My toddler naps for 2 hours everywhere except with me!

[Lolapicklepup]

My toddler (18m) will go to nursery and have his nap absolutely fine. He’ll sleep between 2-3.5 hours. They will sometimes wake him after 3 but generally will do 2.5 hours.

if he stays at nanny and grandads for the day, he goes for his nap and will sleep 2+ hours.

If daddy puts him down for his nap, he’ll sleep for 2+ hours.

If I put him down, I’m lucky if I get an hour, but sometimes 35 minutes. We all follow the same routine. He goes down for the nap absolutely fine, but with me, he wakes crying after 35 minutes and remains miserable for the rest of the day because he’s so tired. I’m completely at a loss! The room is dark, he’s not too hot/cold. We go out all morning to parks or in the garden and play, but he will still only sleep less than an hour.

I think I’m about to have a breakdown over it as I’m currently 7 months pregnant and I don’t know how I’ll cope with a newborn, not being able to have a nap and a severely over tired toddler who will sleep for everyone but me.

is it seperation anxiety? He’s extremely clingy to me and won’t let anyone else touch him if I’m about. He cries if I’m not holding him, but if I’m not around he’s absolutely lovely! He’s happy to have sleep overs, sleeps well at night for others, never tantrums!

I just feel like I get the worst side of him with no sleep, constant crying and tantrum and clinging to me.

any advice how to make the naps longer? ☹️ I feel like I’m losing my mind with the lack of rest during the day, physical struggles of pregnancy and having to carry and hold an overtired toddler all day.

Is he getting as much stimulation to tire him out when you're together?

@RedRobyn2021 thanks for replying!
yeah he is. We get up at 6.30, have breakfast and are usually at the park for 8am with the dog. We do an hours playing, running, puddle splashing until 9. Come home and then usually do an activity for a couple of hours. Either a class, play cafe or in the garden 9-11. Then we have lunch at 11.30 and go down for a nap at 12. X

Ive no real advice as ours dropped naps just before 18m - maybe once every 3 days and only at nursery or the car and then only 1hr at most! Never at weekends!! It is exhausting, but ours sleep until 7.30, sometimes 0800 so I get a lie in. What time do the go to bed/get up?

@Pteryl oh goodness! Poor you!
He goes to sleep at 7 and wakes at 6-6.30, though sometimes at the moment he will wake anytime from 5am. Last night we put him to bed at 6.30 and he was beside himself tired and he woke at 5.45 this morning ☹️