Naps for 13 Month Old

I would even say babies that age usually need 2 naps a day still. But if you think one is ok for him, I would just try moving it up. I'm not one of those that thinks you shouldn't wake a sleeping baby - the opposite actually - wake them to keep them on a schedule, it's for their own best health. Try putting him down for a nap at noon or right after lunch whenever you eat. Then he should be able to get in 2-3 hours if he needs it and still go to bed at a reasonable time at night. Have a good routine for naps that you stick to. We read books, then rock, then put them down. And we do it the same every time so they know what to expect and it helps lull them into sleep. I wouldn't suggest continuing with the car ride to get him to sleep. It will only further his need/desire for it and you'll be doing it for years to come.. or else make it that much harder to stop later. Stop now and get into a good routine for naps. And then give it a week or so too. Even if he doesn't go to sleep, put him in his crib and leave the room. Stay consistant so he knows this is naptime and what he's expected to do. Hope that helps. :)

Read the book 'Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child' it's a fabulous book. Dr. Marc Weissbluth, the author, explains the relationship of how sleep begets sleeps and sleeplessness begets sleeplessness. I would try putting your son down for a nap and letting him sleep and then put him down for nighttime a lot earlier than you think like 7 pm.
"When your infant or young child appears wired, he may be tired."... "Some chronically tired children are always keyed up and never unwind.".... "Loss of sleep produces central nervous system hyperarousal."...
"The afternoon nap usually lasts until about 3 years of age and gradually disappears.... If the afternoon nap disappears too soon, your chld may become overtired in the late afternoon and have difficulty falling asleep at night.... Bad timing is a common cause of problems associated with the afternoon nap." Don't put him down before noon or after 2, and it's discouraged to wake him from his nap.
"If circumstances cause your baby to go to bed too late, do the best you can but try for the earliest bedtime possible."
At 13 months of age he needs to be getting between 10-13 hours of nighttime sleep and between 1-3 hours of daytime sleep. The recommended bedtime at night is between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm and either two naps one that starts around 9 or 10 am and another that starts around 1 or 2 pm or one consolidated nap starting somewhere between 12 and 2 pm that can last up to 3 hours. If your schedule makes these times difficult just try to make sure he's getting between 12-16 hours of sleep every 24 hours.
I struggled with soooo many sleep problems with my son before I found this book and now I have no more sleep and/or behavioral problems with my son, and it's helped a lot of my friends too. Good luck!

My girl is in daycare Mon-Fri and in the infant room, they took 2 naps daily (10-11 and 1:30-2:30). But, once she moved to the toddler room (1-2year-olds who can walk steady), they cut it back to 1 nap (12:30-2:30). It took her about 2 weeks to adjust (she really wanted the morning nap), but now she does really good with it. I pretty much stick with the same schedule at home although sometimes she gets cranky earlier (wants to nap at 10:30) or does't want to nap at all. If she doesn't want to nap, I'll do the "calm down" steps (cup of milk, read a book, cuddle for a few minutes) then put her in her crib. Somedays she won't nap at all, but she will play quietly with her stuffed animals & a book for about an hour. To me, that qualifies as "half nap" time.

Either way (1,2, or no naps), she goes to bed between 7:30-8:30 and wakes up between 6:30-7:30. So, I'd say one 2-hour nap should be good enough for his age. You could try to feed him lunch earlier (get him very full--lunch + milk + dessert) and get him to nap earlier. Personally, I think that would be preferable to having him stay up so late at night! No matter what you decide to do, just be consistent, and eventually he will get used to the new schedule. Good luck!

I do, I do, I do.
Had the same problem with my little girl, except she was a little older than your little boy.
I went back to work when she was about 2 and told them that she probably would not lay
down for a nap but surprisingly she did. She was always up at 5:45 every morning so she
did go to bed at a decent hr most nights. Now, I am not working anymore: she is 3 and 1/3 and
she will not lay down to save her life. I can make her go to her bed and lay down and rest but
I can't make her sleep. She can't stand going to bed before we do. I like to have time with my
husband. THat is the only chance we ever have to talk anymore unless he gets a chance to
call me from work, which is rare. I make her go to bed and she usually goes to sleep
because she is so exhausted from not taking naps. But she fights it really really bad. She
will whine and cry and it is so exhausting for me to have to put up with such a fuss. But if
I don't put her to bed, I am afraid that she will end up aggrevating me to the point I will lose it.
I am with her all day long, we do what she wants to do, we try and have fun but I need my
time too and I don't enjoy the time when she is fussy (tired).
Anyway...... to answer your question.... yes I have one that won't take a nap also.
Before I went to work she wouldn't take a nap for me then either. I always thought that
she was too nosey and wanted to be where the action was and thought that if she
went to bed she was gonna miss something. I guess the reason she took a nap at pre
school was because everyone else was and there was nothing going on.
I don't know what the answer is, but I hope that it comforts you to know you are
not alone.
MEL