Toddler beds - will they ever nap again

ddub09 · August 2012

I didn't want to switch our boys toddler beds, but after a crib escape and a bumped head I knew we had to. We switched them a week ago and since then they have been on a nap strike. Nighttime sleep is okay, not great.

They used to nap from 1 - 3 or 1 - 4, and then go down for the night from about 8p - 8a. Heaven.

Now they are sleeping from about 9 - 6 or 7, and totally skipping the nap to play. I try to stay with them and keep them in their beds for a while, but as soon as I get one down the other one is back up. Or they both stay down and get up less than 10 minutes after I leave.

Will the excitement wear off, or do I just kiss naptime goodbye? I feel like they are too little to give it up.

Kelli&Jed · August 2012

Oh geez...I didn't even think about nap time. One of ours is hinting at climbing out of his crib so we're going to have to make the switch soon. Just as one thing gets easeir something else gets harder.

HisBelovedPrincess · August 2012

I am still not sure what is going to happen with my boys. They are almost 23 months old and one has been in a toddler bed for 2 months now after multiple successful escapes resulting in climbing into his brothers bed waking him up/keeping him from sleeping. For whatever reason there was a 3-4 week stretch where if we were consistant in pre-nap routing (lunch, play, diaper changes, book/story time with me on floor, clean up, in bed) that they would both fall asleep with minimal 'egging' each other one. However, we recently moved and the crib sleeper has mastered climbing out, so now they get out of bed when I leave and run/jump/climb on everything. I let this go on for 10 minutes and go in to put everyone back where they are suppose to be....and eventually have to lay on the floor myself and sing a few songs before they fall asleep==not very productive for me. lol.

Also, this 'current' naptime routine is seemingly later and later....they have been getting up at 6:30am...and not going to sleep until 2 or 3 pm.....I'm thinking I might need to start phasing the nap out if I want them to go to bed at a decent time...because if they fall asleep taht late they dont' want to go to bed until 9 or 10!

lol. I don't have answers for you OP...I'm right where you're at!?! are we going to be napless soon? Oy vey!

LadyNikon · August 2012

With DD we told her that she has to either lay down and sleep or at least stay in her room and lay there quietly. Kinda like they do in daycare. No getting out of bed whatsoever. You may have to boost their activities to run them down more so that they will get tired. DD is in daycare full time now so she gets naps and even by 6:30 she is ready to sleep. I keep her up til about 9pm because she wakes up so early..

jalaiaa · August 2012

After we moved to toddler beds nap time was awful. I was very stubborn and didn't want to separate them for naps so there were days when I would spend an hour sitting on the floor of their room trying to get them to sleep, putting them back in bed a million times and getting so angry. After several months and after the birth of our 3rd LO I couldn't take it anymore and separated them for naps and now nap time is a breeze again. Tuck them in and leave. I think being with each other was just too much fun. I'd tell them they weren't allowed to get out of bed so they would play peek-a-boo across the room. Way better now.

TripMomma · August 2012

Nope, probably not LOL. We held off as long as we could, the triplets were just over three, and still napping 2 hours a day, when we switched. Gone were the naps.

violaplayer · August 2012

It will get better. Some days they nap awesome! And some days they just want to play.

I will say this - no matter if it is naptime or bedtime, consistent response is key. We just go in, put them back in bed and leave. Snoretastic. But it helps.

keg · August 2012

jalaiaa:
After we moved to toddler beds nap time was awful. I was very stubborn and didn't want to separate them for naps so there were days when I would spend an hour sitting on the floor of their room trying to get them to sleep, putting them back in bed a million times and getting so angry. After several months and after the birth of our 3rd LO I couldn't take it anymore and separated them for naps and now nap time is a breeze again. Tuck them in and leave. I think being with each other was just too much fun. I'd tell them they weren't allowed to get out of bed so they would play peek-a-boo across the room. Way better now.

At our house, naps were starting to be an issue before we switched to toddler beds around 2. I gave up pretty early and separated them for naps. One girls sleeps in the office in a PnP, and the other is in their bedroom. The one in the bedroom sometimes just does quiet time, but I think she's getting close to giving up her nap. She usually goes a day or two a week without a nap. So, when all else fails, try separating them if you'd still like them to nap. :-)

ddub09 · August 2012

Thanks! I might try to separate them. I just don't want to give up naps yet especially with a third baby on the way. If you separated them for naps did you separate them for night time? I'm thinking I could put the non climber in a pack and play in another room for naps and keep them in the same room at night.

keg · August 2012

ddub09:
If you separated them for naps did you separate them for night time?

Nope. We've never separated them at night. They've always been good at night. Naps were just a different story. Even separated, they have different nap styles. One, if she naps at all, goes to sleep pretty quickly and maybe sleeps an hour. Her sister will generally read and sing for quite a while before she falls asleep and will often sleep longer.

Polofsky · August 2012

We graduated to toddler beds at 2. Naps were scarce for a while (and when I say a while I mean almost 3 months)....but we were consistent and even if they just stayed in there for an hour and talked to eachother we kept doing it. Now they are back to 2 hour naps without any trouble.

Part of what kept us motivated was that DC told us they still napped like champs when they were there...so we knew they could do it and needed a nap, they were just a little overstimulated by their new freedom

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