2.5 ur old not napping, but exhausted!

[inappropriateraspberry]

Help! My daughter doesn’t want her afternoon nap anymore but struggles to make it through the day without one! She is exhausted and I’m not sure how to sort it out! She goes to bed about 7pm and wakes between 7 and 8am usually, so gets a good night. I wondered if going to bed later may help her be more tired for a nap, but not really sure what to try! Any suggestions?

How do you get her to try napping?

Ds will nap only if I get into bed with him and it takes about an hour to get him to sleep. Then he sleeps for two hours and sleeps well at night. He does need a nap (he’s a nightmare if he doesn’t have one.)

Unfortunately you may need to really work on the napping in the day - although at this age they do start to nap less.,

I take it they are grumpy then otherwise if they're getting a good night's sleep there is no problem. My DDs started to outgrow a nap at that age unless on a long walk in a buggy or in the car seat. I remember taking a magazine and lunch and driving somewhere to get an hour to chill while they slept in the back. Bliss.

My son is the same age and sometimes decides he doesnt want a nap and has the same result as your DD. I just take DS upstairs and into his bed, say 'nap time now' and leave him. 9/10 times he naps, occasionally he will get up and start playing with the toys in his room. When that happens i still just leave him up there until 'nap time' is over or unless he's screaming. If he hasn't napped in the day i start winding him down earlier in the evening and put him to bed about 10-15 minutes earlier than normal.

We’ve been very lucky that she’s always been a good sleeper, and I’ve just had to tuck her in, say goodnight and leave her to it! But know she sits in bed calling for me and crying - but won’t get out until I go in. She is getting grumpy and doesn’t know what to do with herself. I think because as a rule she’s been so good and no trouble I’m at a real loss what to do! Keep debating whether an earlier or later bedtime will help, as I feel she still needs a nap.

Will she sleep in a buggy or car?

Mine gave up naps at about 2, but ds really still needed them.
We used to do this:

-after lunch, curled up on sofa with dvd on, he would go quiet and snuggles (very unusual, he was normally bouncing around)
-quiet story time /book time
-ride in the car, at times I only had to go about half a mile before he dropped off.

he sometimes feel asleep over book or dvd. He didn't need it every day, 2-3 naps per week were enough.

At some point he just wasn't interested in that quiet snuggly time, and I knew he didn't need it any more

She sometimes falls asleep in the car if we’re out, but I don’t want to start driving her around just to nap! She is still in her cot with the side off, but will be going in a single bed in the next week or so. Am wondering if this may help or hinder?

I think You have to accept she will not being having any kind of nap very soon, or by 3ish anyway unless you engineer it that way.

She is currently snuggled on the sofa with a blanket watching Bing and eating crisps!

FYI I din't drive around for the whole nap. I drove to a country park a few miles away, then when she was asleep I'd park up and read and eat lunch....very quietly. Then when she woke up we'd have a little walk.

MsHarry, we did the same, if he really needed it, he dropped off really quickly, and then I came home, the house we had at the time had the car parked in such a way that I could see it from the kitchen, and it was in our garden, so I parked the car, went into the house and watched him from the kitchen.

if night times work, don't upset them!
ds didn't always fall asleep with his dvd, but he really was loads better for having had a quiet time, nearly as good as a nap

We drive around here to force it.
It is worth it to avoid the grumpiness.
It's on the way out though

My DD is a similar age. She's started to drop her naps but sometimes she really needs it for everyone's sanity. I have done what precious posters did/do and drive till she's asleep, park and read my book. Bliss!

Thanks everyone. I have a suspicion she is cutting some molars which would explain a lot! Calpol and a bath seemed to have helped settle her down tonight.