Naptime - a common problem but need support/advice please

[FoxInSocksOnKnoxInBox]

Hello,

my 2 year old decided she doesn’t want to nap at home. It’s either in the car or in the pram. We do our usually routine with story, lights out, song, sleep - same as bed time routine. But now it’s just book after book after book, or lots of tears until I give up and we all go play downstairs.

when she doesn’t nap, she’s cranky and clearly overtired and doesn’t have an appetite. But she still doesn’t sleep early and stays up till 10 or 11pm.

her bedtime has gone bonkers as well - so she used to go down at 7:30pm and would wake up at 7 or 8am the next day. (I know this is late for many parents, but it worked for us for a while) now it’s just book after book or lots of tears until about 10:30 or 11pm when she will konk out from exhaustion. And she wakes up at 7am with no nap throughout the day. l feel like as an adult I slept (or need sleep) more than her!

I’ve resorted to driving around in the car until she naps now but I’m pregnant and tired and need a nap too and can’t do it when she naps in the car. I used to nap with her. i also get extremely stressed out when she doesn’t nap because I know she will be unhappy and cranky and because I am so tired with this pregnancy that I become impatient, tired and cranky too.

what are some strategies I can do so we can all rest? How can I make bed time earlier? I still try to put her to bed at 7:30pm even though she stays up till 11. Is that a big mistake? Should I just give in and make her bedtime 10 or 11pm?

thanks for any advice

Hi! We're in a similar spot with our 2 year old (2 and 9 months). He naps at nursery but isn't tired at all at bedtime then (usually 7.30), and at home he often refuses his nap now. The problem is I can't then go anywhere with him in the afternoon as he'll fall asleep in the buggy and completely mess up bedtime.

Our saving grace has been his audio player (he has a Yoto but there are others). He LOVES it, so on days he's had a nap and then isn't tired at 7/7.30, I just leave it playing a story for him and he goes to sleep in his own time - usually before 8pm but sometimes past 8. Similarly for nap time, even if he doesn't actually go to sleep I manage to get at least 30 mins downtime with him in his cot listening to a story.

We're struggling with early mornings at the moment too, but I'm not sure it's related because he's waking at 6ish whether he's had a nap or not.

Good luck!