https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 01:44:54 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1552503 Tue, 08 Apr 2014 00:46:37 +0000 Dagny 1552503@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you everyone! I am feeling so positive about just letting go of the 'ideas' I have about naps and nap schedules. I'm just going to do whatever works and stop worrying about it. It's just causing so much stress for us and LO that it is totally NOT worth it. I thought about it and on average he gets a solid 13-13.5 hours at night so I really need to stop being so concerned about his naps given how much he struggles with them. </p> <p>Ah, freedom feels SO good! (Of course I say that until he's so exhausted he's going crazy running around, haha!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1552340 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 21:38:59 +0000 lady grey 1552340@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I probably don't know your level of frustration. We used the Sleep Easy Solution book for sleep training (started at 5 mo old). It worked for nights in 3 days. My LO resisted naps on and off for 6 weeks but I kept at it and now he goes down in his crib awake without any problem. I did have to drive him in the car and push him in the stroller many times just to get him to sleep a little so he wouldn't be so over tired and totally resist the next nap. Its such a vicious cycle! I hope you find something that works for you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1552320 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 21:16:54 +0000 Mrs. Bee 1552320@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>daycare might be able to get your lo to nap consistently if that's an option. the power of the group is pretty powerful! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1552277 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 20:45:53 +0000 SleepyMonkey 1552277@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>totally agree with @char54! i drove myself crazy (to tears...yep) reading online how much sleep babies are supposed to get versus what LO actually got, and then finally realized that she doesn't need that much sleep. she was a crap napper - 30 minute cat naps from 4 months until she turned 1, and she was totally fine! she started to figure it out after 1-year. so my two bits of advice are: 1) you can't always control a baby's sleep so just go with the flow! and 2) sometimes they become better naps as they get older. but crap naps still happen. on saturday she had 1 30 minute nap all day. but she was fine, and so were we! :) (she is 17 months btw) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1552172 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 20:05:58 +0000 Charm54 1552172@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So we aren't quite as drastic...DD is a great overnight sleeper but a crap napper. I've basically just decided to give up on stretching her naps/exteneding her sleep cycles/worrying about schedules and just go with it. I love love HB but I feel like reading so much about naps stressed me out and made me feel like something was wrong with her/me. I spent a LOT of time stressed out about it. I tried strict routines, CIO, sleep lady shuffle, etc etc etc. Now I go with the flow. Car naps, quick naps, cat naps, whatever. It doesn't affect her night time sleep so I don't stress. </p> <p>These days, if she sleeps 30 minutes, that's her 'normal'. If she sleeps anything over 45 minutes I'm doing a happy dance. </p> <p>My life has been much happier since I've just accepted it...but that might be easier since I know she will sleep well at night and a break is in sight! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1552142 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 19:52:23 +0000 Mamasig 1552142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used to worry about it when DS was very little. I thought he would suffer somehow with no nap. Well, he just doesn't need as much sleep as I thought. I realized I can't make him sleep! Now we go with the flow - car naps, stroller naps - whatever works! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1552141 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 19:52:18 +0000 MsLipGloss 1552141@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dagny: I would focus on the total sleep time. As long as your LO is getting enough total time, I would relax about naps. Also, I would work on bedtime sleep before naps. It has been my experience that sleep begets sleep, so better nighttime sleep can help with naps. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1552121 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 19:43:16 +0000 shopaholic 1552121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Most of the parents I know IRL are pretty relaxed about naps and told me if LO didn't want to nap, maybe she didn't need it. Or, she'll nap when she needs to. But being a SAHM, I was the one who really needed the structure and consistency of some nap time each day. I had a horrible napper - and felt so many times - ready to just give up on naps. And I did try a few days - but she would still need a nap, and end up going to sleep too close to bedtime and messing up evening sleep too. So now I don't let her nap too close to bedtime. If she misses a nap, I will just keep her up until bedtime. </p> <p>I did realize though - really really late in the game - that I was missing the optimal times for putting her down to nap. If I miss the window period, forget it. So maybe try moving up nap time little by little to see if it improves? If you really want to give up, I'm all about the "whatever works for you" rule. Really, truly, I understand nap time battles. :crying: Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1552089 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 19:27:23 +0000 JerricaBenton 1552089@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dagny: Good! As long as he's eating and thriving, I wouldn't stress! They sleep when they're tired! If you can figure out something to help him along if he's tired but unable to let himself relax (for us it's nursing, driving or a relaxing story) try it but I definitely believe there are kids that can't/shouldn't be nap trained. