Nap Help!!

[BabiesOnly]

Hi!

I have been a "reader" here for a couple years but I don't think I have ever posted I have a small (4 kiddos) in home daycare and only keep kids from newborn until they are 2 1/2-3.

Here is my issue...I have a 15 month old that very suddenly, 3 weeks ago went from taking a solid 2 1/2+ hour afternoon nap to taking a 20-40 minute nap!!! She wakes up screaming...not crying but mad and just yelling at the top of her lungs!

I have tried everything to get her to go back to sleep! She is most definitely tired! She's tired before her "nap" and she's tired and crabby all afternoon! I have tried going in and lying her back down (over and over). This just makes her madder! I have tried just letting her scream. She will sometimes go back to sleep but again for a very short time and then it's back to screaming. She is so incredibly stubborn and just fighting sleep!! I have video monitors and she will be quiet and still, eyes closed for several minutes and then she suddenly jerks her head up and starts screaming again!

I have had this child since she was 9 months old. Her mom said when she first started here that she didn't nap well. I never had a problem and quickly had her on the same schedule as my other kiddos. She was going to sleep no problem on her own, sleeping a couple hours and waking up happy.

Her parents are no help. Mom thinks she is just done taking naps (at 15 months!!). I've been doing this 20 years and have never had this particular issue! I've had plenty of babies that I have had to work with and sleep train but have never had this cat nap problem. I never concern myself with what parents do at home either! When they are here they sleep!

I am kind of at the end of my rope and would appreciate any suggestions! Not sure what I'm going to do if this doesn't get better! Afternoon nap time is pretty non-negotiable for me! Right now this little girl is in a room by herself but come June when I have a new baby starting she will have to be moved in with my other toddlers! Help!!

[Blackcat31]

Hi!

I have been a "reader" here for a couple years but I don't think I have ever posted I have a small (4 kiddos) in home daycare and only keep kids from newborn until they are 2 1/2-3.

Here is my issue...I have a 15 month old that very suddenly, 3 weeks ago went from taking a solid 2 1/2+ hour afternoon nap to taking a 20-40 minute nap!!! She wakes up screaming...not crying but mad and just yelling at the top of her lungs!

I have tried everything to get her to go back to sleep! She is most definitely tired! She's tired before her "nap" and she's tired and crabby all afternoon! I have tried going in and lying her back down (over and over). This just makes her madder! I have tried just letting her scream. She will sometimes go back to sleep but again for a very short time and then it's back to screaming. She is so incredibly stubborn and just fighting sleep!! I have video monitors and she will be quiet and still, eyes closed for several minutes and then she suddenly jerks her head up and starts screaming again!

I have had this child since she was 9 months old. Her mom said when she first started here that she didn't nap well. I never had a problem and quickly had her on the same schedule as my other kiddos. She was going to sleep no problem on her own, sleeping a couple hours and waking up happy.

Her parents are no help. Mom thinks she is just done taking naps (at 15 months!!). I've been doing this 20 years and have never had this particular issue! I've had plenty of babies that I have had to work with and sleep train but have never had this cat nap problem. I never concern myself with what parents do at home either! When they are here they sleep!

I am kind of at the end of my rope and would appreciate any suggestions! Not sure what I'm going to do if this doesn't get better! Afternoon nap time is pretty non-negotiable for me! Right now this little girl is in a room by herself but come June when I have a new baby starting she will have to be moved in with my other toddlers! Help!!

I just had a similar experience.
In my case I figured out that the child was over tired.
No idea why that interrupts their sleep at nap but just chit chatting with mom and I heard a few clues as to not sleeping well at night, staying up longer than usual etc.
I started having the child take a brief nap upon arrival.
No longer than 45 minutes. (didn't mind the screaming then because no one else was napping)
Fixed my issue within a week.
Child still takes the quick morning nap but now stay asleep the full 2-2.5 hours of nap time.

So that is my suggestion... sleep begats sleep

[NiNi.R.]

I had one that did this same thing. I would go in once, say "it's still nap time" then lay him back down. After that he got no more attention from me for that behavior until nap time was over. It didn't take long for him to adjust right back to a normal nap. Luckily during the process his on/off crying didn't wake the others. I did talk with dcm about it. I learned at home he would do the same in the middle of the night and dcm would get him out of his bed and move to the couch to sleep with him. So I'm sure that is what he was hoping for here.

[ballen101]

When I worked in a preschool we had 8 infants in a class and all of them had to remain in their cribs during nap time so the co-teacher could take her lunch. If one of them were fussy, we would pat them and calm them down while they are still in their crib. Eventually they learn that crying won't get them out of nap time early and they find ways to entertain themselves until nap in over.

[jenboo]

Try adding in a morning nap. She might need more sleep if she isn't getting enough at home.


When she wakes up screaming at nap, leave her until the end of nap. They always catch on. Even if she doesn't go back to sleep, she will eventually give up on the screaming and rest.

[Ariana]

Sounds like overtiredness to me. 30- 40 minute naps are a tell tale sign and waking up crying is another. My guess from what you wrote is that mom is getting her up from nap or not napping her at all on the weekends and it is a vicious cycle.

I had an 18 month old that stopped napping at home. Parents were convinced she no longer needed her nap. She was delayed in speech and needed sleep. She would come on Monday in a complete mess. I would have to sleep train her every single week. Normally it would take Monday and part of Tuesday to get her to sleep through nap time. During Christmas break she was out for two weeks without a nap and came back stuttering and slurring her words. It was heartbreaking.

[daycarediva]

I just had a similar experience.
In my case I figured out that the child was over tired.
No idea why that interrupts their sleep at nap but just chit chatting with mom and I heard a few clues as to not sleeping well at night, staying up longer than usual etc.
I started having the child take a brief nap upon arrival.
No longer than 45 minutes. (didn't mind the screaming then because no one else was napping)
Fixed my issue within a week.
Child still takes the quick morning nap but now stay asleep the full 2-2.5 hours of nap time.

So that is my suggestion... sleep begats sleep

THIS!

I have THREE like this right now.

1. 2.5yo Mom admitted to waking her up when she gets home from working late to spend time with her

2. 18mo Cosleeps, enough said.

3. 16 mo only naps in the car on weekends.

Mondays are ALWAYS super rough for them, but by Friday they are sooo happy, sleeping well, waking up happy.

Lack of sleep is a CHRONIC condition for children in the US.

[mamamanda]

I just discovered the sleep issue myself! I've posted so much about my niece who cries constantly & has since Christmas. I posted for help on creating a schedule for her & got a lot of good tips. Turns out if I put her to bed immediately upon arrival she will sleep 2 hrs & wake up happy, then nap consistently on schedule for the rest of the day. Chronically fatigued babies really do struggle to stay asleep. My 8 mo niece is peacefully sleeping about 6 hours a day here now which seems extreme, but I finally realized she was only getting about 8-10 hours a night at home. She's like a different kid. I'd definitely try adding a short morning nap.