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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

2 year old DD1 refuses to sleep during the day - It is runing my life!!

57 replies

CaptainDippy · 13/02/2006 19:41

My 2 year old DD1 has suddenly started to refuse to sleep during the day. She used to have 2 hours between 10 and 12, but now I put her down and she gets up, put her down again and she gets up, no matter what time of day. I wouldn't worry, but she is absolutely exhausted and is an absolute misery from 10am onwards- and I mean ABSOLUTE misery - screaming and crying all the damn time, it doesn't stop and it is making every day miserable for me. I am starting to dread getting up in the morning because I know I have got to put up with a grumpy, miserable little so-and-so all day long.

Does anyone else understand? Is anyone else going through this?? Has anyone get any suggestions? I am going mad here!!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Enid · 13/02/2006 19:42

dd2 dropped her lunchtime nap at 18 months and was so tired. I put her to bed by 6pm to make up for it.

Enid · 13/02/2006 19:42

what time does seh go to bed and get up?

compo · 13/02/2006 19:43

How about taking her for a walk after her lunch. She might sleep in the pushcahir and perhaps when it gets warmer you could leave her in the back garden witht eh door open so you get a bit of peace

Original poster

CaptainDippy · 13/02/2006 19:44

Dd1 goes to bed at 6pm now too (1st thing I started doing when the naps stopped!!) But the problem is that she is complete misery guts all day looooooooong - I can do anything, go anywhere etc etc It is really really getting me down - I am soooooooo exhausted!!

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mummytosteven · 13/02/2006 19:44

DS (23 months) has started dropping his naps most days over the last few months. He doesn't (usually) seem to get overtired by it though. Maybe try what enid suggests - an earlier bedtime. By get up do you mean that you get her out of her cot, or that she is in a bed and literally gets up out of it.

mummytosteven · 13/02/2006 19:44

Do you drive? Would she fall asleep in the car?

Original poster

CaptainDippy · 13/02/2006 19:44

Used to go to bed at 7, not 6 or just after. Gets up anywhere between 6 and 8am.

OP posts:

Twiglett · 13/02/2006 19:45

DS dropped all daytime sleep at 2

have you tried putting her down straight after lunch instead?

Enid · 13/02/2006 19:45

wake her up every morning at 7am

then take her for a walk

go for drive at lunchtime?

hermykne · 13/02/2006 19:46

CD what time is she up at? 6pm is quite early for bed, is it not for 2?
can u just leave the nap til maybe 1/2pm and put to bed at 7pm instead?

Twiglett · 13/02/2006 19:47

hang on .. backtracking down the thread

so what time would you not consider early for an under 2 to be put to bed?

DD goes to bed anywhere from 6 to 7 dependent on how much more I can cope with .. but she's started getting up at 6 to 6.30 rather than 8 to 8.30 in the last couple of weeks which is really getting us all down .. so should I keep her up later do you think

Original poster

CaptainDippy · 13/02/2006 19:47

She does go to sleep in the pushchair, but only for about 20 mins tops and as soon as I stop walking she wakes up so I have to walk and walk and walk and walk - which makes me even more exhausted!! Also, to compound things I have an 8 month old who needs my attention and love too - and who also needs proper sleeps too (no neccesary at the same time as DD1!!) No I don't drive - and the same problem as the pushchair - stop and she wakes up!!

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Original poster

CaptainDippy · 13/02/2006 19:48

She's in a bed, but she won't sleep in a cot or a bed.

OP posts:

Original poster

CaptainDippy · 13/02/2006 19:49

She won't sleep in the house at any time of the day - not in the morning, or after lunch or at 2 or 3 pm - Not at all!!!

OP posts:

Nemo1977 · 13/02/2006 19:51

CD is there anything you can do to tire her out?????
I have a similair problem Ds is 2.3yrs and has dropped his daytime sleeps apart from when he has been to toddler group in the morning. However he also doesnt go to bed until 8-8.30pm ish as dh works late and otherwise wouldnt get to see him. I have now enrolled him in a playgroup 2 afternoons a week in hope he will be tired on his other days at home. I have an 8wk old and could do with some time to catch up on stuff...sorry just realised this has turned into me moaning rather than support bows out of the thread

Original poster

CaptainDippy · 13/02/2006 19:58

Moan away Nemo - I am!! I take her to every toddler group under the sun - and run around and around as much as I possibly can, but to no avail - no matter how much I do in the morning, no sleep in the afternoon.

