Advice on How to Get 18 Mo. Old to Sleep Longer

[Crazy Baby]

I have an 18 month old DCK who has just recently started napping for around 30-40 minutes. She used to be a fine napper. She is totally exhausted in the mornings and I usually get her to hold out until nap time. You'd think that since she goes down tired that she would sleep longer. The rest of the kids are sleeping far longer and she is causing them to get woken up sooner than they'd like.

I am wondering what the deal is. I don't provide her with a pillow, just a blanket. Do you think she'd sleep longer with a stuffed animal and pillow?

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by Crazy Baby

I have an 18 month old DCK who has just recently started napping for around 30-40 minutes. She used to be a fine napper. She is totally exhausted in the mornings and I usually get her to hold out until nap time. You'd think that since she goes down tired that she would sleep longer. The rest of the kids are sleeping far longer and she is causing them to get woken up sooner than they'd like.

I am wondering what the deal is. I don't provide her with a pillow, just a blanket. Do you think she'd sleep longer with a stuffed animal and pillow?

IME, any time you "hold out" you just create sleep issues.

I'd think about putting her down in the morning for a quick 30 minute snooze and then giving her nap the same time as the others.

Sleep begats sleep.

[Ariana]

She is likely waking up due to overtiredness. You can either put her down right away as BC suggested OR you can leave her until nap time is over. At this point she is learning that nap time is over when I start putting up a fuss. She will eventually fall back to sleep. At the 30-40minute mark is when the brain transitions to deep sleep. If she is overtired and/or has bad sleep habits she will wake up. Most people get kids up when they start crying or fussing.

Can you put her in a seperate room while sleep training or can you get a loud sound machine so she is not waking the others?

[Crazy Baby]

That's been the main issue with her waking, she shares a room with another child and I am unable to have her by herself. Some days when the other child is not at daycare, I have tried to leave her in the bed to see if she will go back to sleep. She hasn't been going back to sleep, just lying there making huffing and puffing sounds.

[Play Care]

Originally Posted by Crazy Baby

That's been the main issue with her waking, she shares a room with another child and I am unable to have her by herself. Some days when the other child is not at daycare, I have tried to leave her in the bed to see if she will go back to sleep. She hasn't been going back to sleep, just lying there making huffing and puffing sounds.

If at all possible I would move the other child to another room. And while I would monitor from outside the room, I would not physically go in/let her see me until nap is over (I say this because this is an older toddler, not an infant).
If I didn't already I would get black out curtains/shades and a white noise fan. Make the room very dark and cozy. The only time I would go in is if she was being very loud, and then she would be laid back down and told firmly "SHHHHH, night night! Friends are sleeping!"
I do think at this stage they can get the idea that nap ends when provider comes in, and not before.

[Pestle]

Can you ask the parents what time she's going to bed at night? It's worth the confrontation if it results in everybody having a better day.

I've had to get creative when I have multiple kids whose life goal is to wake up any other children who are sleeping. I've used a hallway and the living room and the dining room and the playroom at the same time--any place where there's nothing within grabbing reach of a Pack 'n' Play.

[childcaremom]

My best advice is to separate. Agree with above, get creative.

Consistency with your expectations and reactions.

I find this to be common at this age. Also common: the parent who thinks that this means that they are ready to give up naps. Nope! It's a stage. It will pass.

[Heart12]

It sounds like over tiredness to me too. I would lay her down in the morning for a short rest (even if she doesnt go to sleep) & definitely separate if it is disrupting everyone else

[Ariana]

Try and get her in her own space, black out blinds and noise machine or fan on very loud. I go in every 15 minutes to simply plop them over on their tummies, rub their back for a few seconds and say "night night go back to sleep sweetie" and then leave. It might take a few days but she will eventually stop waking up. It is extremely important that she does not get up when she starts to cry. She only gets up when nap time is over.