2 year old periodically dropping nap

[jennyh]

Hey

Have read about sleep regression at 2 years old and so have a basic understanding of the reason why my toddler is refusing sleep but not sure what to do about it! She seems tired but can't sleep and have tried everything from a very obvious attempt to wind down with milk and books to sleeping on me/cuddling etc, to endless talking about how her friends are all asleep etc, to trying to overly exhaust her with activities so she crashes but its not working. Yesterday she sat in the cot for 90 mins playing and finally slept a 3pm which didn't help as she then didn't go to bed until 9 so is getting less sleep at night. Today I have tried for an hour and a mixture of leaving her to cry and going and cuddling etc but she isn't playing ball. I guess in struggling to see how I keep encouraging her to nap but know when to give up. I feel she needs the sleep still and I know it's early to completely drop a nap but i fear we are heading that way...

Not sure what I'm looking for, ideas, experience, sympathies!? I'm having a really crappy day today where it seems everything is hard work so sure I'm overreacting. I wouldn't mind her being up all day if I didn't have to do everything for her when she is awake, refusing to play alone, tantrums over every little thing!!! It's a tricky phase!!!!

[alieh]

Some people do find their 2 year olds dropping the nap, but much more likely that it is a phase I would think. I would persevere as you are. Keep the routine, lots of exercise in the morning, put her down at the same time each day and get her up at the same time regardless of whether she's slept, then a earlier bedtime on the days she doesn't sleep (that's the only thing that got us through dodgy sleep patches, but everyone's different). That's all you can do really!

Will she sleep in car or buggy? We've used those tricks before to re-establish nap routine and then transitioned back to cot once he was used to sleeping daily again.

Does she go to nursery and does she nap there? I think my older son dropped his nap much earlier than he would have because there was too much excitement at the childminder and then he got out of routine. Hoping the younger one keeps his much longer!

[jennyh]

She goes to nursery 3 days a week and they say she sleeps every day for at least an hour, she really does get tired so i think she still needs it. I appreciate your advice, to be honest I think I've made the mistake of trying to put her down too late thinking she will be exhausted but like you say trying to stick to the timings and routine makes more sense.

Sadly unless she is shattered we face a good hour in the car before she even considers dropping off and the same in the pushchair amidst trying to climb out and dropping cherished teddy. She's just wired all the time, life is far too fun!!!

[Cora]

Sorry very unscientific as I don't have details but there was recent research saying toddlers really benefit from sleeping until three yrs if you can keep it up....

[emza78]

We've had the same problem for the last 3 weeks or so. I must admit that lunchtime naps were becoming so difficult and distressing for both of us that I've just let her drop it now (She's 27 months). We sit down in front of the tele or read books between 1 and 2 so she has a bit of a rest, then I put her in the bath at 515, she's asleep by 6 and sleeps through till 7 the next morning. Must confess I'm quite enjoy the long evenings!

I do wonder if it may be a phase as well though as she's still sleeping fine at nursery and she has had times like this in the past...

[bishop]

My now three year old went through this aged 20mo-25mo iirc. Tired but WOULD NOT sleep. We eventually got round it because his baby sister started having a long nap at 1ish, and I'd lie down on my bed with him and he would fall asleep. Job done. I ended up having to cut his naps out when he was about 2.5 because he would sleep easily in the day but then be awake till 10pm in the evening.

[susyp]

Mine dropped her nap at 2 - because it was just getting impossible to get her to take it. She definitely still needed it as would be begging for bed at 430pm but I wouldn;t let her go to bed until about 6pm. She soon got used to it and it was definitely one the highlights of those two years - no routine, not trying to get her to sleep for hours at lunchtime and again in the evening - she was so exhausted in the evening that she went down no problem - and a proper evening's rest for me. It did mean we couldn't go out after about 2pm for a while as she would fall asleep in pushchair or car seat and then be impossible to get back to sleep in the evneing but I don't remember that lasting too long. I loved having my evenings back - and she was in bed by 630 until quite recently (she is now 4pm). lovely!

susypx

[snowboarder]

Yeah my smallest (2 next week) is similarly pretending he doesn't need a nap....sometimes he goes through esp if we're out for tha day, but if we are at home I always put him to bed around 1 and get him up at 2.30 - if he sleeps he sleeps! He was fighting bedtime for a bit too but that seems to have settled down. This is all annoying as eldest (after a crap first yr) reliably napped until he was three. I need that nap, dammit!

[emza78]

To be honest I had no idea the 2 year old sleep regression even existed until this thread so did some reading up on it earlier. Then as if on cue tonight, absolute refusal to go off at usual time of 7 (she had a 1.5 hour nap at nursery.) After about 20 mins of messing around and taking it in tuns to settle, thought it was probably time to resort to a bit of sleep training again. I favour the "gradual retreat" method (is it super nanny?) so sat by cot without interacting whilst she threw every single toy out then had a tantrum about it. After about an hour she finally went off. Hoping it will be easier tomorrow, tho she probably won't nap at all so will probably go off like a dream at 545!

[jennyh]

Ditto here Emza! She did eventually drop off through her tears at 2.30 only for me to wake her at 3.30 amidst much irritation on her part. What is usually a 7.30pm bed turned into a huge screaming match and come 9pm she was just dropping off. So long evenings!!

In all seriousness, I feel so sorry for the poor little thing not being able to drop off, it's so irritating as alln adult so I can't imagine how hard it must be when you don't understand. As mug as I hate losing the hour to myself, It's more I just want to help her!

[etta166]

In complete contrast to what everyone else has said, I just took the refusal to go to sleep when put down at lunch time as a sign that a nap wasn't necessary any more. With my first the napping tailed off fom 18m and my second is just starting to nap erraticlly (some days yes, some days no) at 23m. I'm not convinced that all children still need a long nap at this time of day.

Both my children started to sleep badly at night or wake early if I forced a nap to happen. I find my life much easier on days where I'm not tied to the house for 2 hours after lunch, and have 2 children who settle pretty easily at 7pm most days.