Help. 17 month old doesn't want to nap.

[Minnie824]

My 17 month old DD has decided that she doesn't want to nap this week. She still is sleeping very good at night (around 7pm - 6:30am). Normally she takes around an hour nap sometime around lunch. Now, she's getting her 4th molar tooth in, so I'm wondering if thats why. OR, her grandma watches her during the day, so I'm wondering if shes just seeing how much she can get away with by not napping. OR, could she just not be tired and not want a nap?

Has anyone else gone thru this? Any opinions or help would be great.

 

[JESW]

Sorry to tell you this, but my DD gave up her naps about that time! At least ones on a regular schedule. I was VERY surprised since DS napped regularly up until at least 2, 2 and a half.

Jill

 

[Dan Murphy]

No ideas from me, but maybe someone else??

 

[debster812]

All I can suggest is keep trying for a little while longer. I was so blessed that DS napped up until he was almost 4. But he did go through a phase where he just did not want to. I would put him in his crib, shut the door to his room halfway, and go into the living room and play some soft music on the stereo. After about 4 days, he was napping again.

Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cgcw]

IMHO, 17 months is very young to stop taking a nap. What I'd probably try to do is start waking DD up earlier in the AM, so she's tired out by the time you want her to take the nap. And, I'd try to keep her up later at night and try and prevent the early bedtime. Maybe that will help.

The other thing, is even if she doesn't nap, it's important that she gets some down time -- whether it's quiet time with books or puzzles or watching a movie on TV (if this is something she might even have interest in).

Good luck!

 

[mum4jenn]

My dd is 5 1/2 and still takes naps most of the time. I insist on it because she gets really cranky if she does not get one.

There were times when she did not want to take one and to me it was a matter of getting her to slow down and relax long enough to fall asleep. I would snuggle with her and stroke her hair slowly and rub her back while I talked in a very low slow voice describing what it would be like to float on a cloud. I would describe the" puffy fluffy white clouds in the big beautiful blue sky"etc. She would relax enough to fall asleep. I still have to do this sometimes and when she is sick she asks me to put her in a cloud. My dh still teases me about it but even when he has trouble sleeping he uses this method!!

 

[floridaminnie]

Is your DD getting enough excersise? I notice when my 3 yr old DD sits around and reads and watches tv, it is much harder than when she has been playing hard outside.

 

[piratesmate]

When DD was with Grammy, she didn't want to nap at that age. Fresh air seemed to help and playing with her cousin (same age) also helped. I think Grammy was too laid back.

On the other hand, DS stopped napping entirely when he was 6 months old! No matter what I tried, he wouldn't sleep. He just sat in the crib & played quietly for an hour. Then at night he'd sleep about 6 1/2 hours. The doctor said to stop fussing, that sometimes very bright children do that. By 9 months he was speaking in sentences & reading sight words from Sesame Street by 22 mos.

 

[BrerMom]

Some kids just don't need a lot of sleep. My DS still needs less sleep than I do.

If she's sleeping 11 - 11 1/2 hours a night, I'd either keep her up later or get her up earlier, maybe even both. DD gave up naps at 2 1/2 and I thought that was too little. Even if THEY think they don't need a rest-time, they do and we do, too. Even if my kids didn't want to nap, they had to stay in (on) their bed with books or something quiet for an hour. It worked great and they still do it (and nothing electronic allowed!) when they're not in school.

 

[Serena]

LOL, okay this is my story. I tried to make my oldest take a nap when she was little. I'd lay down with her and everything trying to convince her napping is a good thing.
Well, eventually she started waiting until I fell asleep then getting up to go play.

 

[Mishetta]

Do you try to darken the room (pulling shades, closing curtains, etc...)? I also play this aquarium thing that sounds like waves & I put on the humidifier so that he has plenty of "white noise" to help him relax. Toss in his favorite blankie & his "soucette" (pacifier) & we're off to dream land!

I have a 16 month old that won't sleep if his daddy is home but during the normal work week, we have our routine & I do put him down for 2 naps. He has been sleeping 2 hours each nap & he sleeps from 830p to 830a! (I know I'm very lucky.)

Baby's first nap, I get to straighten the house, dust, clean, do laundry (you know all the fun stuff). Then baby's second nap I make dinner. Even if it's ready way before DH comes home. All I'd have to do is warm it up. If baby misses second nap, it's pizza or sandwiches for us!

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

when my 10 year old was that age, she went through a period of not wanting to sleep at night! for about a month, I'd do the whole bedtime routine with both girls, and the older one would fall aslleep, and the younger one would want to get out of the crib and play! and she'd wake in the middle of the night, and want to play. I thought I'd go out of my mind.

after a time she started sleeping normally again.

 

[MerryPoppins]

When mine went through periods of not wanting to nap, I made Disney story tapes for them to listen to while resting. They usually got sleepy and dozed off.

 

[Spirit Feather]

DD never did nap! And she still does not sleep much.

DS napped until he was five.

It just depends on the child. Maybe when the springs hits and she can play outside a bit more she will need to nap again.

 

[WilmaBud]

My 2 were never big nappers. My DD stopped at about a year and a half. With my son, I was "lucky;" he lasted till about 2 1/2. I remember being at the sink, washing dishes and telling my mom on the phone that I was making my DS have "quiet time" even though he wouldn't nap. I was all proud of myself, thinking he was at least playing quietly up in his room. Just then, he ran past the kitchen door... naked, playing the tambourine. So much for "quiet time!!" With my DD, I just accepted the inevitable. She never napped much to begin with, so it was obvious she didn't need much sleep. My mom just laughed and told me it was payback time because I was a "sleepless wonder" as a child, too.