https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:06:10 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/18-mo-wont-nap-at-home-anymore#post-2685839 Tue, 24 Jan 2017 13:35:06 +0000 Jennibenni 2685839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: Thank you! I actually didn't think about it being related to sleep regression because his night sleep is good, but that makes sense. I appreciate all your tips, hoping they help and if not that he outgrows it soon! </p> <p>@Ajsmommy: I wish he would fall asleep with me and then at least he'd get some rest! If I were you I'd nap while I could haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/18-mo-wont-nap-at-home-anymore#post-2684851 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 07:33:03 +0000 Ajsmommy 2684851@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel ya!! DD is the same way. It's so frustrating. She does naps at daycare with no issues and no complaints but at home it's a different story! She still needs the nap and once she eventually falls asleep she'll nap for 2+ hours... If we let her skip it she's falling asleep before dinner. I find it so frustrating. Lately the only thing that's been working for us is me to lay with her until she falls asleep . The only issue with that is that I am 35+ wks pregnant and I END UP FALLING ASLEEP too! Wasting my afternoon... So I am just here to commiserate.<br /> Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/18-mo-wont-nap-at-home-anymore#post-2684836 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 03:20:52 +0000 gingerbebe 2684836@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi! So a lot of this sounds like the 18 month sleep regression and I think part of it could be language development. It presents differently for a lot of people, but I definitely remember messed up naps was part of it for my kiddo. I would just stick to your guns about nap time and stick to your routine. My son has one of those personalities where more intervention actually makes things worse, so we mostly just left him alone and if he cried, shrug. He would cry for like 10-15 minutes, kick his crib slats, yell, jump, throw all his stuffed animals and bedding out of the crib, etc. It was really annoying, but we just rode it out for those 2 hours. And then it just passed one day. I think that regression lasted about 6 weeks for us (we also had nightwakings every few nights as well). My son is 28 months old and sleeps 2-3 hours on the weekends and naps well at daycare every day.</p> <p>A few things we do at home that might help:</p> <p>- We have always used blackout curtains and a white noise machine for sleep at home.<br /> - We basically treat nap the same as bedtime minus the bath. Meaning we change our son into pajamas, put him in a sleepsack, give him his loveys, sing the same sleep songs, etc.<br /> - On weekends, we put him down for nap 1 hour later than daycare does. They usually put the kids down by noon at preschool and at home, we put him down more like 1pm. He just seems to sleep a lot more solid that way and it synchs better with our baby's nap schedule (praise God for joint naps).<br /> - Waketime on the weekends is pretty much the same as during the week - we don't really let him sleep in. We wake him at the same time as during the week, give or take 30 minutes.<br /> - We make sure he has some kind of physically and mentally stimulating activity in the morning.<br /> - We make the house very quiet for naptime. Since both kids are sleeping, DH and I often snooze too. We love family nap!</p> <p>Good luck, I know its frustrating! DS1 dropped to 1 nap at 14 months (but the entire transition began at 11 months) and I know its really exhausting. But perhaps your child is about to have a really big language burst! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/18-mo-wont-nap-at-home-anymore#post-2684636 Sun, 22 Jan 2017 10:59:58 +0000 Jennibenni 2684636@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: Thank you for all the info! That's helpful. I definitely don't think he is close to not needing a nap. On the days we can't get him to nap we can tell he's tired but he just fights and fights it. We try to be active in the morning before nap time and we have a regular wind down routine. What generally happens is that we do everything, he is sleepy, but when we put him down in the crib he screams and cries. Yesterday I ended up going in and holding him and he passed right out on my lap and slept for 2 hours! So I know he's tired. I just don't know why he is refusing to nap in his crib. 