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1552071 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 19:17:16 +0000 mrsjazz 1552071@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't force naps, never have. She actually hasn't been napping at home for the past few wknds since we moved her to her room/toddler bed. We just adjust bedtime and that usually works out. It's too stressful for all parties involved if we keep trying to get her to nap and she won't go down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1552056 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 19:07:27 +0000 Kemma 1552056@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dagny: will your lo nap in the car or the pram or a carrier? And sometimes it isn't worth the battle if it just makes you both miserable!</p> <p>ETA will your LO just hang out and have quiet time? On the days my LO won't nap she'll be reasonably happy hanging out in her cot looking at her books for an hour. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1551938 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 18:02:08 +0000 googly-eyes 1551938@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO has done this and he usually then sleeps in the car. I'm with @andrea on this one! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1551914 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 17:51:54 +0000 Mrs. Twine 1551914@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have never forced. I try for a little while-- if she's not asleep easily, we just do something else. Later on if she starts to act tired or like she needs to nap, she can. Lorelei just turned two, and she naps about once a week at this point. She'll typically tell me and ask to nurse in her bed on the days she does want to nap. I don't think there's anything wrong with not pushing. If it seems like he isn't getting the overall sleep he needs without the naps, I would talk with his doctor. Ellie actually had sleep apnea from enlarged tonsils that affected her ability to fall and stay asleep. We didn't know about it until she was five, and once she had her tonsils removed it made a big difference. I had spoken with her doctor, but was told that, "Only overweight older men [can] have sleep apnea." Lorelei is actually getting more overall sleep now that she is no longer napping. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1551856 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 17:13:50 +0000 Dagny 1551856@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JERRICABENTON AND @ANDREA - thank you. I am LOVING your relaxed attitude about this. I think I'm hanging out with the wrong crowd. haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1551853 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 17:11:08 +0000 Andrea 1551853@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yup, we gave up early on. We tried everything and it just wasn't worth the aggravation. She would usually fall asleep in the car so I just went with that. It was better to just go out and have fun versus staying at home battling a toddler with naps! Sorry, no help...</p> <p>On the bright side, there is an early bedtime. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1551845 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 17:06:18 +0000 JerricaBenton 1551845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is a great night sleeper, but since we weaned from swing napping, not the greatest napper. I haven't given up entirely, but im super relaxed with naps. If she falls asleep while nursing or driving -great. I just don't stress because she's never been a baby I could put down in her crib same time every day to nap. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/has-anyone-else-ever-just-given-up-on-naps#post-1551838 Mon, 07 Apr 2014 17:01:43 +0000 Dagny 1551838@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO (12 mo) has always been a horrific sleeper (day and night). I mean so bad that for the first six months of his life he slept on me ONLY. We have tried everything. And we have gone through long periods of consistency with a particular technique which made no difference so I know it's not a consistency issue. His naps have NEVER been decent for more than a few days. It's gotten to the point lately where he simply won't go down all day despite several attempts. Me, DH, and my sister (who is our part-time nanny) are just DONE. The screaming and crying and hysteria are terrible for everyone and he simply will not sleep. I am SUPER cynical about all nap-training techniques because we have done various versions of them ALL. At this point, I think I would only go for some super radical technique (of which I have yet to hear any). </p> <p>I know this sounds CRAZY, but if he simply refuses to nap, why bother trying to force him??? Someone talk me down from this ledge. :crying: It's just so ridiculous to try to force someone to nap - he just won't sleep! help... </p>