Stopped naps at 3y10m. How long til nighttime gets LONGER?

I'm nearly suicidal. YES YES YES, I know I'm sooo lucky they napped as long as they did. I know.

I'm having another baby who will be here in like 2 months so I need the nursery for him. Plus, I have wanted to reunite the twins for a very long time. The reason I never did is because I knew it would be H*LL on a stick. And ahhh.... I was right. Dear God. My kids are NOT OKAY w/o sleep. Never have been. It's insane. They are wild creatures that do things they would NEVER do if they weren't overtired/nuts!!

Right now one is calling the other one an "old fashioned phone" and they are freaking out over it. I don't know. It's like they've gone mad and are taking me w/ them.

1. They were in cribs. 2. They had their own rooms. 3. They were doing 3 and 1/2 hour naps PER DAY!!

All of those things are gone. Now they REFUSE to nap. Like they're jacking around pulling down their pants and doing stupid crap so I've given up. I could probably live through this with minimal head-banging IF they went to bed easily and early? No. It's an ABSOLUTE situation at nighttime as well. BOUNCING oFF the walls, not listening, just bawling whining you name it!!

GOOOOOOD LORD.

So, I'm ranting and raving cuz no one else on EARTh can possibly know what this is like to give up the naps... OH and to be 8 months pregnant! I'm figuring they are about 4 or 5 hrs BEHIND on sleep PER DAY so far due to this switch.. (4 days).

My question for you folks is...... WHEN will they adjust???? When will they stop being psychopaths like this??

 

It took about a month for us, but it was not until I decided to pull out my copy of Healthy Sleep Habit, Happy Child that made me go :umm: The author really is a big believer of "sleep begets sleep". My mistake was we gave up naps, but continued their old betime of 7:30.

So what I did for about a week or two was put them to bed VERY early at 6:00. For awhile they were sleeping until 7:30-8:00. Once they began waking at 6:00-6:30 (or getting about 12 hours of sleep per day), I started moving their bedtime up. If I started seeing meltdowns because of sleep, I would put them to bed early that day and usually by the next day they would be caught up.

6 months later they go to bed at 7:30 and sleep until 7:30-8:00.

If I were you, I would put them to bed not just early, but very early. It's going to take some time for them to adjust. Hopefully by the time you give birth, they will be on a good schedule.

Good Luck.

 

Will they fall asleep if you sit in their room with them? I gave up on the idea of getting a ton of stuff done while they napped and just relished in the quiet in their room for a bit until they fell asleep. And if they wouldnt settle down in an hour or so I let them out and just figured at least I tried.

Mine gave up on napping at about 3. If they napped, they would be up until 10pm and I needed a break. So, I bit the bullet and dealt with the crankies for about 6 months. I would definitely put them to bed EARLIER!!!!!

 

thanks gals. I had to put them down at 6:45 cuz I was BEAT! They were out by 7:30 pm! Up at 6:15am but I can live w/ it. I'm thinking we'll just keep lengthening it. Rachel, no they won't sleep w/ me there AND we were having the 10pm bedtime problem also, so I know it was time. Bye bye naps! Very sad week. LOL. I'll get over it!

 

It took a week or so here... but you're lucky they napped as long as they did! Definitely put them in bed early though... 7 or 8pm max.

 

Just thought I'd come back, 7 days later, to update.

It has NOT been pretty over here for the past week. Well, suffice it to say, it has been the worst week of my life.

It's definitely NOT getting easier. They are still taking forever to fall asleep at night cuz they're horsing around in there AND they're getting up an hour and 1/2 EARLIER than they did before!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So.. no 3.5 hour nap during day. And waking up 1.5 hrs earlier.. EQUALS--- HORRIBLE BEHAVIOR all.day.long!

It has to work itself out, right??

I mean, they're almost four.

Although, I've actually read that napping past age four is a VERY good thing.. GRRR!!

Anyway, not really expecting any answers just wanted to complain

Thanks!

 

Oh and I do bedtime by MYSELF seven nights a week. So it's even MORE fun! I do put them in their room at 6:45 pm and HARASS the living crap out of them to go to sleep for well over 2 hours. It's not pleasant.

 

I would try putting them down & then not going back in at all (unless it sounds like someone's been injured) - they may be acting up longer because it means they get to see you more.

 

I just yell down the stairs. LOL. I've tried going in my room and leaving it alone and they stay up until DH gets home at 11!!!

 

Have you tried not going in/not yelling up the stairs for a number of nights in a row? I've found when I make any sort of change to the bedtime/naptime routine or schedule I really need to stick with it super consistently for at least a week before evaluating if things are improving or not.

 

I agree. The more I yell at them to go to sleep, the more they push my buttons. I have a toddler lock on their door so they can't get out of their room. One or both of them will shake the door handle in hopes of getting my attention. For awhile I'd go in and yell at them to get in bed. Then I'd yell through the door. I finally figured out the more communication I gave them, the more they would try to get me back in their room.

If after awhile they are being loud with the item they are sleeping with (banging on the bed with their Super Why), I will go in there and take it without saying a word or eye contact. Usually within minutes they are fast asleep.