Nap time with Toddler Bed

JulesDiane · June 2012

DD NEEDS her nap. She usually takes 2-3 hour naps. However, since moving her to a toddler bed... getting her to actually sleep is ridiculous. She opens the blinds in her room, and then just parties for an hour or two until she eventually falls asleep on the floor. I know she is tired.. she is doing the face rubbing and all of that.. but because she can get out and run around her room she would rather do that. Night time is easier is because she can't see enough to play much.. so she does just end up going to sleep.. on the floor or bed. Besides moving all her toys and distractions out of her room, are there any other suggestions on getting her to nap? I could try to move nap time later, but I am afraid she would just sleep that much later.

megann831 · June 2012

it's not ideal, at all, but the only way I get DD to take a nap is by going for a ride and then taking her in

mrs.teacher_99 · June 2012

DS has no toys in his room. He doesn't usually nap, but when he NEEDS to, we put him in his bed and close the door. Sometimes he cries for a few minutes, and sometimes he falls asleep on the floor, but he takes his nap.

JulesDiane · June 2012

megann831:
it's not ideal, at all, but the only way I get DD to take a nap is by going for a ride and then taking her in

I wish! It's worse if she falls asleep in the car. I do what I can to make sure that does not happen. These days, if I try to transfer her to her room from the car, she always wakes up and "thinks" she had a 2 hour nap and will not sleep AT ALL.

saturdaynightdoubletree · June 2012

DD only napped at daycare once she turned 2, and now that she's home, she'll only nap in the stroller or car. She has napped twice at home when she's been super tired, but that's in the last 4 months. UGH! I obviously am no help... GL!

Sawyerplus1 · June 2012

What about 'black out' curtains or blinds that she can't access, so her room can be dark in the afternoon like it is in the evening?

stephnews · June 2012

We have blackout curtains and follow a shortened version of the same routine we use at bedtime. Read a few books, close curtains, turn on music and fan. Most days DS will fall asleep within 5-10 minutes of a parent leaving the room. Occasionally, he'll talk to himself or go get a book or toy to take back to his bed and play for a while, but usually he's tired enough to fall asleep.

On the rare occasion he gets out of bed to play, I'll go back in and put him back in bed (over and over as often as needed). As long as he's in his bed, I don't care if he's reading or playing or talking. If it's been 1.5 hours though and he's still not sleeping, I'll get him up and just try to bump bedtime up a little bit.

mari_gold · June 2012

If I remember correctly, that wore off fairly quickly. Once he got over being able to get out of bed whenever he wanted, he went back to sleeping at naptime instead of playing.

nic326 · June 2012

Like PP said, I would put up black out curtains and keep all toys and books, with maybe the exception of a couple books, out of her room. DS does this still and I quit worrying about when or where he would fall asleep. He eventually does go to sleep and if its on the floor I move him to his bed.

Cherryblossoms07 · June 2012

If you just moved her to a toddler bed don't worry about it. She is enjoying her freedom. DD did this for about 2 weeks. We would but her to bed and she would sit there and play until she wore herself completely down. The novelty wore off and she is back to easily napping again. We never worried about taking the safe toys that she has in there out either.

JCM · June 2012

I just posted this link on another post but this clock helps DD with her naps too:

https://www.amazon.com/KidSleep-KSCLB-Classic-Blue/dp/B000VVIHPS/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1339468202&sr=1-1&keywords=kids+sleep+clock

All in all this I have had great success with this. I just explain to DD that as long as the cow is asleep she has to stay in bed unless she needs to go potty. She loves it too. I couldn't find a store that had it in stock so I ordered it from Amazon. GL

marleyc · June 2012

Cherryblossoms07:
If you just moved her to a toddler bed don't worry about it. She is enjoying her freedom. DD did this for about 2 weeks. We would but her to bed and she would sit there and play until she wore herself completely down. The novelty wore off and she is back to easily napping again. We never worried about taking the safe toys that she has in there out either.

This for us too.

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