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Can a 23 month old drop his afternoon nap?

2 replies

Tinytoto · 09/04/2012 13:28

Hi all,

Looking for some advice on my DS who is 23 months old. He has not been taking his afternoon nap lately which is usually from 1-1.5 hours. I try and encourage him to have a cuddle with me in the bed and read some books and then say its quiet time. He literally just grunts like 'as if mum!' and then he is off the bed and running around in the room aimlessly. I have tried giving him more food ( thought he just got hungry again!) he sometimes nibbles at whatever I offer him and then rejects it and starts pointing out of the door and when I have given in to find out what he wants its straight to the toy box...

We play during the day and have some running around acivities and also pop out a few times a week. I think he is over tired and think he is fighting it off as whenever I do put him in bed, he just screams but he is soooo tried, yawning, wanting his dummy, and cries at anything and everything and generally just hits me if I say 'no' at something.

Advice on what I should do if he dropping his nap and what other activities should we do? He is just on duracell batteries and does not stop to even sit down and listen to a story when he doesnt have his nap!! Sorry if I have repeated myself-typing really fast so DS doesn't del it all!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
JiltedJohnsJulie · 09/04/2012 16:25

I have met other children who don't have a nap at this age so he's not unique. If you think he is overtired though, is this all the time or just late afternoon? Would taking him out in the car or pushchair encourage him to nap?

Haven't read this book but we used her No Cry Sleep Solution which was great.

GinPalace · 09/04/2012 16:27

If he is over-tired maybe he needs to have his nap brought forward rather than dropped. Once he has gone past it and got his second wind it is very difficult.

My 21mo ds goes for his nap at 12 and any later starts getting trickier.

You could try a quiet wind down pre-nap, maybe quiet play then lunch then straight to bed?

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