[jaymo]

We switched the girls from cribs to toddler beds ... we had the convertible cribs so everything is the same except for the front bars .. well, since we changed them on Saturday they have been sleeping --->AT NIGHT perfectly. They go to bed with no problem and last night only fell out 1 time each. I know I shouldn't think that is funny but really. . it is!
Anyway on to our problem ... THEY WILL NOT NAP ANY MORE!!! I know that they NEED the nap still ... for Pete's Sake, they slept for more than 3 hours on Friday (before the switch) and are SOOOOOOO cranky by about 4 pm until bed time at 7.
So, my dilemma .. how do I get them to nap? They nap at day care with no issues ... without a crib ... how do I get them to do it here? I am at my wit's end with this and it has only been 3 days! I know that they are not going to nap forever .. which, in itself is VERY unfortunate, however, they still NEED it now.
Thanks in advance for the help .. oh, I should tell you that they are 2 1/2 ... twins ... share a room (which may be ending!) ... been home almost 2 years (TOMORROW ).
Again, thanks!
Maura.

[OpenThemAll]

Can you stay in the room without engaging them at the beginning of naptime. Tell them they have to stay in their beds, and it is time to sleep. We have a 2 1/2 year old DS - he's still in the crib - but some days I have to go in there to make him stop playing. He's exhausted and is usually asleep within a few minutes of me telling him no more talking, it's time to sleep. Somedays, he just has to know I'm serious.
Good luck.

[dac_cincy]

Can you nap with them on the couch or in the lving room?

My son will not nap in his bed, but he does on the couch. I usually nap for one hour, then I get up and I read or I go into another room and do house work. This Sunday, he napped for 3 hours on the couch, while I watched football and folded laundry.


Love to you,

[sak9645]

Several options:

1. Put out a "nap mat" on the floor, the way day care does. Go through the same pre-nap procedure that the day care does. Have them pretend to be at day care. If they nap at day care, then they may like the arrangement and want it replicated at home.

2. Return to the crib. There is nothing wrong with having a 2.5 year old in a crib. My daughter was nearly 3.5 before she was willing to go to a toddler bed. She would climb out of the crib in the morning, remove her pullup, use the bathroom, put on her "daytime" panties, and sometimes go back to bed. If your twins' sleep patterns changed only after going into toddler beds, it's probably not the right time to make the change.

I don't like convertible cribs because, when turned into toddler beds, many are fairly high off the floor. And kids do fall out of bed with some regularity, even if you have side rails. Because my daughter slept "like the hands of a clock" -- a different position every minute -- I purposely bought a toddler bed that was only about 18 inches from the carpet.

My daughter fell out of bed at least once a night, but KEPT RIGHT ON SLEEPING! At first, when I would see her on the carpet, I would pick her up and put her back to bed. But that usually woke her and made her very cranky. So I learned just to leave her there. At some point later, she would wake up and put herself back in the toddler bed. She didn't really become a more normal sleeper until she was over 5.

Sharon

[jaymo]

Thanks Sharon and everyone.
I will definetly try your suggestions .. although they won't sleep anywhere else BUT the bed ... not even the carseat!
thanks for your help and I will keep you posted!
Maura.

[afl]

No suggestions on getting them to sleep in the toddler bed, but wanted to post a link for a really great alternative to a regular bed rail. The best part is it's portable. We took it with us on vacation a few weeks ago and it was awesome to know she wasn't going to fall out of the big, high bed she was in (in another room, so we couldn't see her).

Our convertible crib is really low to the ground as a toddler bed, but I still didn't want her falling out.

ToddlerCoddler > About BedBugz

[guatparents2be]

i say put them back in their cribs. why not?
they might just be kids that do better with more stability.

do it quickly before they get out of the habit!!

[linda512]

I have had the same problem. I just put my son in the crib with the side rail off, have a guard rail the length of the crib on it, but he will not nap.
I just started a star chart- he gets a star if he naps and when he gets 3 stars he gets a toy. I even showed him the toy. I am waiting to see if it works. I'll let you know.
Good luck. It is very frustrating- he still really needs his nap also!

[angel_bayou]

This may sound silly but can you let them nap somewhere quiet while lying on a nap mat like school? I may be worth a try???

[Hopingsoon]

When I switched my son to the toddler bed, we were on vacation, and I took him to the park and let him wear himself out before nap time. I then fed him lunch, read to him quietly, and let him fall asleep with me in the room. He was off his normal schedule for a couple of days, but those 3-4 hour naps that came from him being worn out from the park were well worth it. I think they also helped familiarize him with his "big boy" bed and new bedroom.

[Clare'sMom]

The same thing happened to us when we moved the girls into big beds...

I totally caved! They lay on my bed and watch a really boring music/visual video with the sound down so low they can bearly hear it... It has been boring them to sleep for almost two years.... try anything, it beats the toddler crankies at supper time!!

Best of Luck!! & Nice to See You!! Ann

[keithandkristy]

Our twin girls from GUA are also 2 1/2 years old. One thing we had to do when we first switched them to "big girl" beds was make the room darker. This worked...for some reason. It seems like night time even during the day now. So, they still take their 2 hour nap everyday!

Now...our almost 4 year old had problems napping after we switched her at 2 years old. What finally worked with her is letting her nap in the pack-n-play in our playroom. I don't know why this worked and it was her idea and to this day she STILL naps in the pack-n-play EVERYday!! She is too big for it, but that is where she prefers and as long as she's napping, I don't care!

Oh, another suggestion...I saw this in a parent magazine...you can use a pool noodle under the sheet as a "bumper" for the side of the bed so the child will not roll off. We tried it, but they didn't really need it.

Anyway...hope these suggestions help a little.

[JustBarbara]

Hmm - well, at 2 1/2 I think they still need their naps. I'd keep them where they are now and even though they protest about not wanting/needing to nap - if you make the room quite dark and let them have a book or two in their beds but 'no talking' ... just quiet time I think you might be pleasantly surprised how often they will fall asleep (I am a wishful thinker). With DS - same age - when he wants to play in his room at naptime, I just put a pillow and a soft comforter type thing down and usually 10-15 minutes in I find him asleep. Good luck

[jaymo]

thanks to all of you! This is GREAT! I actually laughed out loud at Ann's response! I cave too! they napped today at "school"so it was a GREAT night! I brought their nap mats back from "school" with hopes that will help today because they nap on them at school with no problems.
I will keep you posted! Thanks for all the advice! I will move through it week by week I am sure or this is how I will spend the rest of my evenings! Thanks again!
M.