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madmarchhare · 13/02/2006 19:58

Try pushing bedtime back and hopefully she will get up later in the morning with a nap at 1/2ish in the afternoon?

Agree that perhaps she could do with a bit of tiring out in the mornings. Other than that, I am fully expecting a transitional period when DS drops his afternoon nap. I think its the same as any change until they get used to it.

poppiesinaline · 13/02/2006 20:02

Poor u Captain Dippy. Both my older two dropped any daytime sleeps by 18 months but didn't get grumpy until about 4/5 pm. I was very at my friends whose kids still slept in the day at 3. What time are you up and what time does she wake up? Maybe wake her earlier and then try an after lunch sleep. Has she got a stair gate on bedroom door or top of stairs? Can you make it completely toddler proof and put her for a 'rest' in her room after lunch and just keep putting her back when she gets up saying "its rest time now". May take a few days of hell. May work. May not. Mine wouldn't do that though so I used to snuggle up on sofa after lunch with a video/DVD on and say. "Now its rest time. We are going to have some quiet tiime now". Mine used to sit and watch telly for 1/2 hr or so. Maybe she doesn't actually need a sleep as such but just needs to re-charge her batteries a bit.

Sorry - bit waffly!!

MrsWood · 13/02/2006 20:07

Our dd (2.6) will sleep at nursery in the afternoon but not at home unless we either go for a walk in a buggy (even then it takes her ages to drop off) or for a drive around country lanes, which is costing a fortune in petrol. So, we decided to just let her be - as soon as she gets knackered, we plonk her on the sofa with her favorite DVD and she rests for an hour or so, which gives us a chance to get on with things, and even if she doesn't sleep, she's much better for the rest she had. Failing that, take her to playgroup or maybe nursery for couple of hours some days (if you can afford to). Swimming is always a good one for knackering kids out.

PeachyClair · 13/02/2006 20:08

I'd say keep her up later, exhaust her, this middle ground will just make everyone miserable: she'd be surely better off with 2 sleeps, even if one at night a bit shorter?

DS's (all 3) gave up naps at 18 months, ds2 was only a few months old when ds1 gave up (small gap) and it was mortifying- up until then that hour was my only time to eat or do anything.

Original poster

CaptainDippy · 13/02/2006 20:11

Thank you for all these great tips - I will try, but I just am at a loss - nice idea about DVD or TV, but we don't own one and DD is not interested, she wants my attention constantly - I am sooooo knackered - I don't stop from 9am til 7pm, I rarely eat breakfast or lunch because of screaming and tantrums. Yes, we have a stairgate on the nursery, but she just stands by it screaming and won't "rest". ARGH!!!

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poppiesinaline · 13/02/2006 20:15

Ragtaggle · 13/02/2006 20:17

My dd dropeed her daytime nap at two just as my son was born so I know how you feel.Im amazed that you managed to get your two year old to go to bed at ten am for two hours though - isn't that really soon after getting up?

Anyway, like you I find her not having a nap exhausting but I have now found a sort of solution. I tell her that I need a break during my sons nap and that she absolutely must play on her own during this time. To my suprise (She's a cuddly child who loves company and is capable of histrionics if I don't give her attention) she has responded to this. She now plays near me (But not with me)for up to an hour at a time and I get a break. You do say, however, that your child clearly still needs this nap so the other alternative is to put her in her room anyway and tell her to 'rest' even if she doesn't sleep, It can be just as beneficial for them to go to a calm unstimulating environment for a while.

Original poster

CaptainDippy · 13/02/2006 20:21

I'll defintely try the "putting her in her room" approach - unfortunately, she is too young to understand the "mummy needs some time" approach - may be a year or so!!?

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MrsWood · 13/02/2006 20:28

Oh, I'm so sorry you're having such terrible time. My dd was a real wingebag and she got much better after her 2nd Birthday - no idea why but she just snapped out of being a pain and became more managable. I really hope this happens to your dd too. You can always give some activities a go - maybe invest in some lift the flap books, puzzles - anything she could do by being calm, quiet and rest without even knowing it. When kids get overtired they really can be a nightmare. I completely symphatise.

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