Do I give up on the nap? Can I make her sleep in somehow?

[ExcitedMama]

The time change ruined our lives here. DD went from sleeping to 6 to waking up at 5 and nothing will get her to sleep in. She has the OK to wake bunny clock and loved it but she has not seen the bunny wake up since before the time change. Probably because she is an over tired mess I haven't been able to get her to nap either. DS napped until he was 4 before he started skipping his nap every few days before dropping it completely so DD dropping it at 3 is new territory for me. She is so tired that she easily falls asleep quickly by 5:30. It doesn't matter if it's later she still wakes up at 5. DS is the same way, no matter how late he falls asleep he's always up at the same time, although it doesn't help that DD wakes us all up with her antics at 5. DS was always an early waker but usually closer to 5:30, I think we moved him from 5 but it was easier than with my very stubborn DD. I keep hoping if she back to napping she will stay up later and then sleep later but no luck so far. She has gone on nap strikes before but this is longer than all the rest have been. I'm exhausted! I'm a night owl and am now asleep by 9 and even 8:30. It doesn't matter matter apparently when I fall asleep or how many hours I get I just can't function with my day starting at 5. Any BTDT? Please tell me there's hope...

Edited November 24, 2015 by ExcitedMama

[Anne in CA]

I don't have any real advice, it's been a long time since I had littles, but 5am is too early to start the day. Hugs!

[Soror]

My last daughter pretty much dropped a nap around 2yo, same as with my son, as soon as I got pregnant I couldn't get him to nap for nothing. It was rough at first because she kind of needed the nap but if she took one she was destined to be up wired later. Strictly based on what worked for my dd(abandoning the nap but tweaking the bedtime worked much better for her) I'd work on keeping her up until 7pm or so, doing any manner of fun activity you could. 

Edited November 24, 2015 by soror

[TammyS]

I would focus more on how this is a problem for you, than for her.  So the solution, IMO, is that she is not to leave her room until you come and get her.  You can't make her sleep (not that I'm against it, but I've never heard of anyone being successful with it).  But you can make her stay in her room.  So, in the morning, she is not to leave her room until you come and get her.  At nap time, she must remain in her room until you come and get her.  It really doesn't matter at all if she sleeps.  It just matters that she's in her room.  The sleep will sort itself out.

[SharonM]

I would focus more on how this is a problem for you, than for her.  So the solution, IMO, is that she is not to leave her room until you come and get her.  You can't make her sleep (not that I'm against it, but I've never heard of anyone being successful with it).  But you can make her stay in her room.  So, in the morning, she is not to leave her room until you come and get her.  At nap time, she must remain in her room until you come and get her.  It really doesn't matter at all if she sleeps.  It just matters that she's in her room.  The sleep will sort itself out.

This is what I did when twin 2 stopped napping before twin 1. She has to lie on her bed and play or "read" until brother woke up. It worked and sometimes she napped and mommy napped because twin 1 was up and eating at 2 am every stinking night... even at age 3.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I had my kids go to bed later.  I had one who would be up at 3 otherwise. 

 

 

[shawthorne44]

What are the curtains like in her room?   Completely room darkening I hope.  

I have a strong internal clock.  Just yesterday was the first day I didn't wake up an hour early, it was lovely.  Maybe hold out a little longer. 

[Joanne]

Dropping naps at 4 is on the later range, IME. It sounds like your DD needs time and help transitioning from them. It will pass - but it will seem like forever.

[Farrar]

My kids dropped the nap around 2 yo. Nearly every family I know the kids dropped the nap between age 2-3. I think your older was just a late napper. Drop the nap and see if she sleeps better. When my boys dropped the nap, we started a daily quiet time. Alone in the room for an hour with a special clock that tells you when it's done and lots of books (and a toddler potty) and all your quiet toys. No coming out until the time is up.

[Mergath]

My dd quit napping at eighteen months, so I think you might be out of luck in that regard. You're lucky she still napped as long as she did. ;)  My guess is that she'll be tired and cranky for a while until her body works out a new schedule. Just keep her awake as late as you can, put room-darkening curtains in her bedroom, and hope for the best.

[mom2samlibby]

I'd give up on naps.  My DD gave up naps at around 18 months. She went to bed a lot easier after we dropped them.  It was a few miserable weeks getting used to the new schedule, but then life got a lot better.  

