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View Full Version : What to do with a 25 month old who now refuses to nap?



DayHomeMama
10-02-2013, 02:14 PM
I have a dhc who is 25 months and in the last two weeks is very hard to settle at nap time. Dhc used to nap 3 hours, then went on vacation for 2 weeks. After returning to care, dhc now will only nap for 45 min at best and wakes up screaming blue murder :(
Dhm just says he's transitioning to no nap, but at dh the kids have to be quiet at quiet time, when dhc is up, there is no quiet.
Help!!! I have had no luck with the point that the kid's schedule's need to be consistent between dh and home.
What do you do with kids that refuse a nap (who obviously need it)?

Sassygirl
10-02-2013, 03:01 PM
I feel your pain!
I have read up on sleeping and in particular, sleep cycles. From what I have learned is that every 90 minutes your body goes into another sleep phase/cycle and with babies its every 45 minutes. It sounds like this little one is having difficulty going into his next sleep cycle. Is he sleeping in a playpen? If so I would go and lay him back down. No talking, no eye contact, dark room with a white noise machine/loud fan and leave him for the remainder of nap time.
At this age he should still be napping 2 hours each afternoon IMO.
Good luck!!

playfelt
10-02-2013, 06:15 PM
It is quite possible that during the vacation he was put down for a nap just to stave off the grumpies and then as soon as he began to rouse the parents got him up and returned to activities. Now the child needs to go back to the old methods and parents need to let give him time to return to sleep at home too before getting him up.

lotssoflove
10-02-2013, 06:23 PM
yes I agree. The vacation schedule has ruined your daycare schedule. Let him cry. Its hard but needs to be done.. Tell him that its sleep time and that is it. No getting up no nothing. he needs the sleep and especially the quiet time. good luck!

DayHomeMama
10-09-2013, 03:11 PM
Thanks for the advice, I guess I really just needed assurance that I was 'in the clear' to still have him nap. :) I have been telling him at nap time that he needs to rest and be quiet as others are sleeping and that he may not scream as I will not come get him before quiet time is done. I have a monitor that I can see/hear him on, so I can tell if he's actually needing me or just upset at having to be in the playpen. Had one more day of a little bit of screaming and the last two have been fine :) today he slept for about 1.5 hours and now is playing with the stuffy he sleeps with quietly in his playpen :)