", be taken upstairs, sing for 20 mins or so and then fall asleep for 90 mins. Two weeks ago, she completely stopped napping. Literally, just like that and for no reason that I know of. She still says "sleep now", goes upstairs and goes willing into her cot but after about 20 mins starts going "out now" or "up now" intermittently and, after 30 mins, really starts grumbling and crying so I go & get her after about 40 mins.

The problem is is that by 4pm she starts getting seriously grumpy and by 5pm she is beside herself with tiredness. From 4pm I am on constant entertainment duty & woe betide if a friend phones or I want to make a cuppa. Tea time has become quite a battle as she is getting too tired to eat. Its also a problem on her nursery days as they say she just bursts into tears at the slightest thing which she would usually just brush off.
Dropping her day time nap hasn't increased the length of time she sleeps at night so I don't want to put her to bed any earlier as, as it is, she rarely sleeps past 6.30am. For ages now we've tended to watch TV or a DVD for 45 mins or so before she goes to bed and I think that that is plenty for someone of her age so I don't want to just plonk her in front of the TV for any longer.
So, she needs to get some sleep during the day but how do I re-introduce it? Any tips?
Thanks

could you make lunch and then nap slightly later sometimes my toddler won't go off if its too early
or try going out in the car sometimes
my experience is when they are dropping their nap they neeed it about every other day
has she got a special teddy or something for sleep time that sometime helps
there is a no cry nap solution book that might be worth a look

don't know but will be watching with interest. DS (26m) has also just dropped his nap which could be up to 2 hrs long just all in one go, not gradually got shorter or anything. He will still nap at the childminders though so not entirely sure what the problem is - he's also now in a bed so we can't just leave him for a bit as he gets out! Maybe try and find some more quiet things she can do other than TV so that you don't have to amuse her all the day long, puzzles or colouring or books maybe?

My DD has just turned 2 and is exactly the same. I find the only time shell sleep is if we've been to the park for ages in the morning and completely exhausted her. You could try giving her main meal as her lunch as if shes anything like myy DD she won't eat properly if too tired. You could also try having a quiet, snack time to regain some energy. I close the curtains, put on a favourite Barney DVD and give her a warm milk with some healthy snacks and although she hasn't slept that 40 minutes is quite relaxing for her I think. If you don't like using the TV you could have a storytime and quiet activities like puzzles. I also start the bed time routine an hour earlier as if I leave it till 6 to give her a bath shes besides herself.

DS1 dropped his nap very suddenly at exactly the same age. Nothing I did made him nap again, other than timing car journeys for early afternoon. Sorry, it's a long day when they stop napping, and can be hard to get them through until bedtime (which became 6.30 here for a while - he didn't get up any earlier).

Be flexible. Maybe see if you can get her napping two or three times a week rather than every day. Try the nap later, if it was at 12 before, move it to 1, if it was at 1 then 1.30 or 2. Try lots of fresh air when you can to wear her out.

I really don't like the transition period from nap to no nap. Major grumps and irritability! I don't think there is a magic wand, it's just a case of finding what works for you or makes life a little more tolerable!

Good luck!

Thanks. Its good to know I'm not the only one whose DC has gone from a lovely long nap to nothing. I've been reluctant to do something too exhausting in the morning as, on the couple of times I've tried tiring her out & she's still failed to nap, its just meant the grumpiness starts earlier. I think I'll start aiming for a nap every other day and push it back for an hour or so and on the other days I'll just get out some quiet games for her.
Thanks for the advice. Appreciated as always

My DD was 3 in June and only dropped her lunchtime nap fully in September. But I do remember that at around 2 she went through a phase where she would go up to bed and sing in bed for as long as I left her. I just kept on putting her in bed and after a while, she started sleeping again. As others have suggested, we did do about 6 months of naps every other day before it was completely dropped.

Other thing i can suggest was that we would put her in bed and give her a pile of books to read - majority of times, she would fall asleep after 20-30 mins of reading. Lastly, a bit of bribery... if she sleeps, we can do x this afternoon.

Also, re: putting to bed early - I find that DD (and DS who is 21 months) wake up at pretty much the same time every morning whatever time I put them to bed within the band of about 6.30-7.30 so you might find that if you do drop the nap and try putting her to bed a bit earlier, it won't result in earlier rising [sorry if that isn't the case for you and you get an early wake up call ]