1 year old refuses to nap: give up, or persevere?

[drivingmisscrazy]

I posted before about DD's reluctance to nap, but no-one replied Basically she goes to bed around 7 and wakes around 8 - I've been waking her earlier to see if that will make her nap, but so far no dice.

Question is, if she doesn't want to nap, and sleeps well at night, should we just give it up? Put her down if she seems like she might need a sleep? At the moment it's just causing stress all round and not producing any results - other than the occasional 25 minute long nap.

Surely she is too young not to nap at all though? And she does seem tired sometimes.

Would appreciate views/experiences. TIA

That does sound really difficult, but if she seems happy and sleeps well at night I don't see what else you can do?? Plan to be out in the buggy or the car just after a big lunch and hope for the best??

I'm sure there are others out there with DCs who have dropped their nap so early.

It could just be a phase, though so maybe keep creating good napping conditions around the same time each day (i.e. buggy, car, snuggling on the sofa) and see how you go?

My 13.5 month old would be a nightmare without a nap. In fact struggling to get him down to just the 1 nap! But his night sleep is all over the shop and never more than 11.5 hours. So ours are getting about the same sleep in a 24 hour day.

you MUST persevere! otherwise you will have a hard few years ahead of you. it is a phase it will pass. just keep trying various strategies. she will get into it again. mine tried to give it up around then but they NEED it for development purposes....

nowwearefour - I know she needs it which I why I ask the question. We usually try to put her down just after 12 (she often falls asleep about then if we are out, though only stays asleep for 25 mins) and then again 3-3.30. She seems to want a longer sleep late in the day, but then of course she won't go to bed until much later...

Oh well, we'll keep trying and hopefully she'll get back to it again

If you kept her up a bit longer, like 12:30 or 1:00 and then took her for walk in the buggy and kept conditions completely perfect (i.e. keep moving, dark blanket over the buggy, etc.) would she sleep longer than 25 mins??

Just wondering if you could do that consistently at the exact same time for a week or so, maybe her body would get used to napping longer?

Other things that worked for us with short naps, but this was when DS was much younger...putting in place a nap routine similar to pre-bed and doing it at exactly the same time every day (nappy, gro bag, milk, stories, song, close curtains, in cot), and creeping in just before he normally stirs and rousing him a bit to try to get him to shift into a new sleep cycle. When that failed, the buggy always worked for me, but only if I kept walking for the whole nap.

I'm sure you've tried all of this, but just on the off chance it might be helpful! You must be desperate for a bit of a break during the day if you're home with her, or is she in nursery?

tried some of those things, but think we might need to work on the routine part - at the mo it's kind of 'she looks tired, let's put her in bed'. We leave her for a little while, but usually she escalates and then gets up. Of course, she knows that's exactly what will happen...She's at home all day, so it's a bit ; I think she's probably ready to go to one nap, but I can't work out when it should be...she's been teething on and off too, which doesn't help.

I would keep trying if I were you, there might be other reasons for it that may run there course. At this age she does need a nap about half-way through the day. At 12mths old my DS used to have about an hour to an hour and a quarter just after his lunch.

I would give him his lunch at 12pm then at 1pm, change his nappy then either put him in his cot after a breastfeed and him falling asleep in my arms or wrap him up snug and warm in his pram, lay him flat and go out for a walk somewhere quiet and boring, not through town though as there are too many distractions!

It sounds like your best bet would be taking her out in the pram as she is able to stand up in her cot.

'you MUST persevere! otherwise you will have a hard few years ahead of you. it is a phase it will pass. just keep trying various strategies. she will get into it again. mine tried to give it up around then but they NEED it for development purposes.... '

I, apparently, gave up my daytime naps on my first birthday (my mum must have been delighted! ). After that I never napped in the daytime again unless ill. I don't think I've suffered developmentally as I have a degree, about to finish a second degree and have a postgraduate certificate.

She maybe just doesn't need the sleep.

I would have said give up, even if just for now. You can't force a person to sleep!

