Dropping to no naps at 15 months?

[kallia]

I have a 15 month old DD who has always been a poor napper. Over the summer though she’s done really well and has had one solid nap of 1.5-2 hours every day after lunch, and I thought we were in a good routine.

We then moved house and all hell broke loose. She hasn’t napped in the last 3 weeks either for me or the childminder. If I put her in her cot and leave the room (usual way of getting her to sleep) she screams blue murder until I go in to pick her up, tears streaming down her face. If I stay in the room she just plays in her cot quietly but won’t sleep.

By bedtime she is so tired and cranky, there’s usually a few meltdowns each evening and I just don’t know what to do. Just drop the nap altogether and power through? I can’t make her sleep!

You need to find another way to get her to sleep. Walk in the push chair maybe? I would say she’s far too young not to nap at all. It’s usual to drop all naps around 3 years old.

She doesn’t sleep in the pushchair sadly nor the car. I’d rather she slept but obviously I can’t force her.

It’s just that putting her down for a nap seems to distress her so much! She screams every time she goes near the cot now :(

Whats her routine like generally? I think some kids drop naps around 2- I know a couple of children who dropped c. 21months. 15 months is very young, I wouldn't write off the naps but assume rather some kind of regression. If you can't get to nap you need to have a significant amount of down time around midday- you may need to go on long walks with them in the buggy to keep calm and inactive for a bit.

Tell that to my child, who last napped (under duress) at 17 months and has cheerfully toddled through until bedtime without a wink ever since. Even motion wouldn’t knock her out. I could have worn my shoes out walking the pram or driven across the country (which I actually did once), she simply stayed awake and was actually ok on it. They’re all different so I would just go by how she is in herself and not what people tell you she ‘should’ be doing. FWIW I have rarely heard of a three year old still napping regularly. About 2.5 is most common to drop it in my experience but there are outliers yes I’m looking at you DD

I would LOVE to hear what way I should have found to make my child sleep in the day!

Can you cuddle her to sleep and then put her in the cot? 15 months is very young to drop naps, mine had only just gone from two to one at that age.

To add, we went as far as hiring two separate sleep consultants. One actually ghosted us and the other called in her colleague for back up then gave up. I can laugh about it now but at the time I was going demented. There’s nothing more soul destroying than trying to make a baby or toddler sleep, so I feel for you OP.

thanks for all the ideas :) yes she has ‘quiet time’ in her cot when she’s supposed to be napping I put her in the cot and sit on the floor next to her. She plays quietly in the cot perfectly happily, unless I leave the room, and then she goes insane.

I think it’s more likely a regression as it came with the moving house, I just have no idea how to break it. Had been thinking about a sleep consultant but @TiddleyWink makes me think maybe it’s not worth it!

Hopefully it is just a phase, just keep going with what you are doing though. If she doesn't nap, then make sure she gets some quiet time instead of nap time. You say putting her in the cot and sitting in the room with her means she will play quietly for a bit. Keep doing this consistently every day. You can sit and read a book or something while she does this, and hopefully eventually she will go back to napping. I definitely wouldn't be thinking about dropping the nap at this stage though. Also, what is her routine like in the mornings before nap time? Is she tired enough at nap time? Is she waking up too late in the mornings, or not being active enough? I used to find my little one would nap so much easier and better if we were out and about in the morning. Staying home made naptime a lot harder most days. Hopefully this phase passes soon, I know you need that nap time as much as she does probably and the over tiredness in the evenings is hard! Good luck!!

DD1 dropped naps at a similar time. I tried prolonging by waking her earlier, but she just didn't want to sleep unless we'd had a very active morning, all naps completely dropped by 17 months. In mitigation once asleep of an evening (6.30ish) that was it for a good 11-12 hours, nothing would wake her.

Thanks @purplemama1990 I’ll keep on with the crib quiet time. We are out of the house most of the day apart from meal and (non) nap times so she should be tired enough… plus she looks tired! She’s yawning and rubbing her eyes - just won’t sleep!

Good to know I’m not the only one though… I’ll keep trying on the naps but seems like some children are just ready to drop them a bit earlier than others.

To add I find easier to get to nap at that age after lunch, easier on a fuller stomach. Move lunch earlier if needs be

Mine dropped shortly before 18 months and was on/off naps for a couple of months prior so it's not unusual. I know if a few toddlers who dropped naps around 15-18 months despite people telling you that she is 'far too young'. There's no such thing. We do quiet time in the afternoon so DD can rest on the sofa, cuddle, read some books etc. You might find that the bedtime moved slightly earlier to account for the extra tiredness.

My DD dropped all naps at 22 months, so a little later than yours, but they are all different. I think if she needed to sleep, she would fall asleep in the car, as even for a while after dropping her nap afternoon car rides were risky.

You will still find there are times she falls asleep in the car or on the sofa if she is unwell or has been particularly busy.

Just get her to bed early and enjoy your evenings.