Tricks for Getting Kids to Nap

We just called it quiet time. I laid on a bed with them. Put on soothing music and the rule was we had to read or be quiet, lay still and no talking. It worked like magic!

My god daughter was once scheduled to come over for a playdate, but her mother had to cancel because she hadn't slept well and didn't have the energy to play. My son took that to heart, and is adamant that he should lie down for a nap, lest he have to miss out on anything in the afternoon because he failed to nap. Most days he sleeps within a few minutes. Other times, he sings and talks quietly to himself. Either way, he is better for having had the break.

Another trick he came up with is to take a stuffy into bed and to instruct it how to nap. Hold still, don't wriggle, don't talk, close your eyes etc. DS shows the doll how it's done and he's soon sleeping.

Best,
F. B.

I chuckle at my granddaughter. I put on Disney when I think our fav song comes on. "It's Naptime Now." She gets her blanket and lays down and goes to sleep.

She's 2. You get to still be the boss...but please consider this.

How many hours per day is she expected to be asleep? If she goes to bed at 7pm and is expected to sleep until at least 7am that's 12 hours then add in a 2 hour nap...that's 14 hours per day and she may not need that many hours of sleep.

Most of the kids in my child care center that went to sleep easily at nap time had more normal hours in the evening and might not go to bed until 8:30 or 9pm then get up at 6:45 or 7 so mom/dad could get them dropped off and to work on time. So they needed that 2 hours of sleep during the day.

9pm-7am is 10 hours plus a 2 hour nap is 12 hours of sleep per day. That's a lot of hours for a kiddo to sleep if they're not out using up energy. And their bodies need that rest so it can grow and heal boo boos and fight off disease. So it's a fine line between all of it.

I guess my suggestion is to follow what child care workers do. The kids go eat lunch and while they're eating the curtains are drawn, quiet music is playing in the background, words are spoken softly, cots, a soft blanket on it, they might or might not take off their shoes, etc...the whole atmosphere is set for them to relax and let their tired bodies take over. Most are asleep before they get a good stretch done. Some have to have their backs rubbed or patted softly but that's not something you should have to do every day for even 15 minutes.

You are still the boss. YOU tell her it's nap time if she gets up and starts running around which should not happen at all but sometimes kids are faster than we can anticipate. The whole atmosphere during lunch and clean up should be quiet and subdued so her body and mind get the idea that it's time to wind down. If she refuses to calm down pick her up and go to her room that is darker and has quiet music playing. Put her on her bed and sit down beside her. Do NOT talk to her or engage with her except to turn her over on her tummy and you gently stroke her back in the effort to relax her.

It is tiresome and frustrating and the second you give in and talk to her or get her mind focused on anything that's when you give her the choice to tell you what is going to go on.

This is something you can do. She needs you to do this.

We did not call them naps, we called them quiet time or mommy needs a rest time. She was allowed to quietly look at books in her bed. I played quiet music. She either fell asleep or looked at books for an hour and a half.
Sometimes, I would lay down and gave her "read to me". After a little while we would both be asleep.

Once they give up naps as a daily thing, truly, it's your big hint that one human cannot make another human sleep, eat or poop. That's why so many parenting questions are about frustrations with getting our children to eat, sleep or poop. They learn young that they, not we, control these things.

My daughter wanted to stop napping just as she turned 2. We did a lot of "car naps" between two and three which worked well for us and our schedule, and I enjoyed taking a book and driving around, then parking to read. But that doesn't work with other kids in the mix, I know.

We then moved to "quiet time" where she was in her room with quiet music playing, and I'd read one very short story like at bedtime and leave. Often she fell asleep -- maybe on the floor rather than in the bed, but who cares where? Using a quiet time where things are mellow throughout the house can work.

you can lead a horse to water.......
i don't get trying to force or trick a kid into sleep.
would it work with you?
you CAN enforce some quiet time. and i would. good for everybody.
khairete
S.

When I was doing the SAHM gig, I took them to the park or anywhere they could really run. We also played fetch. Yep, fetch. And raced. It was good for everyone.

It's important to remember that kids go through growth cycles. Sometimes they'll really need that nap, because their little bodies are using a lot of energy growing, and sometimes they won't nap because their bodies are at that short timeframe between growth cycles. You'll know when a growth cycle is about to ramp up because they'll start eating everything in the house and asking for more. They'll put on some weight....and then they'll start sleeping more and the next thing you know they've grown out of all their shoes and clothes overnight.

Once you get the hang of where they are in the eat-sleep-grow-break cycle, you'll have a better idea of whether they'll be willing to nap, or how hard it will be to force them to do so.

Instead of calling it a nap, I called it quiet time. I told them they didn't have to sleep, just lay down and be quiet. They could play with their stuffed animals or look at a book, etc. Most of the time they fell asleep. If not, at least they rested.

That's pretty much what you did with your phone, only low tech. :-)

My stepdaughter got each of her kids a foam chair - it looks like a mini-version of an armchair you would have in your living room, but the cushion lifts up and folds out, turning it into a sort of chaise lounge. It sits right on the floor - no legs. So she put the chairs in a corner of the living room and told them it was chair time, to unfold it and get comfy with a blanket and a book. They were usually out in 10 minutes. The phone thing seems to work fine too, although I can see that being a problem down the road (like the TV) when they want to go to bed at night with electronics. But if you make it an "afternoon only" thing, it should work. The idea is that they can do what they want if they are in that chair or the bed - but not get up and run around. That takes away the pressure to "nap" (read: "be a baby") and still they will fall asleep 90% of the time.

And yeah, they give up naps for good about 6 months before they really should. It's hell.

I find letting them play in a warm bath helps get them tired.

In our house we call it "Time to Rest". I give my 3 year old daughter choices: she can bring a doll, a stuffed animal, books to read or she can play on my phone. The goal is for her to rest for an hour. Most days she falls asleep. When she doesn't, I tell her she did a good job resting and I start bedtime earlier.

Best,
T. Y

My boys gave up naps completely by about 2 1/2. They didn't want or need them anymore. Before that they weren't great nappers either. I often used the van to get them to nap. I would drive until the little one fell asleep then drive to the park and let him nap in the van while the older one played, or I would park in the garage and let him sleep there. The stroller was always a good way too get them to sleep, especially in colder weather. Bundle them up in the stroller and go for a long walk. The motion and the fresh combined to get them to sleep. When I got home I just parked the stroller in the hallway and let them finish their nap. Sometimes just setting them up with a cozy blanket and a movie would get them to sleep, and even if it didn't it gave them a rest.