The nap struggle is real...

ohiodoxiemama08 · July 2014

I know a lot of us have been battling sleep issues. DD just turned 18 months and it seems like this is a common age for sleep disturbances.

So far nighttime sleep has still been fine (knock on wood), aside from occasionally wanting to get up too early.

However in the past few days naps have been TERRIBLE. Usually she goes down between 1-2 and take a good at least 2 hour nap. But her recently she'll be quiet for maybe 10 minutes and then start groaning, talking, occasionally crying. I have tried going in an soothing, tried Advil (she is teething, but she's always teething and it doesn't seem to bother her too much other times of the day), water, a projector, etc. and nothing has worked

I'm pretty sure she is getting smart and knows when she cries and moans that mom and dad will come get her so I'm trying to be strong and waiting her out, but it's hard. I know my child and I know nothing is really wrong, she just wants us.

I am really frustrated because I absolutely DO NOT want to give up napping yet. She already dropped her second nap really early (like 8 or 9 months) but I need nap time for my sanity. Plus DH and I have just started working a side job from home doing some medical transcription so nap time is kind of needed for us to work on that and help with our income.

Any advice or encouragement from anyone that's gone through this? Does it get better? Hoping and praying it's just a stage.

DCKate · July 2014

It does!! DD was horrible through the 18mo sleep regression. We had 7 days of 12am or later bedtime, and that's with NO NAP. It was making me crazy. And then last Monday, she woke up at 7:45, napped from 1-4 and bed at 9:30. Totally normal schedule like nothing ever happened.

It sucks buy it will pass. DD also dropped her second nap early, so I feel your pain!

jobiann · July 2014

I hate it when J's nap schedule is "off" schedule, especially when he is grumpy. I'm finding it is usually because he simply doesn't want to stop doing what he's doing. He wants to play or run around the yard or eat....who has time for naps!

What I've been doing lately is like a routine. It seems like if I take him right from outside straight into the crib he doesn't want to go to sleep...outside is still on his little mind. So I've been doing a nap routine almost like his bedtime routine. We'll stop all rough housing and try and take the excitement level down to a 1. We'll come inside, sit on the floor with blanket or pillow and red books, or do a some flash cards, no TV....something not too stimulating physically. It seems when we don't do this, it's more difficult for him to go down.

J will sit and "talk" in his crib before going to sleep, sometimes for 30 minutes. The other factor is yes, you have to be strong. As long as J isn't crying seriously, or for a long period of time I let him work it out. I can usually tell if he will go to sleep or not. He lays down and gets up, repeat he will go down eventually. If he is standing up on the rail and not getting down once and sobbing...he isn't going to take a nap, so we go in and get him.

GL, I've been anticipating this period between 18-20 months as I've heard it's a rough time for sleeping. But then again, is there an age that isn't a tough time for something our LO's are going through....?

princessbmw · July 2014

I'm hoping your lo doesn't go through what ours did...we had 2 MONTHS of ds refusing to nap. It was terrible. Then all of a sudden he went back to napping again. Night sleep was still great. Who knows. I've stopped trying to figure it out and just go with the flow. I stress too much about sleep.

gagirl2004 · July 2014

For over a week we have had lots of days with no nap or a 30 mins nap at 4:00. It nakes me so sad because like you I really need nap time. Hopefully it will pass soon.

ohiodoxiemama08 · July 2014

@MichieU79 UPDATE: She talked for about 15 minutes after I put her down and took a 2 HOUR NAP! Woohoo!!! I put her down later today and we did a bunch of stuff this morning. Of course I had to leave to go to my part time job half way through the nap so my cousin got to enjoy the peace and quiet, not I, but Oh well! Hopefully this means the nap strike is over!

She's been saying tons of new words lately and demonstrating some new skills so maybe it's another developmental leap? Whatever it is I am glad she got some rest. Last night she was a total crab apple for my husband while I was at work (probably because she was exhausted!)

SarahBBowers · July 2014

Yay! My girl has been fighting her nap off and on for 2 weeks. its so frustrating!!! I'm hoping one day it gets better! Night sleep has been terrible too. Last night she was up from 12:30 to 3..........Lord help u

spainy17 · July 2014

Ugh, join us in for real. Last week we had like three days of short naps then she started napping normally she started waking from night sleep at four am all week. Now today she was up a couple times last night, once crying, got up at four for the day and daycare tells me she cried and threw a fit for an hour before she went down and then only napped an hour. Crap crap crap. We are overtired here.

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