Sleep resistance

[sunnydays]

I have a 2 year old in my care who is going through sleep resistance at home...he is no longer napping for his mom as much as she tries and he is waking up earlier and earlier in the mornings. All of this is leading to bad behviour both at home and at daycare because he is overtired. He still naps well at daycare, but has gotten out of his cot or flipped it over a cuople of times at the beginning of naptime (once I go and resettle him, he goes to sleep). The mom is 8 months pregnant and exhausted and really wants him to sleep (as do I, so his behviour will improve!). I know that my son went through a few days like that when I was 8 months pregnant and I tried just putting him back in his bed every time he got up, but after an hour he was laughing and I was exhausted and ready to kill him! I ended up putting a child lock on his door...he cried himself to sleep on the floor inside the door (I was sitting outside it) and then I would go put him on his bed once he slept...it only took three nights and he never tried it again. So, factoring in the physical exhaustion of being pregnant, what would you suggest to her? The issues are naptime and early morning wake-ups...nighttime is okay.

[Momof4]

If I had a nickel for every time I've heard a parent say 'I don't know how you do it. He/she won't take a nap at home for me.' well I would be rich! My answer is always the same, children thrive on routine. We have busy mornings, lunch, songs and stories, naptime and all 5 children go to sleep within a few moments of each other and that isn't an accident, that's ROUTINE. They know exactly what to expect and how our days work here. It's really healthy for the children to have routine and I wish more parents would figure that out.

[sunnydays]

I totally agree Momof4! My daycare kids and my own kids all nap really well and I don't really have any naptime issues. Routine is definitely key! I guess I don't know what is happening in the home for this parent in terms of routine...probably weekends are busy and the routine gets thrown under the rug a bit...not sure.

[playfelt]

It's a lot easier to get a group of kids to sleep because their friends are than it is for a parent to get a child to sleep that just wants to spend time with the parent at all cost.

I finally got a double bed for Brianne so I could lay beside her when she woke. Being in the bed I got to sleep/rest and as long as I was in the room she usually stayed in the bed long enough to fall back to sleep.

Also take a look at what time he is going to bed at night. If he is so exhausted at the end of the day that it is earlier than he was it makes sense that he is waking up earlier. We might think the move from bed at 7 instead of 8 is fine but the difference between getting up at 5 instead of 6 is a whole different story but the body is programmed for a certain amount of time.

Getting a child to lay still long enough to realize they are tired and need to sleep is the biggest issue and not one that really has a workable solution for everyone.