Maybe she will start napping again at some point, but she will be able to communicate thid need to you.

Good luck!

Why do they need it for developmental purposes? I would have thought if she has given it up of her own accord, she is ready not to have a sleep in the day. If she goes to bed fine in the evenings and doesn't get overtired by the end of the day, I think it's fine. Most babies drop from 2 naps to 1 at just after a year, so it's a normal time to be reducing sleep.

yes, I was wondering about the developmental thing and making things difficult in the coming years too . I was apparently not a great sleeper and barely slept at all in the day beyond 9 months or so. I have a PhD and am a professor!!

Might try a change of routine though and try to concentrate on getting her to have one nap. She does get cranky at times, but it's hard to differentiate between tiredness and general frustration - she's going through a demanding phase of pointing and shouting and yelling when I fail to provide whatever it is she wants...

thanks all - comments much appreciated

A few months ago I was going insane with my DS (10mths at the time) who wouldn't have a lunch time nap in his cot. It drove me mad as I craved a break.. My friend suggested putting him outside the back door in his buggy with the rain cover on...it worked! He now has 1 and a half to 2 hours sleep at lunch as well as 7pm to 7am sleep. It did take a few days of persevering, but worth it...come rain, shine or snow or minus 15, he is outside. MIL disapproves, but that is to be expected! good luck!

I wouldn't worry too much. My 2 didn't really nap at a year. If they were tired and were in the car or pushchair they'd drop off but otherwise they'd never sleep in their cots.

HTH

yes, that does all help! thanks

Good luck! My DS was a major sleep fighter and I swear would be awake for weeks at a time, given the choice. But the repetitive, [boring] nap routine every single day at the exact same time did work for him after a couple of weeks. It is like he can't stop himself from dropping off now, he knows what's coming.

Up to you, what you find more stressful. I would personally want the break in the day myself, so would have a go at the routine option. But if you yourself didn't need alot of sleep as a baby, then it may well just run in the family!

I haven't read all the posts but my darling boy who is 13 months (my second child) has started to resist naps lately. Stands in his cot and shouts, takes his trousers and socks off and throws them out of his cot, pulls sheets up, throws his favourite teddy out etc.

If I know he is tired, has a clean nappy, I've given him some teething gel so I know his teeth are not an issue and he has had plenty to eat. I push on through with going in every 5 mins and laying him down again and leaving. He does eventually get the message and go to sleep. I do not speak to him, or look at him when I do this.

I remember having to do this with my daughter too. Sooner or later the novelty wore off and she still has a nap at 2.6 years old now.

Maybe it only works for my kids but, that's what I did.

Good luck x

I'm glad you said this, we're doing the same, I've been so worried it's me doing something wrong but I've tried and tried everything in the book, now we've just let her sleep (like you say) in the car or pram

If she doesn't nap, she does fo all through the night.

Don't feel so alone now on this situation ❤

DD fought naps for a while at around that age. What worked for us was putting a few toys/books in the cot, leaving the light on & going out of the room. She would sit & play happy, then she would be lying down and playing, then she would just conk out. Can’t hurt to give it a try?!

Our eldest started refusing naps at around 15 months, they were very hit and miss by 18 months and by 20 months took her last ever planned nap. From 11 months she’d only have 28 minutes a day, and all naps for her EVER from birth had to be forced by rocking her in a blacked out buggy while playing loud white noise while she screamed indignantly.

She was infinitely happier without a nap, finally slept properly without restlessly tossing and turning and it certainly hasn’t harmed her development according to her nursery.

Since then, she will occasionally nod off in the car if we’re in it long enough late in the day, but she then has a terrible night sleep and wakes up very grumpy very early in the morning.

Some children just need less sleep, like some adults do. It’s just a case of working out whether yours really needs the nap or not.

Glad this thread is helping, but as the child is now 12, the OP probably doesn't need any advice!

Is she walking yet? If she isn't, you may find she'll go down much easier for a nap.

When my son was 12 months, he went to 1 nap then needed 2 again when the walking... and running started!