Waking Up And Crying At Naptime?

[makap]

I am ready to freak out! I love my dcks but I have to eat, go pee and clean up. Also after 8 hours of not stopping to sit, eat or pee I deserve a bit of a break! Everyone who works gets a coffee break and a lunch break!

I start my day at 5 am. First dcb 18 months arrives at 6 am. I allow him to play a bit and then by 7 he has his breakfast and I have attempted many times to put him for an am nap but he will not nap. He either cries or just lays in his pnp. He never sleeps in the am at all. I was trying the am nap thinking that he was overtired by naptime and that is why he would wake after 1/2 hour and cry non stop! Also by 11 in the morning he is so tired, rubbing his eyes and crying.

I put him down today at 1 30 he has now been screaming at the top of his lungs for 30 minutes after only sleeping 20 minutes. He is in his own room but he just woke 1 of my dcks up after only 1/2 hour of him sleeping! (The one in the room closest to him)

Any advice? I am so ready to term! This is everyday!

[MNMum]

I have had similar issues with my 18 month old. She is a fiesty non stop go getter. When she started here at 14 mos, I tried just one nap. She would only sleep about 45 minutes. So I tried 2 naps. Worked for about 2 days, then back to not sleeping. So I went back to just the afternoon nap, but let her go down 30 minutes before everyone else. That worked for a short while. I have tried letting her cry it out. She cries the remainder of nap. This is what is working now. Naptime here is 2 hours. If she wakes up before this I give her 5 minutes to try to settle herself. Then I go in, make sure it's not a diaper issue, lay her back down on her tummy, cover her, rub her back and say, "It's still naptime, nigh, nigh. All the kids are sleeping. I will come back when naptime is over." I leave. She is finally sleeping 2+ hours. I am finally getting a break.

[makap]

I have had similar issues with my 18 month old. She is a fiesty non stop go getter. When she started here at 14 mos, I tried just one nap. She would only sleep about 45 minutes. So I tried 2 naps. Worked for about 2 days, then back to not sleeping. So I went back to just the afternoon nap, but let her go down 30 minutes before everyone else. That worked for a short while. I have tried letting her cry it out. She cries the remainder of nap. This is what is working now. Naptime here is 2 hours. If she wakes up before this I give her 5 minutes to try to settle herself. Then I go in, make sure it's not a diaper issue, lay her back down on her tummy, cover her, rub her back and say, "It's still naptime, nigh, nigh. All the kids are sleeping. I will come back when naptime is over." I leave. She is finally sleeping 2+ hours. I am finally getting a break.

He is my only one who has ever done this! Well for this long. I have had others with sleep issues in the beginning however after a few weeks naptime was then fine. He is clearly very tired. He is tired most mornings when he arrives! I have tried everything! He will not settle on his own. If I go in he just lays there and screams regardless. I can rub his back or his head and he just screams. If I take him out and sit him in a chair with a snack he will still scream. I really do not want all 6 of my dcks up after only 1/2 hour of them sleeping.

He has been here for 9 months and is still doing this!

[MNMum]

I'm sure others will add their expertise. Have you tried laying him back down immediately on arrival?

[Heidi]

There was just a thread on this exact thing last week...I am trying to find it..

[Soupyszoo]

Wow! He's been there 9 months and still having trouble? Have you mentioned to the dkps what's going on? I have the same issue with my 18 mo dcb. He's only been with me 5 months. His mom doesn't care about his nap problems so I've tried different things for my sanity. I try to be very consistent with him. I give him a little extra cool down time and cuddle time before naps now and that helps. He still wakes up hysterical sometimes. You definitely need and deserve a break. I get one very once in a while when the stars align perfectly with all the planets ::

[DCBlessings27]

Crying

I just had a 13month old start a month ago. He was the same way--so tired but would just scream the whole nap time if in a pack n play. His parents told me what a great sleeper he was, yet I only got 20 mins out of him if that. He was waking up my other kids, which was not ok. I had taken care of his older brother for a year before he was born, so I didn't want to terminate him.

I finally started putting him to sleep on the couch. I then can move him after he's asleep. He seems to do better with this situation and is taking a long afternoon nap. (My state allows me to put kids to sleep on couch and then move once they're asleep.)

[Heidi]

I just copied and pasted this from a previous answer, so change "she" to "he" :

Remember, at this age, receptive language is a whole lot better than her expressive language.

Lay her down for her nap when the others go down. Let her go last so she sees EVERYONE ELSE IS SLEEPING NOW. Put a fan in her room, put her in a sleep sack so you don't have to worry about her climbling out. Put another fan or other white noise in the hallway for a while so the others can't hear her.

