Naps...need advice (just turned 1 year)

Whoa, where did this forum come from...love it!!!! Ha!

Olivia is screwing with her naps and it's driving me insane. I don't even know what to do. I've even read Healthy Sleep Habits Health Child and can't even figure out a schedule for her anymore. The thing is, she DOES NOT want to sleep, but she's as happy as can be all the time...never crying b/c she is tired or overworked or anything...just happy.

Today, she slept in until 8:45 (I had to wake her). Yesterday, I thought I would see if she would take one long afternoon nap. So, I put her down at 12:30. She was up at 1:30...ugh! I put her back down at 4:00 and she fell asleep at 4:30-5:00. At 7 pm, she was acting really tired and just kind of blah, so I put her in bed. She was talking, laughing, etc...having a good time in her crib. So, at 7:45 I got her up and let her crawl around for 20 mintues or so and back in her crib. It was 9 pm before she finally zonked out. UGH!!!!!!!!!! Before this huge nap transition, she was taking 2 (1-hr) naps and in bed for the night at 6:30 pm.

So, b/c she didn't go to bed until 9 pm, I had to wake her at 8:45 am this morning. Got her ready and took all 3 girls to the local kids science museam. She crawled around, climbed played in the kids area for 1.5 hours and was in the stroller the other 1.5 hours. In the meantime, she pooped 2 times. I'm thinking she would zonk in the car. By the time we left there, she had been up for 5 hours. She was WIDE AWAKE the entire 40 minute car ride home (the twins were fast asleep before we left the parking lot). I get home, she had pooped again in the car (which is why she wouldn't sleep). So, I made her a bottle, she drank that and was all rubbing her eyes and I put her down. She's been in her crib for 45 mintues now and just making motor boat noises, talking and just sitting up in there...happy as a peach. It's now 3:05 pm and she's been up for 6 hours and 20 minutes.

I just don't know what to do. When the twins were a year old, every day, irregardless of what time they got up (sometimes it was early b/c I worked 3 days a week and they were up at like 6:45 to go to the sitter), they napped at 10 and 2 (for upwards of 2 hours each time). Like clockwork...if I laid them down, they went to sleep within 10 minutes. NOT Olivia.

She NEEDS a nap, she is only a year old! Most kids are still taking 2 naps a day until upwards of 18 months. This is nuts. The only way I can get her to nap anymore is if I let her sit/lay in her crib (there are no toys or anything in there either) for an hour to hour and a half and she'll eventually fall asleep...but it's not longer than 45 mintues to an hour usually.

Any suggestions? I can't seem to get her on any kind of schedule and this is killing me b/c the twins were on awesome schedules. Heck, they still take a 2 hour nap every afternoon and are pushing 4 years old.

 

Okay mine are 16 months old and are pretty much down to 1 nap even though I still put them in their cribs for quiet time twice a day. Lately mine have been taking a late morning nap - about 3 hours after they wake up for the day, and then that's it for the entire day. I put them in their crib again after lunch for an hour but they haven't been sleeping. We are having a really hard time transitioning to 1 nap around here.

 

If it were me, I'd stick to a pretty strict sleep schedule. I'd get her up at the same time every morning (maybe give an extra 20 or so min if she's still asleep at wake up time), put her down at the same times for nap (varying no more than about 10 min), and get her up at the same times no matter when she fell asleep. Even if she stays awake, it's still downtime for her brain. I would probably go for one nap at this point. Most of mine went to one nap at 13mos. Put her down after lunch and get her up no more than 2.5 to 3 hrs later then bedtime at the same time every night. I bet after a few weeks she'll be sleeping more than she does now. At the very least it will get her some more rest and you a little break. Good luck!

 

QUOTE(ktfan @ Mar 14 2009, 07:22 PM) [snapback]1228041[/snapback]
If it were me, I'd stick to a pretty strict sleep schedule. I'd get her up at the same time every morning (maybe give an extra 20 or so min if she's still asleep at wake up time), put her down at the same times for nap (varying no more than about 10 min), and get her up at the same times no matter when she fell asleep. Even if she stays awake, it's still downtime for her brain. I would probably go for one nap at this point. Most of mine went to one nap at 13mos. Put her down after lunch and get her up no more than 2.5 to 3 hrs later then bedtime at the same time every night. I bet after a few weeks she'll be sleeping more than she does now. At the very least it will get her some more rest and you a little break. Good luck!


That's what I'm thinking. I think maybe getting her up at 7:30 each day (which she is normally up by 7:15, but sometimes not) when I get the twins up...down for a nap at 11:30-12:00 and then bedtime by 6:30 pm or so. I'm hoping the naps will get longer as she makes the transition???? Geez, I hope so.

 

QUOTE(twinzmom2b @ Mar 14 2009, 03:28 PM) [snapback]1228050[/snapback]
That's what I'm thinking. I think maybe getting her up at 7:30 each day (which she is normally up by 7:15, but sometimes not) when I get the twins up...down for a nap at 11:30-12:00 and then bedtime by 6:30 pm or so. I'm hoping the naps will get longer as she makes the transition???? Geez, I hope so.


We have not made the transition to one nap yet, but I agree with maybe sticking to a strict sleep schedule with her. I have heard that when babies do go to one nap the naps do get longer, I hope that's true!

 

Sending hugs b/c it is so frustrating trying to figure out all this nap stuff. I never have advice about naps b/c I never know what our day to day will be like for naps. The boys have been up since 1pm...9pm still up.

Dianna

 

I agree about a strict wake up time, and then make a routine for naps too. If she is talking and playing in her crib, just let her have some quiet time. If she doesn't nap then so be it, but after a few days she'll figure out the new schedule and might surprise you and nap for you. GL... figuring out naps has been one of the most stressful things for me.