Talk to me about sleep....3 year old sleep

lightgetsin

My DS used to be such an awesome sleeper.  He gave up naps right around the time his brother was born, 6 months ago.  That was fine.  He would go to bed at 7 and sleep until 7 or 8.  For the past 6 weeks he has been getting up so early.  Like this morning, I heard him up at 3:30.  My H gave him a snack and put him back to bed but he has been up since.  I hear him walking around his room and playing. 
Yesterday he was exhausted so I tried to get him to take a nap but he wouldn't.  He ended up going to bed at 6:30, so he slept for 9 hours.  I know that today is going to be more of the same.  He has preschool and he will be exhausted when he gets home but just won't nap.  How do you force a nap?
Help me...I am so tired.  I have a 6 month old who sleeps with me most of the night and now getting up with DS 1 at the butt crack of dawn is killing me.

Cherryblossoms07

We had the same problem for a while.  DD would refuse to nap but she would need one or she would fall asleep around 5.  I enforce quiet time and she usually ends up falling asleep during that time.  I either have her go to her room and play quietly or have her lay down on the couch and watch a movie (for days when I think she will throw a temper tantrum and wake up her brother).  She knows now that she either takes a nap or she goes to bed early, she hates losing her one on one time with DH and I.  She also knows from the days of laying on the couch for naps that nothing fun happens during nap time.  So, she hasn't been nearly as difficult to put down for a nap lately.  Good luck!         

Arnegard

DD3 turned 3 in May.  She still asks to nap.  Yesterday she got up at 6 and went down for a nap at 12:30.  She slept under 2 hours and went to bed at 8:30.  It is 7 am and she is still asleep.

littlemermaid

If he gets up early then you just have to bring him back to bed.  Definitely do not feed him and start interacting with him because it will just wake him up even more.  Maybe get him one of those children clocks that let him know when it's ok to get up.

As for naps just encourage quiet time.  Either have him go in his room for an hour and play quietly or have him watch a movie.  Be consistent.