Help! DD will NOT nap!

[TwoBees]

DD has never been a great napper. But lately she will not nap AT ALL. She is clearly tired. We put her down for a nap and she screams her head off, to the point of being hoarse and often throwing up (even several hours after her last meal). We pick her up and let her play, and she's crying there too. She is overtired. And she isn't sleeping better at night either. We're at our wits end and have no idea what to do anymore.

[twowhat?]

Lots of things could be at play. I highly recommend getting a copy of Dr Ferber's book. Every time we've had a sleep problem I have referred to it, and things go back to normal in a few days (the longest it's every taken to "go back to normal" is a few weeks but by then we had figured out that the girls were cutting their first molars!) I would rather donate a kidney than give up this book! And it covers sleep problems through the teenage years.

http://www.amazon.com/Solve-Your-Childs-Sleep-Problems/dp/0743201639/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286129243&sr=8-1

[TwoBees]

TBH, I am NOT comfortable with the cry-it-out method. DD will cry so violently that she will projectile vomit. This occurs even after just a few minutes of crying. Then we have to give her a bath, put on new pajamas, change her sheets, etc, which is not conducive to the sleep process. Additionally, we lose precious calories. So we're looking for another method.

[hillview]

Teething? Gas? Something in the room bothering her? Is she over tired maybe do the nap a little earlier? I find the book Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child to be a good sleep cycle book. It has a quick read section for issues that helped me a lot when my kids were younger. This too shall pass!
http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-Happy-Child/dp/0449004023

Good luck mama -- I know it is hard.
/hillary

[Green_Tea]

She does sound overtired. Perhaps you are waiting too long to put her down? My kids always had a hard time settling down when they had already hit the overtired phase. Is she a year old? I'd try to put her down for her first nap about 2 hours after she wakes for the day. And, honestly, if she's not used to being put down for a nap, she probably will cry a little. But hopefully if you put her down within the window of time when she's tired but not overtired, the crying will be short lived.

[TwoBees]

Thanks, we'll try doing it a bit earlier. Also, Hillview, I'm going to look into that book, thanks!

[hillview]

Thanks, we'll try doing it a bit earlier. Also, Hillview, I'm going to look into that book, thanks!

It is a great book and one that I used for about 3 years with each boy.
/hillary

[JBaxter]

Im only getting about 5 naps a week now.

[smilequeen]

I didn't do CIO ever either and we definitely went through phases like that. My first thought was the same as a PP, that she is getting overtired before you put her down. So I would try an earlier nap. I think all the sleep books have good information on sleep needs, so I tend towards No Cry Sleep Solution b/c there is no way I'll ever let my children CIO (however, just b/c a book advocates CIO doesn't mean you have to do it and they all have good information). The other thing I will do is just whatever it takes to get the nap. Sometimes that means I drive around in the car and then sit in the car in the driveway and read a book or use my wireless internet.

[hillview]

Totally agree with Karen -- sometimes we went for a drive or a stroll if that helped. With DS1 that was all we could do. DS2 was a better in crib napper.
/hillary