can I force a nap/ quite time?

megann831 · September 2012

DD was taking 3 hour naps all summer, now the past week she's done. I used to lay with her, the if she'd try playing I'd shut her door, she'd scream for a few minutes, then I'd go in and lay down until she slept. Now she thinks it's a game, she runs back and forth to the door. I tried sitting on her bed and putting her down, she still keeps playing. I tried putting a baby gate in her door way, that kept her contained for about 5 min, then she just climbed over it! I moved it up, I'm not sure if she slid under or climbed higher, but a few minutes later she was at the top of the stairs. She does ok until bed time without a nap, but she's definitely tiered, and so am I! Is there anything I can do, or just get more coffee?

dragon_chica · September 2012

Different possibilities here.

1. She's ready to drop her nap.

2. Wake her up earlier in the morning.

3. Stop laying down with her. Tell her it's naptime and leave the room. If she continues going back and forth to the door, without saying anything or just saying "It's naptime" march her back to bed and leave the room. You may have to consistently do this for who knows how long but she may eventually get it. But, you have to be consistent. Don't cave and go lie down with her.

thedanusc · September 2012

Yes, I force nap time/quiet time when I know my DD is clearly tired. She has to stay in her bed and if she gets out, I just put her back in and continue to be consistent every day. Today it was an hour of her just playing around in her bed (she never got out). I went in when she started getting loud and told her she had to lay down and rest...she knows I mean business and now she is alseep. If she doesn't go to sleep, but is quiet in her bed, we just leave her be for at least 1.5 hrs. Us mommies need the break and so do they!!

The key is to be consistent. You can't lay down with her one day and not the next, etc. They love to play games with us, but just don't give in Good luck!!

hologram87 · September 2012

We went through this a couple weeks ago. I would put DD in her crib at her regular nap time and she would just chat away and I could hear her jumping in her crib. I would wait about a half hour and then go in to make sure she hadn't thrown any of her "friends" out of the crib and I would let her know that it was "quiet time" She would usually settle down after I had gone in to check on her. It tends to be this way now. She will chat for a bit, I will go in and check on her, then she will fall asleep. Then she sleeps for about an hour and a half. I definitely dread the day we move her into a bed. I don't know how she will stay in it short of bribery!

JCGreene85 · September 2012

I do. He naps almost every day, but if he doesnt, he still has to stay in his room for up to an hour. Most times he'll stay in his bed and read/play with trucks or he will get up and play legos or trains. I really think most days he needs it as much as I do.

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