Lack of naps is going to kill me...

[almostamom]

Why is it that a 15 minute snooze in the car completely eliminates a 2 hour nap at home?? We have an appointment about 45 minutes away from home every Monday. We usually arrive home right at naptime. DS almost always falls asleep about 15 minutes from home, he wakes up as soon as we pull into the driveway, and then POOF - the nap is over! He will not go back to sleep. Last week, I sang to him, clapped, and did everything I possibly could (while driving) to keep him awake until we got home. It worked, he didn't sleep in the car, but he refused to take a nap at home either. I got to spend the rest of the day with a very grouchy 2 year old! I can't win! Other than that, I have a happy, healthy, active 2 year old and no real reason to complain, but thanks for letting me vent! :)

[rlu]

DS has that type of limit too. It is such a fine line - too short or too long a nap (under 5 or over 15 minutes) in the car and he's done with napping. He almost always falls asleep on the way to/from MIL's so we're going to have a bumpy Christmas Eve when we return from MIL's next Sunday. There's going to be one grumpy lamb in the Children's pagent this year (or maybe he'll lay down and nap at the communion rail, that would be a charmer).

[blueeyedb]

I have no advice, but I wanted to say that DS does this as well and it drives me CRAZY! I feel your pain and hope you find a solution that works for you.

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

Avi does this as well. The minute the car stops and i open the door, not matter how carefully i take him out he wakes up and does not go back to sleep.

If anyone knows how to keep a two year old asleep while taking them out of the car, upstairs and into their crib i would love to know the secret.

Ilana, aka Nana to my sweet nephew Avi

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[LarsMal]

UGH...I feel your pain. I had the same thing happen today, and it also happens every Friday on our way home from gym class. My problem, though, is that DS will let me transfer him from the car to his crib (36 weeks preggo, lugging 23 pounds of dead weight) and then five minutes later- Poof! Naptime is over!

I've tried the clapping and singing, too. It doesn't matter- Once I see that glazed look in his eyes, I know he's going out on me!

So frustrating!

[psophia17]

Isn't it awful?

DS1 started waking up when we stopped all of a sudden - before then he'd stay asleep right through removal from the car, so the immediate wake-up thing was quite a shock. Eventually I decided just to keep driving. A 30-minute nap was way better than 15 minutes, and he'd sleep through trips to the drive-thru...

[Smiles81]

How about this: Why does a fifteen minute car nap push off bedtime by 1.5 - 2 hours. My 2 yr old DS stopped napping a while ago, but a 20 minute nap in the car or at preschool will change bedtime from 7:15 until 9:00. Sorry to hijack.

Reena
Mom to Dovi and Huvi

[almostamom]

That's completely unfair and should be against the rules in the game of parenting!!! I feel for you!

[Smiles81]

My advice: Don't bother putting him upstairs in his crib, lay him on the couch or the floor, when I do this DS often goes back to sleep! Maybe because he knows he doesn't have to go to sleep. Try it, you never know!
Reena
Mom to Dovi 3/16/04 and Ahuva 6/19/06

[Smiles81]

Thanks. :)

Reena
Mom to Dovi 3/16/04 and Ahuva 6/19/06

[kfk]

I feel your pain. We have that problem too. It means that any morning outing that includes more than a fifteen minute drive basically kills the afternoon because they fall asleep in the car and then won't nap. Actually, Zac will continue to snooze while the car is parked (unfortunately we only have a carport, not a garage) but Jake always wakes up within 5 minutes of the car stopping. I've actually left DH in the car with Zac and taken Jake upstairs so at least one would sleep when we've done family outings.

So any extra fun toddler activity like the zoo, the children's museum, etc.--which they love at the time--boomerangs into cranky kids and tired parents for the afternoon/evening. So unfair!

[crl]

Very unfair and happens to us too.

[crl]

Ok, well I have no answer for him not sleeping after you managed to keep him awake. Actually I have no answer for any of this, although we had exactly the same problem. Sometimes I could keep DS away by giving him food in the car. . . . but that doesn't help if your DS still won't nap. Sigh.

[DrSally]

I feel your pain. I think if they nap in the car, it takes the edge off and they can't take a real nap at home. Then, if they don't nap, their overly tired and missed that "window" and can't get to sleep either. Frustrating!