Reintroducing AM nap

mysweetpeasWil&Wes wrote: Is it possible? Wil dropped his morning nap about six months ago, but I'm noticing that he always nods off when we're in the car running errands or coming back from playgroup between 10 and 11am. And so sometimes I get him into his crib from the car, which always results in a short nap, kwim? Or the snooze in the car becomes the nap of the day which ISN'T GOOD for mama! On the days this doesn't happen, I try and give him lunch first and then get him down for a nap no later than 1pm. He sometimes sleeps until 4pm if I'm lucky. But when he does the nod off in the car to the crib, his nap is only an hour max. So by like 5pm he's a total nightmare! Bedtime is 8pm.

Hope that made some sense.

Any suggestions? Jen??

luvmykids replied: Wil sounds exactly like Macie. On a good day, nap is btwn 12:30-1:00 to 2:30-3:00. Something about the car puts 'em out early, and the only thing thats worked for me is rescheduling everything around nap time. I did get her to go down in the am, but then the pm nap was super short (20 min) and she was horrible until bedtime at 8.

moped replied: Are you kidding!!!!!!!!! Of course I have suggestions!!!!!!

A nap at 9 if he wakes at 7am, and a nap at 2ish, both good naps of 1-1.5 hours will make a perfect day for you both!!!!!!!!!!!! He shouldn't drop a nap until about 15-18 months

But thats just me!!!

Thanks for asking!

moped replied: Oh and Jack still has 2 naps - LOL..........seriously! I would keep him on 2 until he he doesn't sleep at all in the morning for 1 week solid!

coasterqueen replied: I like Jen's suggestions. Shoot Kylie still takes a 2 to 3 hour nap on the weekends. She would during the week if she was at home, but since she's at daycare she doesn't get much there. I hope she keeps that nap FOREVER, lol.

moped replied: Oh - If bedtime is 8, then he wakes at 8am, so then a nap at 10 and a nap at 3 is what he needs...........I just re read that part. So he sleeps 8-8 etc etc!

I just get so excited about sleep!

CAMSMOM1 replied: Having one nap in the afternoon is the norm. If Cameron is trying to take a nap in the car in the morning, I will try to keep him awake and talk to him. Because like Wil, if Cam does take a short nap, there is no nap in the PM. He is a much happier boy if he takes his PM naps. Cam also sleeps for 3-5 hours in the afternoon. So I much rather have him stay awake until 1:00. KWIM? Keeping him awake and stimulated until 1:00, and then the afternoon I'm free...and he wakes up happy.

Just my Since you said Wil won't sleep long in the morning, and will be grumpy in the afternoon...I say keep him awake until 1:00.

C&K*s Mommie replied: Good suggestions for having two naps, that is what Christian did when she was still on the two naps/day thing.

Now that they our girls are able to take one and still be happy, I *cut my errands short, so we are near to the house by noon *keep them active if we are in the car, by talking to, tickling them or something to keep them awake till we get home *keep them active in the house or outside until I give them a (5) minute warning that naptime is approaching. It is almost like a sedative by saying that, they get this fatigued look in their eyes. But they are as hyper as ever still!!

MyBlueEyedBabies replied: I couldn't reintroduce the morning nap w/o loosing the afternoon nap but for me if Matt is getting sleepy in the car I take off his shoe and sock and tickle his foot while I'm driving. It ticks him off while I'm doing it but I would rather have him ticked for a 10 minute drive then sleeping and ticked for the rest of the day because he's too tired. Katy I just make her sing to me...it would keep her awake all night if she thought she were being entertaining.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: See this is what I'm a bit scared of happening!

Like some of the others said, I try and keep him awake in the car by singing to him or tickling him, but there's so much you can do sometimes without getting into an accident. Do you think the car cat naps are just due to teething or growth spurts? Because he didn't do this around the time he dropped the morning nap.

Oh I'm so confused. I suppose I should be happy to at least have one good nap in, right?!

MyBlueEyedBabies replied: I would be happy for having the one nap... Another thing is if I loose the battle and he falls asleep I will drive a little extra to make sure he's really out then just carry him to bed. Katy would always give in and go to sleep right arround the time we turned onto our street, just another way to show how she's a pain

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied:
Hey that's a good idea...the drive around the block.