Your experience with dropping their last nap :(

DD has been refusing to sleep the last couple days. She goes through this every once in a while, but usually, she just talks to herself in her crib and after about an hour starts crying/whining to get up. Today she is in there screaming bloody murder in her crib. She is teething, which I thought could be it, but even after taking children's motrin, she is still upset, and usually for teething this does the trick.

Anyway, I am wondering when yours dropped their nap, did they do it peacefully (ie. just didn't fall asleep but played in crib/bed) or did they scream for an hour in their crib before you gave in? I am going to keep putting her down for the next 2 weeks if I have to, but I am at a loss as to whether this is the beginning of the end.

TIA! Karen

 

K&K napped until they went to preschool at 4 years old and even then they sometimes napped after school. We did go through phases where they might not nap for a week or so but I kept with the regular schedule and they went back to napping. It was peaceful for us, I hope you can figure out what is bothering her! I am assuming since you only mention nap that she is ok at bedtime? Any chance of a potential ear infection?

 

I went through a couple months of Ainsley not napping from about 16-18 months. I have no idea why she wouldn't nap. We went from no nap, to her falling asleep on me for about a month, and then FINALLY she started napping good again. I really have no idea what this was all about. It was one of the most stressful times because it meant absolutely no down time for me all day. Anyway, I know I haven't really posted anything helpful, except maybe it's a phase. When Ainsley wasn't napping, she would also just sit in the crib and scream till I got her. I tried CIO, even leaving her for an hour, but it was way too much for me to take and didn't seem to help.

Do you have them together or separate for naps? I ask because I always had mine separated as any time I tried together, it didn't work. One time when I was putting Bea down for her nap, she asked for Ainsley to stay in the room, so what the heck, I did it. That's when Ainsley started napping on her own again.

 

Well, all kids are different, but I'd venture a guess that it is a phase. At 3 years old, the girls still nap most days. We often have days where they don't, but we still try every day. Until about 3 1/2 or 4, most kids need a nap, though some only need to recharge every couple of days. Keep trying and she'll probably (eventually) go back to her nap. Maybe try to push it back to a later time? Just this week, we had 3 days in a row without naps, but they are sleeping away right now (as is Daddy).

GL,
Ellen

 

Mine still nap and I have no intention of dropping it anytime soon. They play around for awhile in their cribs, and fuss, but they eventually fall asleep. They are so cranky latter in the day when they don't nap.

 

Thanks for the replies. No she is having trouble sleeping at night too. Last night she was up from 2-3:30. The night before, she didn't fall asleep until 11pm but slept through. Last night I waited until I was sure that the children's motrin had kicked in (just in case there is pain somewhere) and then I let her CIO and only went in every 30 minutes instead of every 10. It did finally work but I felt bad, although she is 2. When I would go in, she would stop crying the minute she saw me, I didn't even have to touch her! Then the moment I walked out, she'd start up again.

I am going to take her in to get her ears checked later today. So it could be medical, but I think there is some behavioral component as well...yesterday's nap, she did finally sleep but she insisted that we sleep on the couch while I held her hand. <_< It's kinda sweet but I can't get anything done if I am laying on the couch with her for 2 hours.

 

My DD is 2.5 yrs old. She has gone through phases of napping and no napping for the past year. I have noticed that when she doesn't nap that she is falling alseep at the dinner table. It has made me realize that I can't drop her nap just yet. She obviously still needs it just to get through dinner.

I know that I can't force her to nap, but I can offer the time to her. If she decides to sit and play puzzles that is okay. At least I tried. That is about all you can do.