1 Yr Old Won't Nap and Is Cranky All Day!

Yep - I've been there and done that with my oldest son. In the end, we just adjusted to him not needing naps - we also think it's because he was very intelligent and just really wanted to know what was going on all the time. Another fact might well have been that we later learned he was allergic to dairy and has celiac disease, so it could be that he just didn't feel as good when he was laying down and wanted more comfort. For exercise, you could just put him in a jogging stroller or burley on your bike - that's the only way I got exercise when my kids were that young. If you buy a double burley, you can fit both kids back there - I did that up until they reached the combined 100 lb weight limit. If you do that, please make sure that they are also wearing helmets. Also, to get stuff around the house, I used a baby backpack carrier - this works great for vacuuming and cooking. As far as doing stuff with your older son, you might have to reserve that time til dad comes home (or he can ride along while you push the baby in the stroller) and then you can have your one on one time with him for a while and then let Dad have his one on one time at bedtime while you're getting the baby to bed.

try taking a walk outside put the child in the stroller and walk ...if that doesn't work ....try a car ride with cool music ...maybe the ride will make him sleep and the 30 minutes in the car will be better for you to have that time without having the entertain an over tide child. everyone is happier with a nap

does your 4 yr old still nap? my youngest won't sleep if my 4 yr old doesn't have "rest time" because he wants to be with his big brother. I have found that I involve both boys in the bedtime routine and my oldest lays done for a rest time (sometimes only 15 min.). This helps my youngest know that it is nap/rest time for everyone and has allowed us to have 1-1.5 hour daytime nap. It has also benefited my 4 yr old - he is no longer so crabby before bedtime and goes done a lot easier.

I agree with the other moms about everyone having rest time. Also, maybe your son would do better on a pallet. My son will not and has never napped in his crib or bed. I guess he associates it with night time and he just won't sleep there. Try using a calming DVD like Thomas or a baby themed video. Those put my 2 1/2 year old right out and now he's taken to sleeping in a big chair in the playroom. Oh well, as long as he naps, I really don't care where he does it! Good luck!

Sync the naps/quiet time. Seriously, even if they watch a 50 min DVD. You need the peace & quiet or your head will explode! LOL
Do you have a double stroller? Pushing that for a long walk will get you your exercise and might just zonk them out. Good luck!

*Adding This: Like Terra said I synchronize my kids naps/bedtime the same and same times. Sometimes, one kid does not want to nap because the other one is awake and not going to nap. My daughter is now 7 years old.. and she still sometimes naps when she is tired. She napped everyday, consistently, until she was in the 1st grade. They do benefit from it, as Terra said. My son is 3.5, and he naps everyday in the afternoon. They don't battle about it... the key for me was having a daily routine about it, and it is just a part of the day.

wow not easy huh?

My daughter was a real challenge to put to sleep or nap as well.
For her, it was either gas, or hunger, or teething... and she was sensory sensitive meaning, that ANY sounds would wake her... even the toilet flushing. She has real good ears. And her mind was just very active. Or, she just needed to be co-slept with. That is how she slept the best and consistently. It was just her and her personality. NO "methods" would work for her, although I tried.
The only thing that worked for her was either swaddling when she was an infant or co-sleeping.
She also had a ginormous appetite (I was breastfeeding) and she fed a lot. I fed her on-demand. Not according to a schedule.

1 year old is also a growth-spurt time... so maybe he just needs more intake. It is also a time of lots of developmental changes and hitting milestones. This tweaks a baby's sleep as well.

Before nap or bed... allow the child to wind-down first. This can even take 1/2 hour before actually putting him down for nap. Look for his sleepy cues. Don't wait until he is over-tired before you put him down. By then it is too late.. .and the child is ALREADY over-tired... and over-tired babies/kids actually do not sleep well nor fall asleep well, and they wake more.

Have a routine everyday. The SAME routine everyday, pre-nap and pre-bed. Making everything quiet, and keyed down.

It could also be that he is over-stimulated. And this does not enable a baby to sleep well either... and they can't calm down enough to sleep. For my daughter, every noise or hyper activity before bed/nap, just made her TOO stimulated to sleep. For naps/bed, don't just stop an activity then plunk him down in the crib. That is too abrupt of a "transition." Do the transitioning gradually. He needs to wind-down first.

Or, put on some white noise while he is napping/sleeping. This helps too. At least is did for my daughter and son. I turn on a fan on low, in the room, while my kids nap or sleep. Oh sorry, you do have white noise....

Also, it may be separation-anxiety. Which arises at certain age-junctures. This also makes a baby/kid not want to sleep or they get upset.

Keep his nap/sleep times consistent. Not changing it everyday. It has to be the SAME everyday. Some kids don't do well when it varies. Some kids just need routine.... and the same sequence of events or routine everyday, pre-nap or pre-sleep. That is how my son is. A baby/child... typically gets tired at about the same time everyday... so observe him... and according to that, that is when you need to put him to nap... and bedtime do not make it too late.

just some thoughts,
All the best,
Susan

Actually my son was sort-of similar, but not as bad. He just started sleeping through the night 7pm-5am, at about 12mos. As far as naps go, he has done soooo much better going down right after lunch. 1, 2-3hr nap a day, opposed to numerous 20 min naps throughout. We had to work on laying him down after he showed sleepy signs, and rubbing his back while singing. It took patience, but now just one month later, he wines for a couple of mins and puts himself to sleep. I wouldn't black out the room or make it super quiet, that will just make him not able to nap anywhere but there. It is a phase that I'm sure he'll grow out of....good luck!