Toddler Sleep Issues - Russellville,AR

A few questions...When does she usually wake in the AM? Is she pretty active during the day? My son is so much more cooperative at naptime and bedtime if he has played outside and run around a lot.

If she gets up at 7 or 8a and goes to bed at 8 or 9p, you might try at nap at 2p. My son (3.5) gets up at 8a, naps 2-3:30p, and bed at 8p. The later nap seems to be a good time for him. I have set the rules and he knows that he can't get out of bed unless he is going potty. Sometimes, he just lays up there, but 96% of the time he ends up falling asleep. If he puts up a fight, I try to come up with some sort of incentive. "You can have a popsicle after dinner, if you take your nap. If you do not take a nap, no popsicle." Just pick a routine and stick with it. Consistancy is key!

Ps. We have blackout roller shades behind the regular blinds for naptime.

Mommyof2 is correct. A toddler needs to be really active (outside is best) for at least an hour (hour and a half is best) in the morning again in the afternoon for another hour and a half. Running , jumping, climbing and peddling.

Here is an example of a schedule.. Wake up have breakfast.. do an activity.. run an errand or 2 (not every day) play a little inside while you do chores. Let her be a little helper. Then Outside play or park for hour to hour and a half.. Take a small snack for just in case and some water of juice. (give her some choices).

Then come in clean up, have her do quiet play while you prepare lunch, then eat a quiet lunch,. Then wipe her down with a nice warm cloth almost like a massage on her face, arms, hands and legs. Speak in quiet tones.Then lay her down, read her a story.. this is not the time to engage fer with questions about the book.. Maybe rub her back or her head while you read.. Play some soft music, make sure a fan is running to cool down her room. If she is not willing to sleep, allow her to just rest and look at books.

After nap, a snack if needed, quiet play and then back outside.. Run like the wind, climbing, hopping, jumping.. Then inside, with activity or playing.. maybe she can help with dinner preperation.. Nice dinner.. NO TV, NO PHONE CALLS.. this is so important, so that she does not feel like she is missing out on other activities. Then a nice bath, rub her with that cloth. Then carry her into her room to rub her dry.. into jammies, a quiet book or 2.. No tickles, No getting her riled up.. Turn on the music and fan.

She is very aware of the light being outside, the sounds of the neighborhood.. the TV going on in the living room, phone conversations.. This is why kids want to stay awake.. They think there is fun going on without them.

The other thing I did at this age sometimes, was explain.. "Mommy needs a nap. You may lie next to me and look at books quietly, or you can read books to me." I usually fell right to sleep and she would look at books or also fall asleep.

Consider putting up something over her bedroom windows to darken her room. It is bright here in the summer way past 8 so our daughter just could not drop off to sleep. I hung up quilts.

the only way my son goes for a nap is a car ride--every sat and sun at 2pm that is where we are driving. Otherwise he gets overtired and will go to sleep too early and then wake up in the middle of the night. I have no idea what they do a his day care but this is what i do and it works.

My son stopped napping at about 3. There was a transition time where he would nap every 3rd day to catch up sleep, but eventually they just stopped. To this day (he is 8) he does not nap no matter how little sleep he might get. Now is brother is a different story. He is now 6 and sometimes still needs a nap but he loves to nap especially if someone will lay down with him. lol. Full day school was a struggle for him and he does go to bed early at night. He is just different about sleep than his brother.

My VERY active 4 year old stopped napping before she was 3. Not all kids are nappers. I found that just letting her have "down time" (yes, that means laying on the floor and watching YoGabbaGabba) was all that she needed. She doesnt even need that now. Transition from napping and down time was only a month or so.
Stick with a strick bedtime...wake up time and let the naps go. I know that if I ever take a nap(which I dont unless illness strikes) I cant sleep till the sun comes up....