11mo suddenly fighting naps

[mrsd1980]

My almost 11 month old DS has always been a beautiful sleeper, sleeps 12 hours every night without waking, and naps twice a day for 1-1.5 hours each nap. Over the past few days this has all changed suddenly and I can't work out why, or what to do about it!

He's showing signs of tiredness (yawning, rubbing eyes, sighing, etc) but when I take him through for his nap, he just screams and stands up in his cot, refusing to sleep. He's usually so good at going to sleep, self settles with no fuss at all so I don't know what's changed or why.

I've tried leaving him but the crying doesn't subside and he doesn't fall asleep. I've also tried getting him up, putting on a soothing baby dvd or reading quietly with him, and then trying again in 15 minutes time - still no joy.

Yesterday he went 8 hours without napping, which is a record for him. When he eventually did sleep it was only for 40 minutes and he woke screaming and was clearly still very tired and needed more sleep.

I'm at my wits end and have no idea what to do. I am 10 weeks pregnant too, and feeling exhausted and need to sleep when he does, struggling to cope without this break.

Is this just a phase and I must just hang in there until its over? Or is this the start of a bad habit that needs to be broken? Or is he just needing to drop a nap?

I think he needs to drop a nap. DS was like this at 11 mo, very trying, spending hours in a cupboard bouncing him whike he clawed and yelled was tiresome in the extreme. Now he does something energetic and outdoorsy after breakfast for an hour, has a snack, plays or goes to supermarket with me, has early lunch at 11.45 and is put to bed after BF at 12-12.30 whereupon he usually sleeps for 1.5 hours, sometimes longer sometimes not at all but let's gloss over that

It took about 10 days to kick in. When he wakes he has another snack, then supper at 4pm and a bedtime snack and milk at 6.30. Bedtime 7.15pm.

Does he still sleep at noght? If so then that should give you chance to rest.

Similar to you - my DD (10 months) has started refusing to nap at all during the day. Does the same thing, screams and will not stop! Sometimes she will sleep for about half an hour when I take her out in the pushchair but that's all. She sleeps 12 hours at night and has done since 2 months old so I am grateful for that. I have just accepted that she doesn't want to sleep during the day now.......sorry not much help to you!