17 Month Old Still Struggling With Naps

[Unregistered]

I have a 17 month old that I have had in care since he was 3 months old. As an infant he only slept 20-30 at a time, 1-2 naps a day. As he has gotten older, I have left him to "cry it out" during nap times trying to sleep train him. Nothing I have done has worked. I put a white noise machine in the room, given him blankets/stuffed animals from home (once he was old enough). The terrible naps have continued. He then spends the rest of the day crabby. Ugh!!
He has always been a great night time sleeper since a young infant. He sleeps from 6pm -6am. Mom says he does not take naps well at home either. Because he does not nap well, mom says it is too difficult trying to hold off putting him to bed any later than 6pm. He falls right to sleep and sleeps through the night.
When we have done two naps, he sleeps 20-30 at a time. We have tried cutting back to one nap, but then he only gets one 20-30 minute nap instead of two, so he is much more crabby.
I am at a loss.....is there anything else I can try or do I just accept that he will never be a good napper?!

[storybookending]

Getting 12 hours of sleep at night is probably why. I would just stick with one nap. Put him down as you would the older kids and don’t let him out until the nap is over. Keep the room dark, play soft music etc.. as long as it’s the same thing every day. Some kids just outgrow naps super early but that doesn’t mean they don’t need to quiet/rest time and he needs to learn to do that without screaming.

[tenderhearts]

I understand your frustration, sounds just like my now 3 1/2 yr old dcb. He was just like that, nothing worked for me either, not even crying it out, nothing. When I finally switched him to a nap mat in the room with the other kids when he was about 22 mo. old it actually got better, not sure if he just felt more comfortable with the other kids or what, but that worked really good and he was taking normal naps, 2 1/2 hours can you imagine the relief that was after almost 2 years of 20min naps, anyways then last summer it changed, he started crying the moment he would lay down, I tried putting him into another room but same thing, I had to leave the door open but after he fell asleep it was back to sleeping only 20 min.
So out of frustration I decided to have him do quiet time with the kids that don't nap (it's watching a movie), well low and behold, he would fall asleep right away and nap for beyond nap time which is about 1 1/2- 2 hrs, even while the others were done he would just sleep through it while they played, hopefully you will find something that works.
It's so frustrating when you know they need a nap because it makes our days miserable when they are fussy and cranky.

[storybookending]

sorry for the double post.. took a call from a dcp and didn’t know if I had hit send already on my previous reply

[Blackcat31]

I have a 17 month old that I have had in care since he was 3 months old. As an infant he only slept 20-30 at a time, 1-2 naps a day. As he has gotten older, I have left him to "cry it out" during nap times trying to sleep train him. Nothing I have done has worked. I put a white noise machine in the room, given him blankets/stuffed animals from home (once he was old enough). The terrible naps have continued. He then spends the rest of the day crabby. Ugh!!
He has always been a great night time sleeper since a young infant. He sleeps from 6pm -6am. Mom says he does not take naps well at home either. Because he does not nap well, mom says it is too difficult trying to hold off putting him to bed any later than 6pm. He falls right to sleep and sleeps through the night.
When we have done two naps, he sleeps 20-30 at a time. We have tried cutting back to one nap, but then he only gets one 20-30 minute nap instead of two, so he is much more crabby.
I am at a loss.....is there anything else I can try or do I just accept that he will never be a good napper?!

So you are the only one having to deal with endless crying/screaming?

If so, I'd start calling for pick up within a specified time frame.....call me jaded but I am willing to bet you that if you did that (called for pick up) consistently, the parent's version of how well he sleeps at night and/or their nightly routine would instantly change and you will more than likely start seeing some improvement during the day.

Right now, mom is doing what works best for HER on HER time and you get stuck with the all day crying.

[amberrose3dg]

So you are the only one having to deal with endless crying/screaming?

If so, I'd start calling for pick up within a specified time frame.....call me jaded but I am willing to bet you that if you did that (called for pick up) consistently, the parent's version of how well he sleeps at night and/or their nightly routine would instantly change and you will more than likely start seeing some improvement during the day.

Right now, mom is doing what works best for HER on HER time and you get stuck with the all day crying.

Same thing here. I have 8 almost 9 month old cries half the day. She won't sleep. I been calling for pick up and mom does come get her. She fell asleep almost as soon as I strapped her into the car seat. Yet she will cry for hours in a crib if you left her in it. I think mom isn't being truthful about her at home. She claims she sleeps in a crib. This baby will not sleep in a crib ever! Mom will either come get her at nap time each day , fix the issue at home or terminate care.

[Ariana]

Mom is putting him to bed as soon as she gets home at like 5-5:30pm and then doesn’t see him until 6-7am the next morning.

I would be telling her to keep him up until 7pm and then get him up at 6am so that he sleeps at daycare for one thing and so that he gets some stimulation from mom. Putting a kid to bed for 12+ hours is just not right. This is what works for mom because then she gets out of any and all childcare and you are left with the aftermath. I would either call for pickup OR give an ultimatum that the issue needs to be fixed in two weeks or care will be terminated.

[amberrose3dg]

Mom is putting him to bed as soon as she gets home at like 5-5:30pm and then doesn’t see him until 6-7am the next morning.

I would be telling her to keep him up until 7pm and then get him up at 6am so that he sleeps at daycare for one thing and so that he gets some stimulation from mom. Putting a kid to bed for 12+ hours is just not right. This is what works for mom because then she gets out of any and all childcare and you are left with the aftermath. I would either call for pickup OR give an ultimatum that the issue needs to be fixed in two weeks or care will be terminated.

I would also do this. Sounds like mom isn't spending any time with her child. It doesn't seem like he has a sleeping issue if hes sleeping all night for 12 hours. I would suggest her maybe cutting it back to 10 hours that way he sleeps there. She refuses, terminate. A 17 month old needs rest in the middle of the day!

[daycarediva]

Mom is putting him to bed as soon as she gets home at like 5-5:30pm and then doesn’t see him until 6-7am the next morning.

I would be telling her to keep him up until 7pm and then get him up at 6am so that he sleeps at daycare for one thing and so that he gets some stimulation from mom. Putting a kid to bed for 12+ hours is just not right. This is what works for mom because then she gets out of any and all childcare and you are left with the aftermath. I would either call for pickup OR give an ultimatum that the issue needs to be fixed in two weeks or care will be terminated.

Yep. She picks him up, takes him home and puts him to bed? ZERO M-F facetime? NO WAY, I would speak up.

Sleep issues aside, this is terrible parenting.