Nap time is a disaster now!

kmc84 · July 2014

I could scream and cry myself right now!!!

A used to be so easy to lay down when she was napping twice a day. She would nap in her crib in the am and her pm nap was on me on the couch.

She naps in the car when I drive places, but I'm not driving just so she can nap!

Now at home, she will be so tired she can't even walk, but the second I put her in her crib, she flips over, stands up and SCREAMS!!!

I don't know what to do! I can not go in and lay her down again because that only gets her more upset. CIO worked great for us around 7 months, but she just won't give in now......

Any tips?

(She also has started screaming from the second I get in the shower to the second I get out! Even though she can see me still.)

itsmevkb · July 2014

Is she ready for just one nap a day? Do you have set times for naps and generally stick to them?

I guess my big thing would be to really try and get her down for a nap before she's so tired. I know that for my kids, it was always harder to get them to go to bed when they were overly tired vs hardly tired at all.

I tend to go in if they are really screaming, calm them down, simply say it's time to sleep and then leave again and if the screaming starts up I let them cry quite a while before I head back in. Typically they just wear themselves out and fall asleep. I've noticed the crying seems to go in spurts too. It's when they are overly tired, or teething, or going through a big development stage and then it calms back down after a few days or weeks.

Sorry it's rough right now. It's like just when you think you have it all figured out they throw you for a loop.

TJ1979 · July 2014

How old is A again?

kmc84 · July 2014

She will be 18 months on the 9th.

She actually has only been doing one nap a day for about 6 weeks. We took her lead on it, didn't push it all! She handles one nap a day quite well, not cranky or fussy from being tired.

She will sleep like a rock if we cuddle on the couch, but I can't get her to nap in the crib anymore

She is teething. I don't typically need to do anything for her (like Motrin), but she has been very clingy.

jesselayne8 · July 2014

DS is 14 months and we had to CIO today. I don't know what his deal is. Usually he cries 1-2 min but today it was 20

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kmc84 · July 2014

We had been doing her nap around 11-12. Then she started refusing to nap and we tried again around 12:30-1 and she would sleep, no problem!

Now we don't even attempt before 2. She shows no signs of being tired before then.

Everything was so easy before. I think toddlerhood and molars is throwing a wrench in our schedule

I know this is awful, but sometimes I have left her for 45 minutes...she is a sweaty mess and one day even threw up she got so worked up

the second I pick her up she calms right down and is usually asleep in less than a minute.

kmc84 · August 2014

LauraBeth1401 said:
Maybe you just need to try CIO for a few days? And maybe try to put her down a bit early even if she doesn't seem tired. I know there are plenty of days when DD doesn't seem tired but I still put her down and she's fine. Hopefully it's just a phase (like everything else seems to be these days) and it will pass soon. Hang in there Mama!

I'd like to try this, but I'm honestly nervous to. Today after 45 minutes, she wasn't really slowing down

I just don't know how long she would actually cry for! I don't want a marathon on my hands! I might need to bite the bullet and do it.....

I also don't really mind holding her. I love the cuddle time. I know I'm a little ahead if myself here, but that just won't fly with a new baby in the house though!

pb_bride · August 2014

18m is the peak time for separation anxiety. So that could be part of the equation.

I think 2p is too late, however. Even if she shows no signs of tiredness, she could be over tired. M tends to get more hyper when he is tired.

Stick with the same wake up time and same nap time every day. They need to get into a schedule so they will actually feel tired when nap time comes along.

It doesn't sound like CIO is working for you. We did Ferber way back when, but ever since M became a toddler, CIO never worked for him anymore...I blame it on separation anxiety. Would it help if you stay in the room with her ( but still with her in the crib)? On days when M's separation anxiety goes into overdrive, I have to stay in his room until he falls asleep. Some days he'll even ask to hold my hand (thru the slats) while he falls asleep. I used to refuse to do so and just leave the room, but he would just cry and cry until my heart breaks. Now I find that if I'm there to comfort him, he will be able to fall asleep and I can leave his room afterwards. Having said that, days like that don't happen often, so I can deal with them in small doses.

jesselayne8 · August 2014

She knows you are pregnant!!! That's all

queenbone · August 2014

I like PP's idea of putting her in the crib, but staying in the room with her until she falls asleep. Dr. Ferber has something like this in his book. I think you aren't supposed to respond until the interval is over, but at least they can see you so they know they aren't alone. It is possible that might frustrate her even more.

On days when I can't get a little one to nap, who desperately needs to nap, I stick them in the car and I drive out to Multnomah Falls. About 45 min one way, but smooth enough they sleep and I can at least look at something pretty. Sorry, Environment, but motherhood is hard and sacrifices have to be made.

kmc84 · August 2014

jesselayne8 said:
She knows you are pregnant!!! That's all

She has randomly, out of the blue, been patting my belly and hugging my belly since Monday! I think she does know, on some level!

@pb_bride‌ and @queenbone‌ I could try staying with her, I just don't know if she will lay down. The second I put her in the crib, she is up and crying. If I try to lay her back down, she gets even more upset

It's so strange, because (knock on wood) bedtime is easy. She lays there awake, quiet, and then is out 10 minutes later.

mcgeeva · August 2014

I would think by now she is ready for one nap. Like others said once you get to the point of over tired mine won't sleep and it's a nightmare for the rest of the day. I even know try not to be in the car near nap time because if he dozes off it will mess up his nap. It's not like when he was little I could transfer him to his bed. Once I wake him up he is up. So I would try to be home and put to nape around 12 after lunch and just put in her crib and let her cio for a little. It will get better. But def before the meltdown occures.

itsmevkb · August 2014

Do you think giving her a cup of milk in the crib would help? That satisfies Maren sometimes.

kmc84 · August 2014

itsmevkb said:
Do you think giving her a cup of milk in the crib would help? That satisfies Maren sometimes.

Nope. She gets too upset to care about anything..

It starts even before she is in the crib. When I carry her in her room, she starts whining and gets into a froggy position and grabs ahold of me.

CIO did NOT go well today......she absolutely will not lay down

kmc84 · August 2014

@Ducky719‌ she had 4 lower teeth, including molars pop through last Tuesday.

pb_bride · August 2014

@kmc84, sorry it's so tough. Do you do any kind of a nap routine/downtime in her room before putting her in the crib?

With M, we go up to his room about 30 minutes before naptime. I change his diaper, then we sit on the couch and read. After several stories, he usually will voluntarily walk over to the crib and ask to be put in (because he feels tired).

I'm just trying to brainstorm for you... if you can make her room a nice, relaxing place to be so she doesn't freak out? You said she starts crying and screaming the second you put her in the crib. What happens if you just sit on the floor right next to her crib? Will she calm down for you that way? Sometimes I'll put my hand thru the slats to pat M's back to soothe him - that usually works for him. Maybe once she realizes you're still sticking around after she's put in the crib, she won't freak out as much?

Toddlers are hard to figure out. M was giving me the hardest time at bedtime if I had to put him down (DH is the one who does bedtime). I mean, c'mon, I put you down for naps day after day and you have no problem, but you won't go to sleep for me at nighttime? Anyway, I hope it gets better soon!

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