😑 He is definitely not in there peacefully playing, he is crying and distressed so it's really frustrating. </p> <p>@sapphire: Yesterday I ended up holding him for his nap and he went right to sleep when I put him in my lap. I might try the chair thing today, if it works at least I'd be able to escape the room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/18-mo-wont-nap-at-home-anymore#post-2684404 Sat, 21 Jan 2017 14:38:17 +0000 sapphire 2684404@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also sometimes if one of us stays in the room and pretends to sleep in the chair she will settle down and go to sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/18-mo-wont-nap-at-home-anymore#post-2684403 Sat, 21 Jan 2017 14:37:14 +0000 sapphire 2684403@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've struggled with a similar situation with our LO. I try to relax about it and know that some days she just won't nap and to try not to stress about it since nighttime sleep is good. Wearing her out in the morning helps a lot so weekends we really try to get out and do something super active - playground, zoo, indoor play area, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/18-mo-wont-nap-at-home-anymore#post-2684400 Sat, 21 Jan 2017 14:06:53 +0000 SweetiePie 2684400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Warning: crazy long post. </p> <p>Hi! That sounds rough. Naps are important for them but also for us for our sanity!<br /> 2 hours at daycare is good - really good! 3 hours is awesome! And it should never be more than 3 hours for a nap So I wouldn't worry that it's ever more than 3.<br /> If he's napping like that at daycare (2-3 hrs) then clearly he needs it, even on the weekend. It may be that he's really excited at home to be with you and doesn't want to miss out. Do you try to make the time before the nap (say the last half hour to hour) kind of calm and boring? Quiet play for example, instead of tickle fights and TV? Some are just more easily stimulated and need a wind down before the nap.<br /> Maybe ask at daycare if there's any part of the routine they use that you could replicate? The same sound machine or book, for example. Since he naps more days there than at home it could be that he's just more used to that environment. </p> <p>Also, I'm sure at daycare there's a lot of physical activity, art projects, etc. Maybe he needs lots of stuff in the morning to really feel sufficiently tired and ready. I know my son sleeps like a ROCK for his nap on the mornings he has preschool. So I make sure that the days he's off (Friday-Sunday) we do something that will tire him out as well. Play date, Indoor play space, playground, or if it's crappy out just lots of running and using our imagination.<br /> Next question would be what time is he waking for the day and what time are you trying to put him down for the nap? Could he be overtired? "Tired but wired" can make it reeeally hard to get them to nap. Overtired makes it hard to fall and stay asleep.<br /> Also, there is a sleep regression at 18 months. It could be a phase that you have to wait out. In that case consistency (i.e. Same routine, time, etc without new sleep crutches) would be key.<br /> Does he definitely cry if you leave him in his crib and he doesn't sleep? Like my son went through nap funkiness when it was time to drop to 1 nap. But I would still put him in his room in the hopes that he'd sleep. Sometimes he did and sometimes he didn't. But if he didn't he'd still at least lay there quietly or talk to himself. Or play. But he'd never cry. So I figured "ok I'm keeping the consistency. I'm reinforcing that this is nap time. And even if he's not sleeping he's getting quiet time to decompress instead of tons of stimulation all day" so even if he just sat in his crib for 2-3 hours as long as he did it peacefully I let it be. My ped actually recommended this from very early (like 3-4 months) and we always did it. So that might be why he doesn't mind, I know not every kid is the same though. </p> <p>I think 18 months is waaaay too young to drop a nap and it sounds like you agree (or else you wouldn't be asking for help!) Sleep experts agree that a nap is needed till 3-4 years of age depending on the kid. And many parents will hit something like a regression and just assume they're dropping the nap and give up. I would wait a loooong time before throwing in the towel. </p> <p>Hugs and good luck! Missed/refused naps are so hard! Keep us updated! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/18-mo-wont-nap-at-home-anymore#post-2684339 Sat, 21 Jan 2017 09:10:37 +0000 Jennibenni 2684339@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 18 month old has struggled with taking naps at home for a while now, but the last few weekends he flat out will. not. nap. </p> <p>While he's generally always slept well overnight, he has never been a good napper. On three naps, he slept about 27 minutes for a long time. When we moved to two naps, it was an hour if we were lucky. He's been on one nap since just after a year, when we gave up on the second nap because we could never get him to sleep. On one nap, he generally sleeps better but he's never really napped longer than three hours and that is rare. </p> <p>Daycare nap time is two hours and he usually sleeps for all of it and goes to sleep easily. At home, falling asleep has been harder and harder for naps. Last Sunday I never got him to sleep. We rocked, we paced, I patted his back, I let him cry for 45 minutes, we went on a car ride, we went on a long stroller walk. No sleeping. </p> <p>At night, we lay him down, say goodnight, and walk out and he falls asleep easily on his own after that and sleeps 11.5-12 hours straight.</p> <p>Any tips? </p>