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Unusual nap/sleep problems

Discussion in 'Toddlers' started by Joyoflife, Jul 17, 2014.

  1. Joyoflife

    Joyoflife Gold IL'ite

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    Hello lovely ladies, If anyone has been through this phase with their toddlers please pour in some suggestions. I am at my wits end with my little tornado. My dd will turn 3 in Nov. she is never tired for a nap and if takes one then she is never tired for her bedtime. Her usual bedtime is in between 7 to 7:30pm. But these days it gets dragged to 10 or even 10:30pm. I have tried everything taking her to the park in the evening, I even started taking my elderly neighbours dog for a walk with my daughter so that she should chase him and all that will make her tired but nothing helped much except giving me more backache. So me and my DH decided it's about time we quit the naps. But I do not how my daughters body or mind is programmed that when she doesn't nap her body assumes her night sleep as a nap and she wakes up after a few hours. This has made us go crazy. We are always sleep deprived. Last two weeks we did not let her nap and she was always fine during day and she went to bed around 7:30pm but she would wake up around 12:30 am and never went back to sleep before 4 or 5 in the morning. Now I do give her nap and she has started sleeping through the night but her bedtime is pushed to 10pm or even after that. Even though I let her nap only for 45 mins or so, that too at least 8 or 9 hours before her bedtime.

    From what I have heard or read when kids do not take naps they sleep better and longer at night but mine just doing the opposite. This girls has never did anything easily.

    ladies I do not know if all this has made any sense but please if anyone has been through the similar situation please tell me how did you say bye bye to your toddlers naps.
     
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  2. Priya4oct

    Priya4oct Gold IL'ite

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    Just a question, when your DD go to bed at 10:00 pm , what time she get-up in the morning. If it's 8-9 am , I guess should be ok.

    My DD never take afternoon nap at home and sleep around 10:00 pm in night. Her morning wake-up time is 7:30 -9:00 am. Since now your DD is turning 3, her nap time will be reduced. I'll suggest you not to make her sleep at 7:30 pm (if my dd feel to take nap after 5:00 pm, I engage her so that she couldn't sleep)
     
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  3. guesshoo

    guesshoo IL Hall of Fame

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    Now, it is a myth that children who don't sleep during the day sleep better at night. They will be too tired to drop off at night. If she isn't three yet, do let her take a 1 to 1.5 hour nap in the afternoon. Then enforce bedtime.

    At nearly 3 years your child needs 13 hours sleep a day (and 12-13 hours when she is between 3 and 4) This sleep is considered essential for optimal brain development. Becoming overtired because of lack of nap is not good enough for development either. You could split it up between her nap and sleep time.

    Have a bedtime routine in place. Once the bath, milk, brush, change, story time is over, take her where ever she sleeps normally, tuck her in, turn of the light, kiss her goodnight and tell her it is sleep time. If she comes out or acts up, do not make eye contact or talk to her. Just say once "It is sleep time" and take her straight to the room - you might have to drop whatever it is that you are doing; you might have to do it 100 times that first night without giving in; it might go on for 3 hours, she might cry and hit out in frustration of not having her way. Don't lose your cool. Don't let her play or distract you with anything. Just keep at it. "It's sleep time." without eye contact. Within 3 days it should get sorted as long as you are consistent and will take a week or two to get established totally. Remember there will be test days when it might go back to square one. If you still remain consistent, she will nod off to sleep.

    Again if she wakes up in the middle of the night, do not turn the light on. Use your whisper voice. Insist she uses her whisper voice. Don't give her access to toys or games or screens. And pretend to be sleeping. The habit will change

    Good luck
     
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  4. Joyoflife

    Joyoflife Gold IL'ite

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    Hi Priya thanks for replying, the days I did not let her nap I dragged her bed time till 9 even then she woke up at sharp 12am. She wakes up half past 6 or 7in the morning. I really want her to quit naps but the problem is if she doesn't nap then what ever time she sleeps at night she wakes up just after a few hours after that. Huhhhh. I am pulling my hair out. If I let her nap she sleeps really late at night. If I do not let her nap she wakes up just after a few hours. Really do not know what to do.
     
  5. anmolhai

    anmolhai Platinum IL'ite

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    I am sure you have already tried many thing. I am just putting it out there incase this helps.

    DO you have a routine for her?
    Is she physically active?
    Is she engaged enough physically and mentally to appreciate the down time?

    All the best, I know it must be hard on you.
     
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  6. sharanyadevi

    sharanyadevi Gold IL'ite

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    Wow it was like I just wrote it. It was the same with my dd she used to have 3 hrs nap..but when nap is missed, the samething night by 9 she sleeps nd wake up sharp by 12 and next day untill morning she will be very active.
    Your dd started play schooling?
    Mine started to go to play school just 2, 3 weeks before and her sleep time is perfect now. After coming from school bath, eat and take a nap.. then at night by 10 till 7 am.
    Guess once the time is scheduled it will be ok..
     
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  7. Joyoflife

    Joyoflife Gold IL'ite

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    Thanks to all of you for taking out time and replying. I already do most of the things suggested by you. We do have a routine. Routine was a life saver for me but it was not really getting followed these days, but from last two days I wake her up at sharp 6am and she naps at 10:30 to 12:30 and then she goes back to bed by 8 which is not too bad. She does not go to nursery yet but we have a very active routine. She goes to her play class once in a week. We go swimming, cycling, long walks, libraries and all sorts of places. But I guess I wasn't taking her out much from last one month coz it's winter here and it's raining all the time. So we often stay at home and I guess she wasn't getting tired enough. Things are getting back to normal from last two days. Fingers crossed.
     
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  8. Rakhii

    Rakhii Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Joyoflife, what i noticed in my DD is that (she is 2 and half) if something changes suddenly (like a sleep routine), it will come back to its normal times in 2-4 weeks. She is going to be fine.

    She is not yet ready to go without naps. Let her nap.
     
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  9. Joyoflife

    Joyoflife Gold IL'ite

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    Thanks rakhi. Ya that's what I have noticed too. I was trying very hard to get back to routine from last a few weeks but cudnt wake up early but things are working out now. She goes to sleep by 8pm and wakes up by 6 or half past 6 in the morning.
     

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