Naps vs. Bedtime?

asangi@mail.com

Why are naps different than bedtime? My DD is 20 months and I have never been able to get her to nap by herself. At nighttime, we nurse then she gets into her toddler bed, she lays her head down while I sit next to the crib and goes to sleep. If I try to do this for a nap, we have an epic tantrum and the more I push it the more awake she becomes to the point where there is just no nap at all, or maybe she falls asleep on me anyway at 5pm and this screws up bedtime. I don't get it! Why can't she sleep in her bed for naptime? Of course we have a longer routine for bedtime, but even when I've tried to incorporate a longer routine before naps she doesn't care. She just wants to sleep on my boob. Should I just give up trying to get her to nap on her own?

Emerald27

DS is very different for naps and bedtime as well.

At bedtime it's dark, quiet, and he's sleepy from a full, active day. At nap time, he might rather be playing with his toys, having a snack, or watching Dinosaur Train. It's much more work to get him to nap than it is to go to bed.

I've moved bath time to before nap instead of before bed for just this reason. The toys are in the living room, and he goes straight for the warm bath to the bed where he's dried off, diapered, and then nursed to sleep. He doesn't see his toys or the TV, and is less distracted by the fun he could be having.

I've also noticed that his sleep during naps is lighter than at bedtime, so it's harder for me to sneak away. I have a book, laptop, and a glass of water by the bed so that if I can't leave, there's plenty for me to do. I'm next to a napping DS now!

PhieryBFly

I've read that night time sleep is primarily dedicated to growth while naps are to help learning and to process new experiences. That could be why babies behave differently from nap time to bedtime.