[Lawana]

I would drop the nap, then do 1 of 2 things:

 

1. Put her to bed at whatever time she needs to get enough rest overall. When that is established, start moving the bedtime forward by 5 minutes at a time every few days and see if that encourages a responding later waking time. Of course the disadvantage is that you are getting up at 5 for a while.

 

Option 2. Enforce a stay in room procedure for mornings. Start with 5:05, then add 5 minutes every few days.

[Guest]

You might be ool, but I will tell you that every time my kids looked like they were going to stop napping, I kept powering through and putting them down like it was nap time still, and eventually they would go back to napping. With no impact on night sleep, I mean. They didn't give npas up completely and for real until 6.

[Shellydon]

My kids quit napping around 2.5.  I would put her to bed by 5 or 6 each day and just deal.  It is hard, but it will pass.  If she gets caught up on sleep, she may begin to sleep a little later.  Make sure her room is totally dark and she has a white noise machine.  I got up at 5:00 with one of mine for a couple of years.  Not fun, but not the end of the world.  Most of the men and women in my husband's corporate world are at work by 6:00 am, so at least I am home in my PJs. :)

[katilac]

 DD went from sleeping to 6 to waking up at 5 and nothing will get her to sleep in.  

 

There is a reason children's programming begins at 5 in the morning! 

[Tap]

I wouldn't necessarily expect a 3 yo to nap, but you can have her lay down for a quiet time.  Some kids need the pause in the day and an extra snack to make it till dinner and beyond.    DD8 has been in daycare since she came to us at 5mo.  At both, large commercial day cares, the kids who are all day kids, pk-4 and under, all laid down for a rest period ( after lunch and a play break). They would dim the lights, teacher would read a short book, they would turn on quiet music and everyone would lay down (except teachers of course). I would estimate that the majority of 3yos napped, for at least a short time. Some of the 4yos did, but no matter what, they all laid down.  After 15-20 minutes or so, any kids who were still awake, could do something quietly at their cot. If you can schedule a routine into your day, and put the mandatory rest time in, you may find that she nods off on some days and not others.  

 

 

Ds21 stopped naps by 2ish.

 

DD17 still took naps after pre-school and kindergarten. But she was a power house of energy that started early and ran until she crashed at 9pm or later. She didn't stop moving, all day, every day.  She would have a snack and then lay down on the couch watching cartoons after school for at least 30 minutes.  I would specifically put on quieter cartoons and she almost always napped.

 

DD9 has a sleep disorder and took naps until 8yo. On a rough day, she will still nap. 

 

[Tsuga]

My first dropped the nap at about 18 months. I don't know whether I did something wrong or what. All I can say is,  :grouphug:  and no, I tried it all and I couldn't get her to sleep no matter what.

 

I was able to get her, as the only child at the time, to lie quietly nursing while I slept. For an hour. Nursing. My right boob is still ever so slightly bigger.

[kiwik]

My first napped until 4 most days as well and woke early every day.  My youngest gave up at two. You have had a good run but unless you want to get up at five you might have to enforce the morning thing.  Maybe reset her wake up thing to five so she sees it wake for a while then advance it by 5 minutes at a time.  I had to hang ds8's wake up monkey clock from a hook though as he would force the eyes open so he could get up.

 

 

[brehon]

Like TammyS and others we have mandatory quiet time in the house every day. The olders (14 & 12) use the time for reading, catching up on work, or on-line classes (depending on the kid & the day). The middles (11 & 9) are usually in the living room reading/listening to an audiobook. The youngers (3 & 5) are in their rooms. Most of the time they'll sleep a bit, then play quietly; occasionally, they won't sleep at all, but will play quietly or listen to an audiobook.

 

This quiet time is mainly for parental sanity. Dh and I won't give it up easily. :)

[Zinnia]

We do mandatory quiet time, whether you nap or not. 

My youngest child, who is 3, naps only once or twice a week now.  She falls asleep at 6:30 on the days she doesn't nap.  It is not my favorite, but it's hard to enforce the longer quiet time that my olders needed to reestablish napping when they striked at 3.

 

My others dropped naps at 4, almost 6, and 5.  Early wakings (5:30) contributed to the long naps.  I think if you have a kid that wakes that early, having a mandatory rest time isn't such a big deal.  My kids no longer wake that early, and so that probably contributes to my 3 year old not napping.  But we still kept rest time.  :)

Edited November 25, 2015 by Zinnia