Should I sleep train for toddler's nap?

[fevrier]

DS is 12 months and self settles for bed - normal routine, bottle of milk, down very sleepily and asleep alone in bed in dark...

At the moment he has gone to one day sleep after lunch (ish).... sometimes at 11am or sometimes at 1pm, depending on how much he has got tired out by the day.

For naps I have always bfed to sleep (now no longer sadly) or used pram or rocked / danced.... but he is now an advernturous toddler who sometimes - when very interested and excited won't relax for a nap. A bottle of milk will knock him out when tired tho (and always the pram).

But am worried he may start trying to resist his nap (he does sometimes) and wonder if I should just teach him a nap routine and put him down at 12.30 or 1pm and insist on sleep through some training? I hate to hear him cry but at the moment this guessing of when he is tired is quite stressful.

Wonder what you all think?

My son is 13 months and still needs a nap at 10.30am and 3pm. He's still not able to move to the 1 nap after lunch. My daughter was the same. They go to bed at 7pm and wake about 7am on a good day.

He does resist naps sometimes, even though I know he's tired, as did my daughter. I'm just persistent. I use the baby whisperer PUPD method. Eg. Just pick them up until they stop crying and then when they stop lie them down, when they start crying again, pick them, when they stop, lie them down. Do not leave the room with them, stay by the cot and keep doing it over and over. They will get the message in the end and finally go to sleep. It'll take 3 days of being consistent. The first time you may need to pick them up 70 times, the next nap time maybe 50 times etc. This is the method I used. I didn't feel so bad, as I wasn't leaving them to cry it out alone. It does work.

Anyway no doubt you'll get some more suggestions today x

thanks teaandcakes, I think I should do something or he will turn into a toddler who won't nap in a while..... AT least he goes to bed at night time.

Might go in and out of his room - but need to wait for a holiday when I have constant days with him!

WOnder if anyone else has nap trained an older baby? I don't suppose PUPD works this late? He is so strong it would turn into a big battle!

I think you have to do whatever feels right with your baby. This book method does often work.

However this book too has lots of suggestions in as well.

Wait until your mum or someone comes to stay and do whichever method you're most comfortable with. It will be a battle I suspect, but worth it IME.