What can I do?

[mummyrose28]

Feel at a total loss.

My DD is 20 months. For the past few weeks she has been difficult to settle for her naps. The only time she has taken a nap was when she woke at 5.30am!

She used to nap anytime between 12.30 and 1pm for an hour and half - 2 hours.

She usually sleeps 7.30pm to 7.30am but if she's teething it's awake at 3am/ 6.30am 😩

I don't know if it's a phase or if I'm not putting her down early / late enough.

The day is exhausting as she wants my constant attention ALL day! And as we are in lockdown it's bloody hard as we all know.

Help!

What have you tried so far OP?

Both mine stopped day time naps at 18 months - sorry! One had been fighting them for a month or so, the other went from regular 3hrs every afternoon to nothing the next day and that was it.

I have tried lots of activity , morning walks, big lunch and trying for 1pm.

She has a breastfeed before naps and for bedtime as well. She settles well at nighttime- probably because she's also knackered!

She gets grumpy at 3.30/4pm and had a complete meltdown at 5pm for dinner yesterday!! Fun for DH and I.

If I do a later nap it might risk bedtime not being till 9pm.

Have you tried sticking her in the pram and taking for a really long walk or doing the nap feed in your bed and seeing if she goes to sleep there?

Might be time to drop the nap sadly

I have taken her out for a long walk in the pram and she goes quiet and yawns but won't go off.

Is it wise to just give up on the nap as she is really yawning and seems very cranky at teatime.

Is 7.30pm to 7.30am - usually!! - enough for her?

I'm really worried she's awake all day and it's really stressing me out.

Lots of people will tell you it's fine and if she's sleeping through, it is probably enough.

Could you do a quiet hour instead if you are worried, like a long walk or a few books and a quiet activity?

Yes I've started doing a quiet hour. She will
actually start to lie down but when I scoop her up to her room and try and get her to nap there she just protests.

Has anyone had a few weeks of nap refusal and come out the other end with a Bub that naps again?

Instead of scooping her up, have you tried covering her up and seeing if she sleeps then?

Time to drop the nap. The 4 weeks or so of transition between nap / no nap when they are excessively grumpy is always annoying but doable.

None of mine have still been napping by 2.

My Daughter stopped napping at about 18 months.

I tried so hard to get her to nap as it is so exhausting trying to entertain them all day, but no luck.

Every now and then she would still have a nap, but would end up going to bed about 10pm because of it.

I really struggled getting used to her not having a nap. It was really hard at first but if I needed a break, I would put her in front of the telly and have a coffee. As she got older I explained to her that I would be having a break/eating/coffee for ten minutes and then I would play again. I'll be honest she went nuts a few times and threw tantrums but she gets it now and gives me a bit of time.

@Darcy224 and was she sleeping ok at night?

I know exactly what you mean. I do try and have a half hour to myself. If this is how it is going to go then I need to prepare myself!

Is there anyone who has found its a phase?