Nap time predicament... naps at daycare and won't nap at home

My DD is a GREAT night time sleeper. She used to also be good about an afternoon nap whether at daycare or at home... but daycare also had her in a crib. Now she's moved up to a room for older babies that has them on little baby-cots, so no bars or anything, just real low to the floor. Now on weekends she refuses to nap and even made herself throw up from crying so hard once. She will nap if we take her for a walk, but that means she's napping outside and I have to sit there and watch her nap rather than use the time to get stuff done or even take a nap myself and at the end of pregnancy I want to nap so bad in the middle of the day after chasing her around.

I'm trying to find a napping solution. Clearly she does not want to be in a crib for a nap. I don't want her on furniture b/c she tries to get down head first still. She won't nap in my bed... she enjoys running around on my bed instead and again, don't want her to fall off.

Re: Nap time predicament... naps at daycare and won't nap at home

Wish I could help you, but all I can do it offer .

I too, have a child who naps great at daycare and sleeps like a champ at night... but is a horrible napper when he is at home.

We just deal! Sometimes we magically get him to take a nap, other times he barely gives us a half hour. But regardless, he has to fall asleep on one of us first before we can put him down. Very annoying!

Re: Nap time predicament... naps at daycare and won't nap at home

The same thing happened to us. Don't have great advice, but I try to stick to daycare's exact schedule on the weekends. Sometimes I get a good nap, sometimes I don't. This weekend was a horror - both days he took a 30-40 minute nap at around 11:00 and then wouldn't go down again. He normally sleeps 2+ hours at daycare.

I just don't count on naptime as the time I can get anything done. If he is so tired and just won't sleep I will still put him in the car and drive for a bit. I just can't take the crankyness all day if he doesn't sleep at all.

Re: Nap time predicament... naps at daycare and won't nap at home

Can you maybe buy an inexpensive cot like the one in daycare. Maybe she will sleep on that?

Re: Nap time predicament... naps at daycare and won't nap at home

Have you considered moving her to a bed? (I don't know her age). Will you need the crib for the new baby anyway?

At 2 1/2 we took DD out of her crib, into her new room & twin bed with side rail. She stopped napping at home for about 2 months. It took THAT long to transition her. Now she naps at home again. We also had a gate at her door for about 4 months after the transition & made her have "quiet time" even if she refused to nap. she would sit in her room (& sometimes cry) and read books & play with her doll for an hour so mommy could nap at the end of my pregnancy. I felt that if she wasn't sleeping, she at least needed the "down time".

Re: Nap time predicament... naps at daycare and won't nap at home

Re: Nap time predicament... naps at daycare and won't nap at home

DD has one of those little couches that folds out to a bed. You get them at BRU. She takes naps on that in our den and it seems to work well. She is also on a cot at daycare.

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Re: Nap time predicament... naps at daycare and won't nap at home

I agree w/ getting a cot - that fold out couch is nice too - we have one.

Can you find out what the routine is for nap time at daycare? Try to re-create that routine at home.

I know at my son's daycare after lunch they read a quiet story on the mats when the kids are lying down. Then anyone who isn't out, gets a nice back rub.

My ds has been at his new school for about 6 weeks and this weekend we tried to keep the same schedule and napping was no problem.

Re: Nap time predicament... naps at daycare and won't nap at home