THen lay her down; when she wakes up, give her back her stuffed animal or blanket or whatver she likes to cuddle, and whisper "it's still nap time, sweetie. Everyone is sleeping. I will come get you when nap time is over". Then stiick to that. Don't show her if you feel guilty, because she will pick up on that. Try to be matter-of-fact, hard as it is. She can choose to cry, or sleep, or play. She can understand what you are telling her. If she doesn't today, she will by the end of the week.

I have had several children who wake up after an hour, cry for a few minutes, and then go back to sleep. If she is taking one nap, they should be 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Once you she's slept enough, go get her first, then get everyone else up (for a while) so that she knows she didn't miss out on anything.


You KNOW she needs more sleep. She will be happier if she has it. You DO know best, and she may not understand that, but you do!
............................................................................................

You could also turn set a clock-radio in there to whatever time nap is "over". This will help reinforce the concept..when the music plays, Miss. X will come get me.

He probably COULD use two naps considering how early he comes, but I wouldn't go through the fight 2x a day. Can you start nap 1/2 hour earlier for everyone so that it won't be such a long haul in the morning? You can always shift it later again once his sleep skills improve.

[SandeeAR]

I have a dcg that will turn two in a few weeks. She just started sleeping for the entire 2hr nap about 2 weeks ago. Went thru all the stuff you mentioned and more. I have had her since 8 weeks old.

The truth finally came out of Mom a few months ago. Just as I knew.....she was being rocked to sleep and when she woke up at night, was being placed in their bed. I told Mom, there was NO WAY she would ever sleep here while she was doing that. I told Mom, it was no wonder she had made everyone mesirable here for over a year!

Mom finally stopped rocking her at night. She still spends a LOT of time in their bed.

She hasn't had a passy here for MANY months. (Stopped here LONG before at home). After Mom took it away at home, I gave it back at nap. Now she sleeps. She knows if she cries out or calls, I WILL take it away and she won't get it back.

She can have that passy here until she is 4-5 and leaves, as far as I'm concerned. She sleeps and so does everyone else!

[sariejohnston]

I have the same thing happening in my room of 2 yr olds. i have at least 3 of them that do it almost everyday. :/ very stressful.

[Unregistered]

I had a dcg just like this. When the children turn 18 months, I switch them to only one nap with everyone else. We eat lunch around 11:15 - 11:30 am and all kids are down and napping by 12:30.

This dcg would just scream ... literally for the whole 2 - 2 1/2 hours. I would always check on her about every half hour to make sure there wasn't something I could do (diaper change). Her parents had been bringing her into their bed every night when she woke.

Since I can not control what parents do with their children at their home, I just did what I thought was best and let her cry it out. It took a few days of no naps for anyone but eventually she understood she was not getting out of the pnp every time she cried. Now she sleeps 2 hours plus.

Her parents still bring her into their bed every night but she naps here just fine.

Kids are way smarter than we give them credit for and she knows what is going to happen when she cries at home (being brought into bed to cuddle and feed) and she knows what she will get when she cries here (nothing - at least not til nap time is over)!

[SunshineMama]

I have not personally done this yet with my age range, but I know other providers who do lunch at 10:30, and then put the 18 month age range down for nap at 11:30, to get a solid 2 hours. I know it is very inconvenient at that time because the other kids dont usually nap until 1, but it does seem to work for them.

[makap]

Thank you everyone for all of your replies and help.

It is 12 56 PM and this little boy is fast asleep!

Going to post an update as soon as all my dcks are sleeping! You guys are not going to believe this!

I think I know why he has been doing this.

[countrymom]

now i'm really curious. Wait it can't be any worse than the 3 yr old I have that went to sleep at 2 o'clock in the morning because yesterday I didn't nap him (he plays with a schoolager) well apparently he "snuck" into bed at 6pm and slept till 9pm and was up. These people have no idea how to deal with night time with him, oh and they are expecting number 3 in april.

[frugalmama4]

Thank you Thank you Thank you all!

I have been dealing with a 10mo dcb who does not sleep at all for about a month now. This kid makes me wanna cry...I have never been so anger with a baby before but this kid takes da cake....it's to the point that he will try a full to sleep in his high chair at lunch and I will make as much noise to keep he up (I have to walk my own kid to the bus stop at noon) so I can't afford him falling asleep before that other wise I would never get a break. He would not lay back down once I remove him from the stroller. It's so bad that when does fall out on the floor himself I'.m afraid to move him. He will cry for hours and hours, I'm trying so hard here not to term!

I think I will try some music tomorrow during nap time hopefully it helps. Thanks!