9.5 month nap refusal...help!!

[nadine6301]

Hey everyone, as title says my little one is refusing afternoon nap....arrgh!!
Im putting her to bed early to compensate but obviously she's a mess by then.
I'm guessing this is another part of sleep regression ( but also on verge of crawling...so could it be this ...?)
Or for those of you that follow wonder weeks, is this the dreaded leap 7??
I'm wondering if this has happened to many of you and how (if at all) you managed the nap refusal? Thank you!!

Try waking her from her first nap earlier. Only let her have a half hour or so. This worked for a bit with mine when she started refusing 2nd nap. She was older though, about 13MO. Tweek the naps a bit but then try and stay consistent so her body knows what to expect. She might just get more awkward about her naps though as she gets older. Mine's a bad napper even now at 27MO. We resort to driving out in the car most of the time...

Thank you for replying. Haha I completely understand the driving around to get naps, I have had to do this alot!
I don't think she's trying to drop a nap I just think she's too wired to want to nap at the moment so by bedtime which I have to do early she's a complete mess. Unfortunately car naps don't appear to work either at the moment, she just laughs and pulls faces at herself in the mirror...
Guess I'm just looking for reassurance it will change back soon...🤷🤷

@nadine6301 what's her nap schedule? I was advised to do wake up, 2 hours up and nap (45mins at least, if shorter try re-settle). Then 3 hours awake and another nap, then 4 hours awake and bed time.

Works for us (-ish) and agree, the 8m regression is no joke. Can take (sorry) 4-6 weeks depending. I'd say from very limited FTM experience though that the better the naps, the better the overnight sleep. Important thing to keep in mind is, that the naps help their development, memory, brain and all so it's not just so that we can sit down with a coffee and MN get things done at home :)

@ZooKeeper19 thanks for replying.
I do roughly follow that routine although her awake times are more 2.5, 3.25 then 4 ish. It generally works well but last week or so she really fights the afternoon nap regardless of me bringing it back or forth...
Then she'll nap ok again for two or three days then back to refusing or at least fighting it. I'm hoping it is the regression and I'll see normality resume after (please!!) Did your little one get back on schedule?

@nadine6301 he never had a routine to start with (it may sound like he did but nah). All I do is try and not have him too tired. We are never at home so his sleeping is out and about, only sometimes in his cot at home (mostly the early morning one). The mid-day is parked in a buggy and outside and the evening one is sometimes there and sometimes not so it's just no routine at all.

As for directly refusing we don't really do that (my DH calls the nap time "baby judo" - I just lay him down and we repeat - he sits, lay down - he sits - lay down...etc.). That, a comforter and a dummy and eventually he'll doze off (even if only for a while). The buggy one is easier as I just walk him till he eventually falls asleep (if he is properly fed, changed, not too hot or too cold...).

The official advice is, if you want them to nap well and sleep well:

1. dark room (blinds on fully)
2. white noise
3. routine (same words, same PJs, same comforter etc)

I can't really do that (A. I am not a slave of naps and B. I am too lazy). But I know the theory at least :-D

@ZooKeeper19 lol, I am definitely the opposite as in I'm a total slave to naps and it drives me crazy. Unfortunately little one will only nap in cot currently, I have tried the pram so many times but she just won't sleep in it!! Arrghhh 😬. I am so envious of you being able to get out with your little boy. I wish I could just bloody relax and go with the flow but I know if she didn't nap then her night time sleep would be crap or crappier

Hi
Keep doing what you're doing - I found the key was to stay consistent and with time it passes. Mine went through this about 10 months old and I felt like the regression would never end but suddenly it did. You could try capping the morning nap depending how long your baby sleeps. Mine used to sleep 2 hours in the morning but I now wake him after 45 mins/an hour. Getting close to crawling will have something to do with it too. Just stick with what you're doing and know that with time it should pass xx

@nadine6301 what position does your one sleep in? Disregarding any comments re safety, my one slept side/belly from birth and even now when I had to change from carrycot to the sitting part of the buggy I don't strap him in. Just put him on his side/front, dummy in, blanket on, and walk him. Maybe try different positions, see if it makes a difference?

@k2331 thank you, its certainly relentless when you are in the regression and some days it just feels endless. It's great to get the reassurance that it will end even if it does take weeks to get there!
@ZooKeeper19 that idea with the position had never crossed my mind so thank you I'll give it a go. She does sleep on her side in cot so would make sense she may do it in pram too. Duh!!